Mail Archives: opendos/2005/01/13/11:54:35
Although I've used DRDOS since version 4.2 or so, I've always used Lantastic
to network my computers. Even to the couple that I've got that run Win95
and XP.
It'd always seemed like a LOT of trouble to arrange for them to use PNW when
Lantastic worked so well. Additionally, if I fouled up in monkeying the
hardware and software together, I'd have nothing to show for my time spent.
Joe's email is quite encouraging since he shows both that perseverance and
hardware and software insight still abounds for we DOS users. Congrads Joe!
None-the-less, I'm still going to put off trying PNW 'til some other time.
Stu
-----Original Message-----
From: da Silva, Joe [mailto:Joe DOT daSilva AT ampymetering DOT com DOT au]
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 3:32 PM
To: 'opendos AT delorie DOT com'
Subject: RE: PNW vs NetWare (and NE2000 drivers, Client32)
Well, the FRAME-type stuff is still a bit of a mystery to me, however, this
isn't the problem, as you will see below.
As for Client32, this is the 32-bit DOS (and MSW, I think) client we used
with our former Novell 4 network. It ran on top of 16-bit DOS, in extended
memory, allowing plenty of conventional and UMB memory available for other
DOS requirements. An excellent client, by stark contrast to the flaky,
bloated MonoSoft client we now have to use with our flaky MonoSoft SMB
network. If this client were compatible with PNW (my interpretation of Ben's
posting is that it isn't, only the 16 bit VLM client is), then I would
definitely use this, because it of the major benefits it gives for DOS
memory availability.
Anyway, last night, as a hunch, I attached a 27 ohm
resistor to the BNC connector of the network card,
on the PC I am experimenting with. I figure this would approximate the two
terminators that would normally be fitted if the network were completed.
Viola! The VLM ODI NE2000 driver loaded!
So, it seems there is a bug (actually, two bugs, as you
will see) with the VLM ODI NE2000 driver. It performs
some sort of test to check if the network is correctly terminated, but then
misinterprets this as a hardware configuration conflict. Furthermore (and
this is the second bug I alluded to), it then neglects to restore the
interrupt vector for the card's IRQ, even though it isn't loading. As a
result, attaching a cable or terminating resistor to the card's BNC
connector will subsequently invoke a call to this interrupt vector,
resulting in a hung PC - nasty!
Note that the NE2000 packet driver does not exhibit this behaviour, nor the
Client32 driver, just the VLM NE2000 driver does. Additionally, the VLM
NE1000 driver (with the 8-bit card, of course) does not exhibit this
behaviour in the same situation.
So, now that I know the nature of the VLM ODI NE2000
driver's problem, I can "work around" it (ie. if I boot without a proper
network connection, I must switch off the PC before making this connection,
else the PC will hang). However, if it were possible to use the Client32
drivers instead with PNW, that would not only avoid these bugs, it would
give me more free memory for DOS stuff. Unless someone says otherwise, I'll
work on the basis that the Client32 drivers won't work with PNW.
Joe.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Welles [SMTP:gary AT wellesway DOT com]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 11:56 PM
> To: OpenDos
> Subject: Re: PNW vs Netware (and NE2000 drivers)
>
> > 1) Can anyone confirm (or otherwise) that Novell's VLM ODI NE2000
> > driver is broken, when using an original (early 90's) Novell card?
>
> I'm under the illusion that only the ODI driver sees the hardware and
> that the VLM may be asking something of it that it's not configured
> for. You mentioned INT 5 and PORT 300, but not FRAME type. Perhaps
> the VLM's default differs from that of the ODI driver.
>
> > 2) Have I correctly interpreted Ben's posting, which to me says that
> > the Client32 drivers are incompatible with PNW?
>
> He appears to have referred to incompatiblity between machines one
> running PNW, the other Netware. I also expect the "32" in Client32
> refers to Win32 and not the underlying 16-bit DOS.
>
> My experience has been to get something to work and then experiment.
> I use only the IPX transport with DESQview/X's X-server providing
> TCP/IP network services:
>
> E32C - E464 4.8K Used (LSL)
> E465 - E581 4.4K Used (E200P)
> E582 - E75F 7.4K Used (IPXODI)
>
> It's another set of configuration issues, but DV/X is both client and
> server. At a minimum it could be an FTP server to other machines on
> your network.
>
> NAME=DESQview
> URL=http://www.chsoft.com/dv.html
>
> -- Gary Welles
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