Networking

When building a new network or expanding your old net, start with a diagram. You can create a configuration on paper or use a software diagramming tool that allows you to move and place graphical objects representing the elements of your network. This road map may be quite different from what you end up with, but a good diagram can keep you from straying too far from your original intentions.

Avoid the temptation to use an inexpensive workstation as a server. It may seem that any old workstation can be put into place to share files and applications, but most servers quickly end up supporting a heavy workload. Also avoid local use of a workgroup server that can adversely affect its performance.

Make your network purchases with flexibility and expansion in mind. Network interface cards (NICs) are available for a variety of configurations. If you are just starting out using Ethernet, choose NICs that support both 10Base2 (thinnet or coaxial) and 10BaseT (unshielded twisted pair). Or if you are using 10BaseT already, look into purchasing NICs that support both 10BaseT and the newer, faster 100BaseT standard. With this type of strategy you can start with the less expensive standards, and switch to the appropriate concentrator-based technology as needed.

Keep a log of all the steps you take when setting up and troubleshooting your network. This should describe everything you did in configuring your network, and the steps you took to eliminate any problems you encountered. Make sure the log is accessible place so anyone who needs to solve a problem can use it and document their own steps.

Establish a plan for backing up mission-critical data to tapes (or some other media) regularly. Store backup media safely away from your main site in case disaster strikes.

If you are a NetWare administrator storing .INI files on the server for each of your users, be sure to use the ROOT feature of the MAP command. Create a mapped drive, like this:
MAP ROOT U:=SERVER/VOLUME:LOGIN_NAME.
This will create a unique directory for each user that appears to be the root of the same drive, the U:\ drive in this case. All Windows files will then appear to be in the same place for any logged-in user-- making all paths to and inside .INI files the same throughout your network.

Don't create "shared" directories on your server. Instead of acting like global in-baskets, these tend to become network-wide trash bins. Develop a strategy to transfer files through electronic mail. Some applications, such as Microsoft's Word 6.0, offer "routing slips'' to help you do this easily.

Consider wireless networking technologies to keep roaming notebook-toting executives connected to the network while moving between meetings. With peer-to-peer connectivity, they can even make ad hoc connections to other users.

Putting a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) on a file server isn't enough. Put smaller "battery backup" units on mission-critical workstations, concentrators, mail servers--and anything else that might suffer from a power loss and need to be reset. But not laser printers! Laser printers draw too much current for UPSes to handle.

Think about the "Big Crash'' before it happens. Detail and make available a plan that describes what must happen if major components of your network fail. Run regular fire drills to see what you left out. This is the perfect time to test your duplexed drives and UPS units to make sure they are performing correctly.

You can install any current Windows version, especially Windows 95, onto a network drive for download to individual PCs. If you use the SETUP /A (Administrative option), you can load all files needed for any level of installation. Once attached to a server, Windows Setup (located on the network drive where it was installed) can be used to upgrade PCs without using expensive Electronic Software Distribution applications. Windows NT Workstation and Windows 95 also allow you to tailor the installation process.

Use software backup agents that allow Windows workstations to be backed up through the network onto shared-resource media (tape, optical, etc.). Products like Cheyenne's ARCServe and Arcada Backup Exec have Windows agents that let network users or administrators to back up PC hard disks through the network, at night or during off hours.

The DOS Attrib command allows you to keep users from mistakenly deleting or overwriting files by asserting the System and Hidden file attributes. Use ATTRIB +R <filename.ext> to prevent users from accidentally destroying a file. Once this is done, a user must use the Attrib-R <filename> before deleting or overwriting the file. File Manager Properties/Options can also be selected to perform the same tasks.

Keep your copy of Windows locally, rather than running it from a network server. Each time Windows loads, it can pull as much as 3.5MB across your network wire, to the detriment of other users. We've seen examples of EPROM network boot media running Windows that take as much as several hours to restart, even if there are no applications started. Also, Windows needs a temporary or permanent swap file to run in enhanced mode. Permanent swap files *cannot* be placed on network media, and the minimum usable temporary swap file demands at least 10MB. Swap files are also created and allocated on network resources if local hard disks are full or unavailable. You are much better off configuring Windows to boot from a local hard disk—which you can still centrally manage using shared .INI files on the server.

Microsoft and the vendors of your network operating system and network interface card are all making constant improvements to network drivers. Get new network driver software on vendor and Microsoft Internet sites; on-line services such as CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL; and vendor BBSes. Generally, vendor BBSes have the most up-to-date drivers. Read accompanying files *before* installing new drivers so you don't destabilize a working set of drivers. The same applies if you are loading new printer drivers.

Virtual Laudable Modules (VLMs) don't always reconnect after a network error. You may have to reboot your machine to ensure that you are fully up and running.

Don't log in and out of your NetWare servers from a DOS box. It's a sure recipe for disaster down the line.

To link two computers running Windows for Workgroups, NT or Win95 using 10BaseT cards without a hub...try this! 10-BaseT cabling uses four wires to connect you up with the hub. Create a new cable with the wiring scheme below and bypass the hub. This also works for other peer-to-peer products like LANtastic and Personal NetWare. The caveat is that you can only connect two computers.

1 <-> 3

2 <-> 6

3 <-> 1

6 <-> 2

If Windows for Workgroups won't run in 386 Enhanced mode, you may have an interrupt conflict between two hardware devices. Remove all the devices-- including the mouse, modem and network card --from your system. If you can run in 386 Enhanced mode after removing all the devices, add them back one at a time to identify the conflict. Once you've found the offending device, try changing the interrupt it uses.

If you want to share your CD-ROM drive with other network users with Windows for Workgroups, make sure you're using MSCDEX.EXE (Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions) 2.21 or later, which is included on the WFWG distribution disks. Using the /S parameter as part of the MSCDEX command line is necessary to share the CD-ROM with other workstations.

Graphically display your CPU usage with the WinMeter applet. Double-click on the WinMeter icon in the Network Program Manager group or on the executable file in File Manager. WinMeter displays your local CPU usage in purple and shared CPU time in light blue. Options from the menu let you set update intervals and customize the graph's colors. The graph automatically scales itself to the window as it is sized. It even continues to display when minimized as an icon-sized graph.

Simplify resource sharing by using standard shared directory structures. Using standard shared directories on all machines in your workgroup can prevent confusion and possible data loss caused by arbitrary directory names. This also makes it easier to find files when users connect to one another's machines.

Improve the performance of local and shared resources and split performance equally. Launch the Network control panel applet and choose Startup. In the Startup Settings dialog box, use the Performance Priority sliding control to set the amount of CPU time dedicated to local or shared operations. Set the slider farthest left, to Applications Run Fastest, to give highest priority to local applications. Set it farthest right, to Resources Shared Fastest, to give CPU-to-network operations the highest priority.

By creating (or adjusting) a single setting in the SYSTEM.INI file you can speed up network browsing of shared workgroup resources. In the [network] section of SYSTEM.INI, look for, and add if necessary, the MaintainServerList= line. This line has three possible values: auto, yes or no. Auto makes your system the Browse Master, which maintains the master list of servers for your workgroup. Yes maintains a browse list for your own use, even if your system is not the Browse Master. No uses less RAM, but does not maintain a local list. Choose this one if you are low on RAM.

In the Connect Network Drive dialog box, uncheck Always Browse. The dialog box will change to a smaller view without showing the browse list. This causes the dialog box to open quickly without browsing the network each time you need to connect to a resource. This is useful if you usually connect to the same resources. Your MRU (most recently used) connections is available in a drop-down list under the Path combo box.

Windows NT Remote Administration Software (RAS) can have up to 255 concurrent sessions, while Windows 95 can have only one server session. Use RAS to log in for remote control of workstations, to view a user's screens, and to perform system maintenance and troubleshooting. Remember, Windows 95 must have user-level security installed. This registry information can inhibit various kinds of administrative access to avoid unauthorized scrutiny of a Windows 95 PC.

Often, Universal Naming Convention (UNC) names can be used instead of drive letters and paths if you are running Windows NT. For example, if you've got an MS Mail postoffice on the SYS: volume of the NetWare server named Lynx, use \\lynx\maildata as the drive for the NT Mail Client rather than setting a drive connection between that path and M: (the default drive that Mail will search for the postoffice).

Configuring Remote Access Services (RAS) in order to connect remotely to networks doesn't have to be confusing. There is a helpful file in the \WINNT\SYSTEM32\RAS directory named RASREAD.TXT that explains many arcane details about configuring RAS with various vendors' software.

To display the Network Control Panel options without a lot of digging and clicking around, select and right-click the Network Neighborhood icon on your desktop. Choose Properties and automatically bring up the Network Control Panel. From here, you can install, remove and configure all of your networking options.

Windows 95 setup automatically installs Microsoft's Client for NetWare Networks when it detects that you are connected to a NetWare LAN. If you want to install Novell's own client, manually select the Custom setup option and install a NetWare client using Novell's software.

You should use NetWare client software supplied by Novell, instead of Microsoft's Client for NetWare Networks, when your LAN uses NetWare IP, NDS (NetWare Directory Services), 3270 emulators in DOS sessions; if it relies on DOS TSRs; or if you want to use NetWare's NCP Packet Signature feature. In these cases, you should use the appropriate NETX or VLM redirectors.

Use the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks when you want to use a 32-bit driver with complete Plug-and-Play support, Windows 95 unified logon and management tools, long file names, peer-to-peer resource sharing via IPX and client-side caching to increase performance.

NetWare 3.*x* and 4.*x* server can be configured to support long filenames for Windows 95. The OS/2 namespace emulates an HPFS volume, allowing Windows 95 machines to store long file names on NetWare volumes. Enable this on your file server by typing the following lines at your NetWare server console:

load os2

add name space os2 to volume sys

Next, add the following line to your STARTUP.CNF file:

load os2

Then shut down your NetWare server and copy the latest version of the OS2.NAM file from Netware's disks or CD-ROM into the same directory that contains the SERVER.EXE file. Finally, reboot your server.

To customize your Netware options using Microsoft's supplied Client for NetWare Networks, choose the Network option in Control Panel (or follow our tip for displaying the network control panel). Click the Configuration tab and double-click on the option for Client for NetWare Networks. In the Client for NetWare Networks Properties box, choose a preferred server from the drop-down combo box, pick a network drive to be the first NetWare drive letter or select the checkbox to enable logon script processing.

Map a drive to the PUBLIC directory of the NetWare server's SYS volume in order to use Novell utilities such as SYSCON. To do this, highlight the server you want in the Network Neighborhood dialog box, double-click to log on and enter your name and password if necessary. Double-click on the SYS volume and then right click on the PUBLIC directory folder and choose Map Network Drive.

Create a shortcut to frequently accessed network directories by right-dragging the desired network directory folder to your desktop. Choose Create Shortcuts Here.

If you use the Client for Microsoft Networks in Windows 95, be sure to check off the Logon and Restore Network Connections option. The alternate choice, Quick logon, is useful for applications that know how to use network resources by their network name (example: \\winnt\msoffice\winword\winword.exe). Applications that need to use DOS drive letters must have them restored via the Network Logon Options/Logon and /Restore Network Connections.

Using both the Microsoft Network Client *and* Novell Client software in Windows 95 simultaneously can cause printing problems when jobs are sent to NetWare print queues. If this happens, you can remove the Microsoft File and Printing Services by right-clicking the Network Neighborhood, deleting the Microsoft File and Printing Services and then adding Novell's File and Printing Client. You may not use both. Printing through NetWare usually resumes unaided.

Windows 95 includes a network backup agent from Cheyenne Software and one from Arcada. Either can be added into the Network Neighborhood properties, but the programs must be enabled before they'll work. Highlight the agent in the Network Neighborhood Property sheet and click on Properties Either software option requires additional software on your network server.

Don't shelve your Windows 95 CD-ROM or diskettes once you've installed the operating system. It contains a database, called a .CAB file, of Windows printer drivers that you may need when you are changing printers or installing a new printer. If you can't find your .CAB file, check your hard disk. Many OEM installations of Windows (also known as pre-installs) have additional drivers in the \windows\driver directory and place the needed .CAB file in the \windows directory.

After you enable the Cheyenne ARCServe backup agent for Windows 95, you must supply an IPX address so the PC can be found by an ARCServe backup server. To find the IPX address, use the Novell USERLIST /A command in NetWare versions 2.*x* through 3.*x*, and NLIST under NetWare 4.*x*.

Unless you want network users to have their Win95 PCs advertised as Novell servers on you network, you must disable SAP Advertising when using the Client for NetWare Networks in the Network Neighborhood Property sheet. SAPs permit the PC to broadcast packets advertising the PC as a network file server and can clog the network with useless packets.

Novell's login processor allows batch file-like logon scripts to execute commands, including Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) software. Unfortunately, Windows 95 virtualizes the attachments that it makes through NetWare logon, and the TSR will likely *not* be available for Windows applications. Load TSRs through the Windows AUTOEXEC.BAT file after login to the network, instead.

Adding the Dial-up Adapter to the Network Neighborhood property sheet enables TCP/IP dial-up Internet services, as well as remote logon to TCP/IP hosts and Novell NetWare Connect-compatible services. The defaults are usually OK to use, but you can also choose features like header compression and enabling a log file for fault analysis as needed.

The ARCServe Agent property sheet in Network Neighborhood allows specific folders to be exempted from backup by ARCServe on a folder-by-folder basis. Be careful not to exempt folders that may contain important configuration information so that an emergency restoration has *all* the components needed to resume operation.

If you don't want files copied or altered by others that share your local drives, set them to Read Only (RO) with Win95's Network Explorer or Windows for Workgroups File Manager. From Windows Explorer, right-click the file you'd like to change. The Read-only box is located at the bottom of the Properties sheet; clicking the box sets the file to read-only. If you're using Windows File Manager, choosing File Properties or highlighting the file and typing Alt+Enter allows the read-only attribute to be chosen in the same way as Windows Explorer.

The Windows 95 Resource Kit contains a wealth of information on a variety of topics, including advanced help files, support tools, and samples and templates. Especially useful are sample policy files for network security.

During Windows 95 installation, the default network client software offered is the Microsoft Client for NetWare (MCfN). Because the MCfN uses 32-bit client software, it's often much faster than IPX, ODI or Novell's VLM client software. The only services that can't be used are Novell's NetWare Directory Services. Important components of NetWare 4.*x*; MCfN clients can still log in to Novell 4.*x* file servers if the file server uses *bindery emulation*. Certain incompatibilities also exist for those using Novell's LAN Workplace/WorkGroup software below Version 5, and users of IBM 3270 or 5251 emulators that need ODI or VLM drivers.

You can break away from the tyranny of 8.3 filenames on your server. Win95 allows filenames of up to 255 characters with a trailing null (the LFNBK utility allows backwards and forwards long file name compatibility if needed). On a NetWare 3.*x* or later file server, use the command
LOAD OS2.NAM
in the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF or at the server console. For long filename support, this command must be given each time the server re-starts. NetWare treats the names just like OS/2's long file names.

When running Win95, some of those network directories can pretty hefty. To find out which of you folders are the biggest space hogs, select the folder's properties by right-clicking on the folder. The amount of space taken up by a folder and all its contents (including subfolders and files) will be displayed.

Sometimes you can't have it all. When you use the Dial-Up Networking Services in Win95, your local network connections will be automatically disconnected.

Adding the line LASTDRIVE=Z to your CONFIG.SYS will disable your ability to browse the network in Win95, since there are no DOS drives left.

If you're going to support Windows 95 on your network, bone up on the concept of hardware profiles as soon as you can. These profiles will let you support large numbers of Win95 clients without having to visit every desktop individually.

Here's a fix if you are having problems with long filename support on a NetWare 3.11 volume. First, at the server side, ensure that the OS/2 namespace has been added for the volume, and that support (OS2.NAM) has been loaded for the volume. Next, check that you have loaded the NetWare patch OS2OPNFX.NLM, which corrects problems with the v3.11 OS/2 namespace support. The patch is available from the 311PTD.EXE self-extracting update file, which can be found on just about any Novell ftp site or online forum. At the ftp.novell.com site, the file's located in the /pub/netware/nwos/nw311/osnlm directory. Next, at the Windows 95-based client, select Run from the Start menu, and enter REGEDIT, followed by Enter. Drill down the registry tree to HKey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\Nwredir. At this level select Edit/New/Binary Value to create a new entry for a parameter. Type in the name for the registry key, SupportLFN and press Enter. With this name still highlighted, select Edit/Modify. In the field where the cursor appears, you should see four leading zeros and then the cursor. Type in
02
and press Enter. This will bring you back to the previous window showing the entry that you just created. Now close out of the RegEdit window and restart Win95, so that the changes can take effect.

While LANtastic is a peer-to-peer network, using a dedicated server can give your LAN a real performance boost. Set up and optimize a dedicated server for all the networking functions of LANtastic. The program considers a dedicated server to be a special case of peer-to-peer networking.

Increase the NetBIOS packet size on all machines using versions 4.*x* and later of the LANtastic Ethernet cards. You'll see faster disk performance loading programs and while performing large sequential reads and writes.

With LANtastic versions 4.1 and later, enable resource caching on servers for increased performance.

Use LANcache, the LANtastic disk caching program, which is specifically designed to work with LANtastic networks. The addition of this disk caching to the server helps improve overall performance.

Set your SERVER and REDIR buffers carefully. The optimal size of the SERVER and the REDIR buffers is approximately equal to the average size of data packets that is typically sent and received across your network.