Computing and Networking FAQ


6. Ethernet, TCP/IP, LANs and net printing

TCP/IP over Ethernet

[6.1.1] How do I obtain an IP address for my computer?

Send email to hostmaster@cc.uq.edu.au containing the following information. Name, computer location (building and room number), phone number, computer description (PC, Mac, Sun workstation, server, etc..), subnet number (if known - eg. 130.102.8), preference for machine name in DNS (eg. godel.philosophy.uq.edu.au). Note that a DNS naming scheme may already exist for your subnet, and that the "hostmaster" has right of veto over all DNS naming issues.

[6.1.2] Which ethernet card do you recommend for a PC? How should it be configured?

We recommend and support 3Com and SMC. Other makes and types, such as NE2000 clones, may be slightly cheaper, but reliability, support, and maintenance costs are key issues when it come to networking.

The advantages of 3Com and SMC are :-

As far as configuration goes, there are a few issues to consider that may save time and effort in the future. Firstly, prior to installation, set any jumpers on the card to allow selection of IRQ, base I/O and RAM buffer address by software if possible. Most cards permit this or are jumperless (eg. 3Com), though some older cards (eg. ne1000, ni5210) only allow selection from a few preset configurations.

IRQs 3,4,5 and 7 are used by COM2, COM1, LPT2 and LPT1 respectively. To allow for use of a mouse, a printer, and other serial/parallel port devices (eg. scanner, modem, portable tape backup unit), avoid these IRQs if possible. This gives the greatest flexibility for future expansion, and caters for other cards (eg. 8-bit sound cards, bi-directional parallel scanner adapters) that may only be able to use these IRQs.

If you are confident that none of the above applies, use IRQ 3 (make sure your mouse is really connected to COM1 and not COM2) or IRQ 5 (safe if you don't have a second parallel port or a sound card).

Generally we use IRQ 10, I/O address 0x280 [and RAM buffer C800-CBFF for SMC]. Problems have been known to occur with I/O address 0x300 on some PCs, since some BIOSes used this for IDE controller functions. IRQ 10 is always free unless you have additional cards installed (eg. sound card, scanner card). With SMCs remember to exclude the RAM buffer for use by Windows 3.x and other applications via the

  DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE X=C800-CBFF
command in CONFIG.SYS.

Note that for Plug and Play (PnP) systems, you may need to disable PnP on the network card, as well as the system BIOS, in order for the card to work with Windows 3.x. In general, PnP only works if it is supported at three levels - the BIOS, the card, and the software.

[6.1.3] Which Windows TCP/IP protocol stack should I use for on-campus networking?

It depends largely on what your total networking requirements are. If you need to access the Library CD-ROM databases on MARS and VENUS, then currently you will have to use the Novell TCP/IP stack, since you must use Novell's IPTUNNEL to connect across the campus routers. The Novell TCP/IP stack is compatible with Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11, though one or two applications (eg. wftpd, FreeAgent) have problems with it. Licences are available from the Prentice Centre for $30 per PC.

If you need to mount Unix volumes or access lpr print queues from your PC, PCNFS is very good, though there are also several good shareware nfs clients (eg. xfs, Tsoft) and lpr clients (eg. wlpr) which will work with packet driver TCP/IP stacks. PCNFS licences are available from Prentice for $150 per PC.

If you need to access Macintosh file and print services, it is possible with Timbuktu for Windows (or Claris's Appletalk for Windows) to provide Appletalk and TCP/IP connectivity. Both these products run over an ODI stack, but you can load a TCP/IP stack via the freeware ODIPKT packet driver shim.

If you don't need any of the above, but simply need TCP/IP, for Windows 3.1 we recommend Trumpet Winsock, and for Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Microsoft's free TCP/IP-32 add-on.

[6.4] What information do I need to configure my TCP/IP stack

[6.5] I can't connect to any campus network services - what's wrong?

[6.6] How do I gain access to the Library CD-ROM databases?

[6.2] Departmental LANs

[6.2.1] Which LAN system should we install in our department?

[6.2.2] How can we share a laser printer between Macs and PCs in our department?

There are a number of solutions, depending on the LAN environment. If there is a Netware or NT file server on the same subnetwork, the simplest method is to make sure that the server is running Appletalk Print Services, and then to set up a print queue on the server. All Macs and PCs can then send print jobs via the same queue. This may also be an option if such a server is visible to the network, even if it is not on the same subnetwork.

If there is no local file server but the printer has an ethernet card (eg. some Apple Laserwriters, HP LaserJets), the best way is to configure the printer to "talk" TCP/IP as well as Appletalk. The PCs will need to run WLPR, the shareware lpr print spooler for Windows [this solution is due to MS and MVB]. Instead of configuring wlpr to spool to a unix print queue, it is set up to print directly to the IP address of the printer.

Finally, if neither of the above options is possible, the only way is to install Claris' Appletalk for Windows, or Farallon's Timbuktu for Windows) on the PCs. These products do work, but unfortunately they clobber Microsoft networking (ie. you cannot share files and printers with other PCs on a Microsoft network). It is still possible, however, to have a TCP/IP and an Appletalk stack on the PCs. The trick is to use NDIS/ODI drivers, and to use Novell's TCPIP stack (or ODIPKT, WINPKT and Trumpet Winsock). For more information, contact Workstation Support.

[6.2.2] My PC is connected to a Netware LAN, and whenever I exit Windows my computer hangs. What's wrong?

This is known as "deadlock" or "the black screen of death", and is caused by out of date Netware shell and/or drivers. You need to update your copies of LSL.COM, IPXODI.COM, the ODI driver for your network card, NETX.EXE or the VLMs (depending on which shell you are running), and the Windows 3.1x DLLs and 386-Enhanced drivers.

The files you need are all available from the Novell Web, gopher and ftp servers, or from dingo. You will need to get VLMUP2.EXE to obtain the latest LSL.COM (11/10/94) and IPXODI.COM (31/10/94) regardless of which shell you are running. This self extracting archive also contains ODI drivers for a number of NICs (network interface cards), as well as the latest VLMs.

You will also need the self extracting archives WINDR2.EXE and NWDLL2.EXE to get NWPOPUP.EXE, VIPX.386, VNETWARE.386, and the Netware DLLs for Windows 3.1x (NW*.DLL). Note that WINDR2.EXE also contains NETWARE.DRV and NETWARE.HLP for the VLM shell. Don't use these if you are running NETX.EXE - use the versions contained in NET33X.EXE instead.

Apart from LSL.COM, IPXODI.COM, your NIC ODI driver, and NETX or the VLMs, all of the above-mentioned files must be copied to your Windows system subdirectory.

The above-mentioned archives can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.uq.edu.au/pub/pc/net/netware/

Updating Netware drivers is also known to fix a range of other problems, including print corruption, and PCs which are acting as print servers (ie. running RPRINTER) losing their connections.

[6.5] Miscellaneous Networking Support Issues

[6.5.1] Who should I contact about networking problems?

[6.5.2] What other online resources are availablle for networking support?


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Document last revised : 4 Feb 1996 [MM]