How to Provide Additional NDIS2 Drivers for Network Client 3.0

 Last reviewed: October 10, 1997
Article ID: Q128800

The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 and 4.0 - Microsoft Network Client for MS-DOS, version 3.0

SUMMARY

The compact disc for Windows NT Server version 3.5 includes a tool called the Network Client administrator. This tool can be used to create boot disks and setup disks for the setup of Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 and The Microsoft Network client version 3.0. However, this tool provides only a limited selection of NDIS2 drivers.

This article describes a workaround for adding NDIS2 drivers that are not on the Windows NT Server 3.5 compact disc. The information in this article is applicable to any generic NDIS2 driver.

MORE INFORMATION

Follow these steps to add an NDIS2 driver to the Network Client administrator.

1a. Copy the \Clients subdirectory from the Windows NT Server compact disc 

    to your hard disk. This requires 49 megabytes (MB) of disk space.

   -or-
1b. To save disk space, copy just the \Clients\Msclient and \Clients\Wfw 
    subdirectories. Also copy the file Ncadmin.inf to the \Clients
    subdirectory on your hard disk.

  • Share the \Clients subdirectory on your hard disk.

  • Copy the [netcard] section from your NDIS2 driver's Oemsetup.inf file to the [netcard] section of the file Wcnet.inf, found in the \Clients\Msclient\Netsetup subdirectory, if you're making a boot disk. Follow the same procedure for making a setup disk set, except add the changes to the file Wcnet.inf, found in the \Clients\Msclient\Disks\Disk1 subdirectory.

    For example, the following is the [netcard] section of the Compaq NetFlx driver's Oemsetup.inf file:

    [netcard]

    ms$netflx="COMPAQ Netflex ENET-TR",246,ndis,ethernet,real,ms$netflx,ms$netflx_nif ms$netflx2="COMPAQ Netflex-2 ENET-TR",246,ndis,ethernet,real,ms$netflx,ms$netflx_nif ms$netflxt="COMPAQ Netflex-2 TR",246,ndis,tokenring,real,ms$netflx,ms$netflx_nif ms$ntflx2t="COMPAQ Netflex-2 DualPort TR",246,ndis,tokenring,real,ms$netflx,ms$netflx_nif ms$ntflx2e="COMPAQ Netflex-2 DualPort ENET",246,ndis,ethernet,real,ms$netflx,ms$netflx_nif ms$cpqtok="COMPAQ 32-bit Dual-Speed Token Ring Adapter",246,ndis,tokenring,real,ms$netflx,ms$netflx_nif

  • Append the NDIS2 driver's header and NIF section from the Oemsetup.inf file to the Wcnet.inf file.

    For example, the following are the header and NIF sections of the Compaq NetFlx driver's Oemsetup.inf file:

    [ms$netflx]

    devdir= 1:NETFLX.DOS device=NETFLX.DOS,@DEVDIR\NETFLX.DOS

    [ms$netflx_nif]

    drivername=NETFLX$ param=earlyrelease,"Early Release Option",keyonly,,,0x02 param=maxrequests,"Maximum number of general requests",int,"3,10,1", 

             <continued line>                                            3,0x02
      param=maxmulticasts,"Maximum number of multicast addresses",int,"1,
         <continued line>                                     50,1",16,0x02
      param=maxtransmits,"Maximum number of queued transmits",int,"3,50,1",
         <continued line>                                           10,0x02
      param=maxreceives,"Maximum Receive Buffers",int,"3,30,1",3,0x02
      param=maxframesize,"Maximum frame size",int,"256,17952,8",4096,0x02

  • In the appended header section of the Wcnet.inf file, remove the "devdir" and "device" lines. Add the line, "ndis2=1:<drivername>" and save the Wcnet.inf file.

    This is the resultant header section of the Wcnet.inf file in the Compaq NetFlx example:

    [ms$netflx]

    ndis2=1:NETFLX.DOS

  • Copy the NDIS2 driver to the \Clients\Msclient\Netsetup subdirectory. Follow the same procedure for making a setup disk set, except copy the NDIS2 driver to the \Clients\Msclient\Disks\Disk1 subdirectory.

    In the Compaq NetFlx example, copy the file Netflx.dos to the \Clients\Msclient\Netsetup subdirectory, or to the \Clients\Msclient\Disks\Disk1 subdirectory if you are making a setup disk set.

    You can use the Network Client administrator to create the boot floppy disk for this new NDIS2 driver, or the driver will be available in the installation disk set. The new driver will then be available from the GUI interface of the Network Client administrator.

    • KBCategory: kbnetwork
    KBSubcategory: ntinterop nthowto
    Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50 real mode oem disk ncadmin
    Keywords : nthowto NTINTEROP kbnetwork
    Version : 3.50
    Platform : WINDOWS

    THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

    Last reviewed: October 10, 1997
    © 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.