This document describes the Multiple Provider Router for Windows 95. The Multiple Provider Router (MPR) exports the general networking APIs in Win32, and interacts with the underlying Network Providers (NPs) and at most one Windows 3.1 compatible network (WinNet16 DLL) to provide these services. It additionally exports the additional interfaces needed by the explorer and the common dialog library to access the underlying networks. Any User Interface presented to the user by the MPR is outlined here.
The MPR is described by defining its interface with applications (the Win32 APIs), and an outline of its implementation. The description of a NP, including the interface between the MPR and a NP (i.e., the NP Interface or WinNet API in Windows 3.1 terminology), and the services the MPR provides for an NP are described in Network Provider SPI.
The reader is assumed to be familiar with the WinNet interface in Windows 3.1.
This document does NOT cover NETBIOS, Named Pipe, and Mailslot APIs or the mechanisms used for printing. The networking APIs in this document primarily refer to the functions needed to browse networks, and make/break network connections. The APIs dealing with authentication for those operations are also covered.