For real-mode networking, Windows 95 uses a file called PROTOCOL.INI in the Windows directory to determine the parameters for the protocol and network adapter drivers. Setup creates and modifies PROTOCOL.INI from information in .INF files if any real-mode networking components are installed, such as NDIS 2 adapter drivers.
If you typically run Client for Microsoft Networks, the PROTOCOL.INI file on your computer is used to support Safe Mode Command Prompt Only with networking for system startup.
Caution
Never edit PROTOCOL.INI manually. Actual settings are stored in the Registry, and changes in PROTOCOL.INI will be overwritten automatically. Instead, always use the Network option in Control Panel and the setup software for your network hardware to configure network settings.
The information presented in this section is for troubleshooting purposes only.
PROTOCOL.INI also contains network adapter configuration information, such as the I/O address, DMA, and IRQs. The PROTOCOL.INI file contains sections for [Protman] plus separate sections for each network adapter and network protocol.
When multiple hardware adapters are used on a computer, some entries in PROTOCOL.INI, such as interrupt settings and shared memory addresses, might need adjustments to avoid hardware conflicts. Because Windows 95 Setup cannot anticipate every possible conflict, watch for error messages when you start the computer in the real-mode networking.
For example, if a network adapter and a video controller adapter both try to use the same memory address, you must adjust one of the adapters to a different address by using either the setup software for the adapter or the switches on the adapter (or both, which is the typical case). Also, the PROTOCOL.INI entries must agree with the jumper setting on each adapter.
This section provides the settings for the system component that manages protocols. The following list shows the format for this section.
[protman] entry | Description |
drivername= | Entry defines the driver name for the component that manages protocols. |
priority= | Entry determines the order in which incoming frames are processed. |
The following shows an example of entries in this section for a computer configured with multiple NDIS protocols:
[protman$]
priority=ndishlp$
DriverName=protman$This section lists the set of parameters for an NDIS network adapter. A [netcard] section is present for each network adapter configured in the computer, and the specific entries present in this section will vary depending on the network adapter installed. The following is an example of entries in this section for an Intel® EtherExpress™ 16 or 16TP adapter:
[EXP16$]
DriverName=EXP16$
transceiver=Twisted-Pair (TPE)
iochrdy=Late
irq=5
ioaddress=0x300This section defines the settings used by a network protocol. A [protocol] section is present for each network transport protocol installed on the computer, and the specific entries present in this section will vary depending on the protocol installed. The following list shows the format for entries common to each configured protocol.
[protocol] entry | Description |
bindings= | Indicates the network adapter drivers to which each transport protocol binds. The netcard name for the network adapter driver and protocol must appear in the bindings= entry for at least one of the protocol drivers. The entry can specify one or more [netcard] sections (separated by commas). |
lanabase= | For NetBIOS protocols only, defines the first LANA number the protocol is to accept. |
The following is an example of entries in this section for IPX/SPX-compatible protocol and Microsoft NetBEUI:
[nwlink$]
DriverName=nwlink$
Frame_Type=4
cachesize=0
Bindings=EXP16$
[NETBEUI$]
DriverName=NETBEUI$
Lanabase=0
sessions=10
ncbs=12
Bindings=EXP16$