Part 2 (of 2)--Troubleshooting RAS on an OS/2 1.x Server

• Microsoft LAN Manager, versions 2.1, 2.1a, 2.2
• Microsoft Remote Access Service, versions 1.0, 1.1

SUMMARY

This is part 2 of a two-part article meant to supplement (not replace) information provided in the "Remote Access Administrator's Guide," chapter 4, "System Requirements." It will help you troubleshoot problems by verifying that basic requirements are met.

To ensure proper operation of RAS 1.0 or 1.1 on an OS/2 1.21 or 1.3 server (OS/2 2.0 is currently not supported at all) verify that the following elements are present--preferably BEFORE running the RAS Setup program:

1. Serial Ports/Device Drivers
   
   
   • One or more serial ports.
   
   
   
   • One or more OS/2 serial port device drivers.
   
   
   
   Part 1 (a separate article) provides information on item 1: serial drivers and boards for ISA, EISA, MCA, HP and 3Com computers, Digiboards, AST 4 port boards, and X.25 configurations.
   
   Part 2 (the rest of this article) provides information on the next five required items:



2. Modems
   
   
   • One or more modems.
   
   
   
   • All supported modems are listed in the RAS 1.1 MODEMS.INF file. Unsupported modems may also work.
   
   
   



3. Serial Cable
   
   
   • External modems require properly wired serial cables.
   
   
   



4. LAN Manager
   
   
   • LAN Manager 2.1 or later with one protocol/network in addition to AsyBEUI. LAN Manager 2.1 or later must be installed with at least one network (for example: a loopback driver, or NetBEUI and a MAC driver) in addition to the RAS AsyBEUI. This is because RAS 1.0 and 1.1 function as gateways and expect another network to be present.
   
   
   



5. User-Level Security
   
   
   • RAS MUST have user-level security--it does not support share-level security.
   
   
   



6. PDC, BDC, Member Server or Standalone Status
   
   
   • A RAS server can be configured as a primary or backup domain controller, a member-server, or a standalone.
   
   
   
   Note: For details on Serial Ports/Device Drivers, refer to part 1 of this article, or query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   Part 1 (of 2)--Troubleshooting RAS on an OS/2 1.x Server

MORE INFORMATION

1. Modems
   
   At least one modem must be available. RAS can use internal and external modems. Microsoft supports all modems listed in the RAS 1.1 MODEMS.INF file at a baud rate not to exceed the rate listed with the "MAXBAUD=" parameter in each modem's section. The MODEMS.INF file is the current listing.
   
   An unsupported modem MAY work if you:
   
   
   • Choose a supported modem in RAS Setup that is emulated by the unsupported modem.
   
   
   -or-
   
   
   • Create its own MODEMS.INF file section containing the proper commands. To do this, refer to these sources:

     RAS 1.1 README.TXT file section "Using Non-Supported Modems" and "Modem Initialization String."
     
     "RAS Administrator's Guide" Appendix A, under "Adding a New Modem to MODEMS.INF."
     
     The modem manufacturer's modem manual (for the correct codes for the "COMMAND=" line in the MODEMS.INF file).

   
   
   
   Note: a Modem does not have to be hooked up to a serial port in order for the "NET START REMOTEACCESS" server service to load. Also the RASADMIN utility starts properly (if everything else is set up correctly) and shows the RAS server as running. However, if you access the COM port status screen through the RASADMIN "Server" menu, by selecting "Communication Ports" and then "Port Status," you will see these text strings:
   
   During Initialization:

   Line condition: "Initializing modem"
   Modem condition: "Unknown"

   Unknown/No modem:

   Line condition: "Line non-operational
   Modem condition: "Modem not responding"
   "Hardware failure"

   "Hardware failure" means that the modem failed for some reason after a "No Errors" condition. Turning the modem off could also cause this condition.
   
   RAS recognized the modem's response:

   Line condition: "Waiting for Call"
   Modem condition: "No Errors"




2. Serial Cable
   
   External modems require properly wired serial cables. For wiring diagrams, see the RAS 1.0 manual, Appendix A, pages 80, 81, or the RAS 1.1 manual, Appendix A, pages 92 and 93.
   
   Note: Serial mouse adapter cables are usually NOT wired correctly for modem communication purposes and should not be used.



3. LAN MANAGER
   
   LAN Manager 2.1 (or later) with one protocol/network in addition to AsyBEUI.
   
   If the loopback driver is not used, RAS requires that you install a network adapter card that uses a certified Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver in addition to NetBEUI (or other protocol).



4. User-Level Security
   
   User-level security is essential, because RAS relies on the User Accounts Subsystem database for keeping track of user names, passwords, and RAS permissions. Even so, users who are logged on to a RAS server can access LAN resources that have share-level security. For more information see the "RAS Administrator's Guide," chapter 2, "User-level Security."



5. RAS Server Configured as PDC, BDC, Member Server, or Standalone:
   
   If the RAS server is supposed to be separate from other domains or simply a non-networked machine, the easiest choice is primary domain controller." (See LAN Manager 2.1 "Administrator's Guide," Chapter 4, page 62: "Changing a Server's Role").
   
   Note: "Error 67" when starting RASADMIN on a standalone server.
   
   Even if the server is configured as "standalone," RASADMIN first tries to verify your administrator privilege by finding a primary domain controller with the domain name specified in the "domain = " line of the LANMAN.INI [workstation] section. Most standalone configurations have no valid domain with that name and RAS issues the message:

   Error 67: This network name cannot be found.

   If LANMAN.INI specifies a valid domain name where you also have an administrator account with the same password as in your standalone RAS server's user accounts database, RASADMIN starts, but it focuses on the other machine instead of the local standalone server. However, depending on the circumstances, RASADMIN issues other errors such as:

   Error 2320: The computer isn't active on this domain

   -or-

   Error 5: Insufficient privilege

   If you receive these errors, choose OK, then type in the dialog box the standalone RAS server's computer name as it appears in the LANMAN.INI [workstation] section (for example: computername=rasserver) preceded by two backslashes:

   \\rasserver (then press ENTER)

   The RAS server service should now be properly installed.
   
   Note: In LAN Manager 2.1a and later, the hardcoded domain name "standalone" allows users to log on faster if validation by a domain controller is bypassed. RASADMIN of RAS version 1.x is not aware of this feature and still responds with the errors shown above even if "domain = standalone" is specified in LANMAN.INI.

REFERENCES

RAS 1.1 Release Notes

LAN Manager "Installation and Configuration Guide"

LAN Manager 2.1 "Administrator's Guide," "Changing a Server's Role," page 62

Remote Access "Administrator's Guide," Appendix A, "Adding a New Modem to MODEMS.INF"; chapter 2, "User-level Security"

RAS 1.0 manual, Appendix A, pages 80, 81

RAS 1.1 manual, Appendix A, pages 92, 93

Additional query words: 2.10 2.10a 2.20

Keywords : kbnetwork
Version : :1.0,1.1,2.1,2.1a,2.2
Platform :
Issue type :