MSNDS Drops Connections to More Than Eight Servers

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release version 2
• Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release version 2.1

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services (MSNDS) to connect to NetWare servers, idle connections to drives mapped to NetWare servers are disconnected after approximately 10 minutes if there are connections to more than 8 servers.

CAUSE

There is a problem with the MSNDS version of the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks (NWRedir). This client assumes a maximum of eight server attachments, and automatically disconnects any idle connections to servers after the first eight.

This limitation was originally designed for compatibility with older versions of Novell's NetWare client. However, this limitation does not apply to Novell's NetWare Directory Services (NDS) clients. In this respect, MSNDS is not fully compliant with the comparable Novell client.

RESOLUTION

This issue is resolved by the following updated file for Windows 95 and OSR2, and later versions of this file:

• This updated file applies only to the NDS version of the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks (Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services):

  NWREDIR.VXD version 4.00.969 dated 7/30/96 174,618 bytes

STATUS

and OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2). An update to address this problem is now available, but is not fully regression tested and should be applied only to computers experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft does not recommend implementing this update at this time. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for additional information about the availability of this update.

This issue is resolved in Microsoft Windows 98.

MORE INFORMATION

This symptom has also been observed with the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks (bindery version, without MSNDS). Although this behavior is by design for the bindery client, it can be worked around with the following steps:

1. Obtain and install the Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services (MSNDS). For information about obtaining MSNDS, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   Q138709 Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services Available




2. Obtain and install the update identified in the "Status" section above.



3. Configure the MSNDS client to log in to the bindery server instead of to an NDS tree. For information about how to do this, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   Q164558 Configuring MSNDS to Log in to a NetWare Bindery Server

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Keywords : kbnetwork osr2 win95
Version : WINDOWS:95
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb