CompuServe Thread

#Best Kept Secret???

12 messages in this thread
#194594From: John RedfernOct 9, 1995 3:23 PM
Alex I' ve been watching your thread from WFDOS to Novell DOS 7 with great interest. Have you got Dos 7 running and is it clean? I heard that Personal Netware was a bit prickly. You said of WFDOS that it was memory heavy. Incidentally, I could not find out anything about WFDOS from Microsoft here in Britain. I guess you have discounted that, Right? The simple question is: Will Dos 7 act as an efficient server to an NT machine? If so I will have a go at it. Having spent the last week tearing my hair out (what little I've got left) trying to get around this problem and setting up an NT server, I mean business. I am very surprised you have not had much reaction to your information (mind you, I had to be told it was in this section). There is no way we will be able to make a clean and instant switch from 3DSDOS to 3DSMAX and those of us that have been using DOS networking like NetwareLite will need to find a solution that does not involve $1,000+ for full Netware just a for the interim of a few months. If it works this is a valuable contribution to 3ds networking problems and I would like to suggest to Sysop that this thread is moved back to the Hardware section. John Redfern [Redfern Animation, Argyll, Scotland]
#194602From: Chris NormanOct 9, 1995 5:08 PM
John, NT is a networking operating system. You don't need anything but NT. It does it all. C2 level security even. Relax. You need to get NT workstation in house and start playing with it. NT is very simple to install and use IF you don't use cheap no name hardware.
#194609From: John RedfernOct 9, 1995 6:06 PM
Chris, I do have NT in house and I do like it but it cannot work peer to peer with Dos machines. i.e. network rendering 3ds. A machine running WFWG 'Net Start Full' and Dos can be a client to WFWG and NT but not the other way round. No good for network rendering. John
#194621From: TBrunoOct 9, 1995 7:01 PM
PMJI, I'm running a NT Server with 6+ dos stations on it with no problems. at dos I do NET LOGON the first time thru you will have to do a NET to browse the network and establish your mapping of drives. I have a simple batch file for each station that starts the logon (user must fill out name and password) then resets the station time to the server time NET TIME (server name) I have had timeout problems if I don't set the time for the logon I have a unique userid 3DS with access to only the \3dsnet on the server My only problem is filling up the server…only one gig. Let me know what your specific problems are. I am coming into your thread late, but have been quite happy with NT. Todd
#194657From: Oct 9, 1995 10:35 PM
Todd: >> I'm running a NT Server with 6+ dos stations on it with no problems. Great! What DOS software are you using? >> I have a simple batch file for each station that starts the logon… Would you mind posting your batch file here? Seems that you could help out a lot of users with your experience in this area! Greg Pyros
#194727From: TBrunoOct 10, 1995 2:42 PM
re: NT and DOS for render farms All my DOS stations started out as reliable WFW clients. By starting this way you can be sure your comminications are behaving correctly. In my case all my stations are using NetBeui as a protocol. Not great for big LAN's (too much broadcasting) but ok for about 30 stations or so they say. I started out as a Peer to Peer system, but did not do any rendering at that time. There are two ways to go for connecting up to a server. If you have a working WFW set up you will need 1. in autoexec.bat c:\windows\net start 2.in config.sys device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys (I'm not sure this is required for DOS to talk to the network, but it is a byproduct of the WFW setup. 3. you will need to configure your 3dsnet.set file 4. at DOS you will need to type net logon /domain:<domain name> this should log you into your LAN next type NET you should now get a text based browser of your network you need to connect to the server drive/directory that will be your 3ds net drive. Make sure to toggle the 'reconnect' button. This way you will never have to go thru this step again. exit the browser NET logoff 5. here is my startup for a slave (start.bat) net logon net time \\cookserver /set 3ds The above steps worked on a station I have NOT been using for rendering. It was just a WFW client to my server. The second way to network a DOS machine that is NOT a WFW machine is to pick up "Microsoft Workgroup Add-on for DOS" My understanding is that most retailers don't even know about this product. Looking at the disk it has "Disk Assy 207-051-213" The book that comes with this add-on is the ONLY reference I have found that documents what the commands that go with the NET command. Since I never have the book when I'm at the other end of the office just type NET ? to get the command options. I have loaded this thing on a working WFW station and it screws up the WFW services. This method is only good for those who do use windows (apple users <g>) Hope this gets everyone started. I did a lot of tinkering around so I may have missed a step, but like I wrote, the above worked fine on a WFW station. Peer to Peer….I think you just leave out the /domain. Todd
#194795From: Oct 10, 1995 9:06 PM
Todd: Thanks for all the great DOS networking info! Should be helpful for many out there. Greg Pyros
#194861From: DE SMET EMMANUELOct 11, 1995 5:41 AM
Greg, You forgot to mention a Microsoft product called "Workgroup Add-on for MS-DOS v3.11". This is a pure MS-DOS product who can handle all the network function of its Windows based counterpart Windows for Worgroup Add-on". So it can be a client for a NT server and a peer station to another Workgroup Add-on for MS-DOS or Windows for Workgroup or NT station. Sincerely, Emmmanuel De Smet / Creative Computing
#194988From: Oct 11, 1995 9:57 PM
Emmanuel: Hi! >> You forgot to mention a Microsoft product called "Workgroup Add-on >> for MS-DOS v3.11". I think you meant to address this to Todd Bruno… Greg Pyros
#194956From: John RedfernOct 11, 1995 5:51 PM
Todd, >>"Microsoft Workgroup Add-on for DOS" That is _ just_ what I was looking for! Thank you – and for the other info. John
#194688From: John RedfernOct 10, 1995 8:28 AM
Todd, >>I'm running a NT Server with 6+ dos stations on it with no problems.<< What network services are you starting when you type NET LOGON and can your Dos stations work peer-to-peer with each other? John
#194724From: Oct 10, 1995 1:54 PM
John: Fancy meeting you here! >> can your Dos stations work peer-to-peer with each other? Very few DOS networking programs to NT will work peer-to-peer, and definitely not the ones from Microsoft. What is it exactly that you are trying to do? Greg Pyros