Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!VAX.FTP.COM!jbvb
From: jbvb@VAX.FTP.COM (James Van Bokkelen)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: tcp/ip on NETBIOS
Message-ID: <8804040342.AA29640@vax.ftp.com>
Date: 4 Apr 88 03:42:17 GMT
References: <8804031510.aa28661@Louie.UDEL.EDU>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 27

This has been done by a couple of people, but I believe what was done was
to encapsulate IP in NETBIOS packets.  You still run the IP & TCP on the PC,
and this buys you the freedom to use any IP-based protocol.

A second approach is to run something else (not TCP/IP) from the PC to a
translating gateway which converts it to TCP/IP (the 'something else' has
to be pretty elaborate if it is going to provide full Telnet & FTP). 
MICOM-Interlan's Novell server product works like this, but I don't know
if it uses NETBIOS calls, or Novell-private calls.  I presume you like
this because the LAN program that provides the NETBIOS is a TSR, and you
can always redirect LPT, regardless of foreground programs.

A third approach (the one I like best) is to let a PC-based TCP/IP share
the network card with other LAN software.  The work required is relatively
simple, and it functions on any LAN that has an IP encapsulation defined,
and routers or bridges available.  This doesn't solve your LPT redirection
problem unless the TCP/IP has been moved into a DOS TSR (like our v2.0).
Stanford said they were working on this, too, but I haven't heard anything
in a couple of months.

Speaking of this, I have been working on a revised draft of our Packet Driver
specification (I posted a version last fall).  The new draft is compatible,
with a few more error codes defined.  Most of the work has gone into improving
the explanations and specifying more detail.  Should I re-post it when we're
finished, or is anonymous FTP enough?

James VanBokkelen
FTP Software Inc.