Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!umd5!purdue!decwrl!ucbvax!VAX.FTP.COM!jbvb
From: jbvb@VAX.FTP.COM (James Van Bokkelen)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: Help with Netware compatible (hardware independent) pc-tcp/ip
Message-ID: <8804231458.AA22781@vax.ftp.com>
Date: 23 Apr 88 14:58:13 GMT
References: <8804221611.aa01260@Louie.UDEL.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 37

None of them use NETBIOS to encapsulate IP datagrams, but there are several
Novell-compatible, hardware- (but not media-) independent versions of TCP/IP
for the IBM PC that are either commercially supported, or widely available
in the public domain.

Our product for the IBM 802.5 Token Ring calls the IBM-supplied software
driver (the ASI interface), and can share it with other programs (Banyan
Vines, Novell Netware).  IBM's PC product might be able to manage the same
trick, but I don't know of anyone who has tried it.

A number of Novell's OEMs have modified their versions of Netware so that
they support our Packet Driver spec.  This allows our Generic Ethernet
version to share the interface with Netware. (Or you can ask Karl Auerbach
for the CMU version he posted about on pc-ip a week or two ago.  It also
uses the spec.) 

Regrettably, none of the versions of Netware that support the Packet Driver
spec run on the 3C501, but there may be a workaround:  The 3C501 is so simple
(I'm being nice) that it is possible for two pieces of software using it
to co-exist:  You can run a TCP/IP package that is careful about restoring
the interrupt vector, as long as you don't try to use the LAN program while
the TCP/IP has the card.  I know this works with our PC/TCP or the CMU freeware
and 3Com's 3+, it would be worth trying with Netware.

For Arcnet, you could try Philip Prindeville's version of the CMU code, which
has also been mentioned on pc-ip.  I don't know if you could manage the
"co-existence" trick with Netware, or not.

Of course, this approach requires IP routers to forward normal IP packets
back and forth across the various networks.  Keep in mind that encapsulating
IP in NETBIOS datagrams requires at least one IP router, too.  Somebody has
to get the packets onto and off of your normal-IP backbone (?) Ethernet,
and the NETBIOS-space, however it is mapped to the various LANs, is at
least one subnet on its own.  If you aren't totally committed to Netware,
you might try looking up Banyan and asking them how they'd solve your problem.

James VanBokkelen
FTP Software Inc.