Features of NetWare Connectivity

Efficient Memory Usage

Using the NetWare Connectivity NWLOAD.BAT program, you can load the NetWare software only when it is needed, then unload it when you are finished. When NetWare is not being used, more memory is available for applications.

You can also bypass NWLOAD.BAT and start NetWare with the commands that NetWare users usually use. To do this, simply start IPX.COM and the NetWare shell directly. If you use this method, however, you cannot unload NetWare without rebooting the workstation.

You can use MS-DOS memory managers with LAN Manager and NetWare Connectivity. Memory managers load parts of the network software into areas of memory other than conventional memory, leaving more room for applications.

Support for Microsoft Windows

NetWare Connectivity includes full support for Microsoft Windows version 3.x. With NetWare Connectivity, you can use all the Microsoft Windows networking features that are available with either LAN Manager or NetWare running alone.

While using the Windows operating system with NetWare Connectivity, you can use the Windows File Manager and Print Manager to access resources on Windows NT computers, LAN Manager, and NetWare servers. You also have full network capability for all three networks while using any MS-DOS boxes you open from the Windows operating system. The Windows operating system recognizes and enables connections to both types of servers transparently.

Full Compatibility With NetWare-Specific Applications

With NetWare Connectivity, the workstation runs actual NetWare workstation software, not an emulation. Therefore, there are no compatibility concerns—the workstation can run all NetWare-specific applications and utilities. NetWare Connectivity also supports NetWare source routing on token-ring networks.

Applications written for the Novell NetBIOS will run on workstations running LAN Manager and NetWare Connectivity. However, the NetBIOS on workstations running LAN Manager and NetWare Connectivity is the LAN Manager NetBIOS, not the Novell NetBIOS. These two versions of NetBIOS do not interoperate, so NetBIOS applications running on workstations with NetWare Connectivity cannot interoperate with the same application running on NetWare-only workstations.

Need for Only One Version of IPX.COM

With Novell NetWare, a new version of IPX.COM must be generated for each type of network adapter used on the network. NetWare Connectivity does not require this. Instead, when you install NetWare Connectivity, you generate only one version of IPX.COM, and then use this version for all workstations running NetWare Connectivity, no matter what type of network adapters they use.

This is possible because LAN Manager uses the NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification) standard for its network adapter drivers and protocol drivers. Any protocol driver that conforms to NDIS can be bound to any network adapter driver that also conforms to NDIS. The version of IPX.COM that NetWare Connectivity generates is NDIS-compliant, so it can be bound to any NDIS-compliant network adapter driver. All network adapter drivers shipped with LAN Manager are NDIS-compliant.

Need for Only One Network Adapter

Because NetWare Connectivity uses the NDIS standard, a workstation can access Windows NT computers, and LAN Manager and NetWare servers using only one network adapter. Both the NetWare IPX protocol and the workstation's LAN Manager protocol (such as NetBEUI) can be bound to the same network adapter driver.