http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/ps/win95/technote/remote.htm (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)By Ben Stewart
ABSTRACT: Windows 95 has enhanced support for remote connectivity. This article discusses new features, the Dial-Up Networking client and the Dial-Up Networking server available in the Microsoft Plus Pack for Windows 95. Adapted from a Microsoft TrainCast script, it includes explanation, background, and procedures for configuring remote support options.
Introduction
As more employees work at home, portable computers become less expensive, PCMCIA devices become more popular, and on-line services proliferate, the business environment is becoming less centered on the office. Mobile computing is a trend of the future and Windows 95 has evolved to provide enhanced support for it.
This article discusses and demonstrates Windows 95 remote connectivity features and functionality in three sections:
Section 1, Remote Connectivity New Features, describes some of the new features that have been added to Windows 95 to greatly enhance Mobile Computing. Features such as 32-bit PCMCIA support, hardware profiles, TAPI, the Briefcase and deferred printing all aid in making you more productive when using your portable computer.
Windows 95 is the only operating system that provides full, 32-bit protected mode support for PCMCIA adapters (such as fax/modems and network cards) and the PCMCIA socket which provides the interface between the adapter and the PC. Windows 95 can also detect hardware configuration changes and adjusts dynamically.
Section 2, Dial-Up Networking Client, describes what connectivity is available through the Windows 95 Dial-Up Client. You will learn about the connection process, the difference between data and line protocols, the line protocols available for Windows 95 (PPP, RAS, SLIP and NetWare Connect) and, most importantly, how you can connect to the Internet. Also explained are changes to the dial-up client and how they expand connectivity options.
Section 3, Dial-Up Networking Server, describes the Dial-Up Server, that will be available in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95. It explains the difference between a point-to-point connection (which was available in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 RAS Dial-Up Server) and point-to-LAN connection (available in Windows 95). and how they are achieved through the NetBIOS gateway and the IPX router, what this means is now when you dial into a Windows 95 Dial-Up Server you have connectivity to nearly all of the shared resources on the LAN. This section will also explain the security options provided by the Dial-Up Server and how you can protect yourself from unauthorized callers.
Note The Traincast Broadcast also contains a fourth section, Exchange. This section covers the different mail clients that will be available for Windows 95. The broadcast contains live demos of how to set up Microsoft Exchange to download your Microsoft, CompuServe and Internet mail and to send and receive faxes. It discusses the concept of a centralized Inbox, a way to combine Mail, CompuServe, Internet fax and Microsoft Mail into one central location. Also in this section is a quick look at the Microsoft on-line service, MSN and what mail services it provides.
The article bases its explanations and demonstrations on this configuration:
Remote Connectivity New Features
The first new feature is protected mode PCMCIA support. PCMCIA, which stands for Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Specification, is a set of rules for creating credit-card-sized adapters such as network interface cards and fax/modems. PCMCIA devices have been around for years primarily in the mobile computing area, but until now PCMCIA users have had to use real mode drivers, which can be hard to configure and can take up large amounts of conventional memory. Windows 95 provides full 32-bit, protected mode support for PCMCIA devices and an installation wizard for enabling it. The wizard icon is normally located in Control Panel. If you do not find it there, you can add it by installing support for your PCMCIA socket in Control Panel/Add New Hardware.
Windows 95 supplies PCMCIA socket drivers for Data Book and Intel sockets. If your socket is not one of those two (or 100% compatible) you need to load the real-mode drivers that came with your system. Windows 95 does not support mixing real-mode and protected-mode drivers for PCMCIA devices. You must run either all real mode or all protected mode.
PCMCIA Install Wizard
Here is how the PCMCIA Installation Wizard works.
1. Remove the socket driver from Device Manager
2. Reboot the computer with the real mode socket drivers loading.
3. To start the PCMCIA Installation wizard, double-click on the
PCMCIA icon in Control Panel and enter your information.
4. After this is complete, reboot your system.
Inserting a PCMCIA Card
This process (which requires a supported PCMCIA fax modem with the protected mode drivers installed ) shows the advantages of using protected mode PCMCIA drivers.
1. In Control Panel/System, select the Device Manager Tab.
2. Note that there is no modem installed. When you insert the
PCMCIA fax/modem into your laptop a beep notifies you that a PCMCIA
device has been installed.
3. Windows 95 displays a message stating it found a new piece
of hardware, then installs the driver.
The modem is now installed. There is no need to reboot the computer; all required drivers are loaded dynamically.
System Icon--Hardware Profile
Running Windows 3.1 on portable computers could sometimes be difficult. For instance, some laptop computers require a lower resolution and color depth when undocked, and the only way Windows 3.1 could change display resolution was to keep multiple INI files, then batch files to switch between them.
Windows 95 takes care of this problem by introducing hardware profiles, which allow you to maintain different hardware configurations on one computer. You can bring up a laptop in either a docked or an undocked configuration, and easily switch hardware configurations to support different video requirements, or a different mouse or keyboard.
If you set up Windows 95 on a laptop when it is undocked, then plug the laptop in the docking station and power it on, Windows 95 detects that the machine has been docked and builds a new hardware profile for this configuration. To see the Hardware Profiles , start Control Panel, select the System icon then the Hardware Profile tab. There are two profiles, one for docked and one for undocked. When a profile is selected, automatically or manually, Windows 95 loads only the hardware device drivers associated with that profile.
With some BIOSs Windows 95 can detect if the portable is in a docked or undocked state automatically and load the appropriate hardware profile dynamically. If you have a BIOS that Windows 95 cannot detect that you need multiple hardware profiles, you can create your own profiles and select the appropriate one when you boot:
To create your own profiles:
1. Start Control Panel/System, then Hardware Profiles.
2. Select Copy, then type in a name for the new profile, for example:
No_Net_Card.
3. To put the new profile to use, go to Device Manager, select
Network Adapters, and choose properties for the network
card.
4. The properties tab has a section for device usage, under
which all hardware profiles are listed. Drivers are enabled on
each one by default. To disable a device for a profile, remove
its check mark and select OK.
MS-DOS Multi-Config options, which allow you to load different configurations every time you boot, can be linked to your Hardware Profiles.
For example, suppose you use Multi-Config to provide an option that loads no real-mode network drivers because you have an application that requires large amounts of conventional memory. To link the Multi-Config option to a hardware profile, open CONFIG.SYS by choosing Start, Run, type SYSEDIT, and make sure the Multi-Config menu option and hardware profile name have the same name. In the previous example, we set a hardware profile named No_Net_Card. if you name the Multi-Config option No_Net_Card, then the next time you boot, Windows 95 will prompt you for which hardware profile to load, not for a multi-config option.
Briefcase
The Windows 95 Briefcase allows you to synchronize data between your portable computer and desktop machines or servers. The Briefcase synchronization engine checks file dates and sizes and allows you to update any files between the Briefcase and the source directory. The Briefcase solves the old problem of losing track of which copy of a file is the most current.
For example if you need to work on a file while your on the road, simply drag the file from a shared folder on your main computer or the hard drive in the docking station to the Briefcase icon on your portable computer. Now you can work on that file either by double-clicking on the file in your Briefcase or opening it with the source application from the \Windows\Desktop\My Briefcase directory. When you get back to the office reconnect to your main computer, double-click on your Briefcase icon then choose the Briefcase menu option and Update All. You will then be prompted with the files that have changed and given the option to update each file. The briefcase automatically replaces the unmodified files on your main computer with the modified files in your Briefcase. You do not need to move the files you worked on out of Briefcase or delete the existing copies.
TAPI
TAPI, which stands for Telephony API, is a device-independent way of accessing communications features such as call initiation and connection monitoring. Data transfer across the modem is accomplished by the Win32 COMM API.
Applications not written for TAPI require that a modem setup and AT strings be constructed, and that the port is monitored. Not long ago, applications had to be configured differently for different modems: each had its own setup routine and needed to be configured with modem type, the COM port, the baud rate etc.
For example, in Terminal, from Windows 3.1, you had to manually enter what COM port the modem is on, the baud rate it supports and so on. This can be a complicated and time consuming process. Windows 95 addresses this problem by providing support for TAPI aware applications and Hayes compatible modems.
With Windows 95, TAPI-aware applications can pull this commonly needed information from the registry. As long as your communication applications are all TAPI aware you will only need to fill out your modem specific information one time.
Another feature TAPI provides is allowing you to have multiple calling locations. From within Control Panel/Modems you can configure your modem and your calling locations. For example, laptops generally are used at work and at home. Suppose at work you need to dial 9 to get an outside line, and at home you dial *70 to disable call waiting. Rather than make these changes manually each time you set the laptop up in either location, you can now create a calling location for home and one for work. Whenever you start to make a connection from a TAPI-aware application, you can select the location you are dialing from.
To create multiple calling locations, Start Control Panel/Modems then choose Dialing Properties
1. Change the name of Default Location to Work.
2. Enter 9 to get an outside line and 9 for long distance.
3. At this point you can enter in a calling card number if you
want to use one.
This is all you need to enter to create a Dialing Location. To create another, choose New then repeat the steps.
Much of the effectiveness of this depends on having TAPI-aware applications, and there are several available for with Windows 95. HyperTerminal and Dial Up Networking are both TAPI-aware.
Deferred Printing
Windows 95 provides support for deferred printing. When Windows 95 detects that it is no longer connected to a local printer, it sets the print queue to Work Off-line, so that you can continue working with no interruptions from the operating system. When Windows 95 detects that a printer is available again, it sets the printer to Work On-line and prints the spooled jobs.
For Example, suppose you are on an airplane using your portable. Obviously there is no printer connection, but you can still direct that your files be printed. Windows 95 will defer the print job then prompt you to send the job to the printer the next time a printer connection is available
Questions and Answers
Q) Will Windows 95 work with all 3 types of PCMCIA cards types I, II and III?
A) Yes, Windows 95 will support all 3. The differences are primarily in the thickness of the cards. Type I are used primarily for memory cards. Type II are used for cards such as Fax Modems and Type III are used for cards such as hard drives.
Q) Does Windows 95 support "Hot Swapping" of PCMCIA devices when the real mode drivers are loaded.
A) This would be a function of the real mode drivers, if they supported it then it would work in Windows 95.
Q) Will deferred printing work with a network printer?
A) Yes it will. If the network printer goes off-line the Windows will set the printer to work off-line and will then spool your print jobs.
Q) Is there any way for my computer to automatically change the dialing location from office to home when the machine detects that it is out of the docking station?
A) Unfortunately Windows 95 does not provide this support in the box.
Q) Can Hardware profiles be linked to User profiles?
A) No, this release of Windows 95 does not support that functionality, but you can link you Hardware Profiles to MS-DOS multi-config menu options.
Q) Has Windows 95 been enhanced to support 16550 UART's?
A) Yes, support for 16550 UARTs has been enhanced in Windows 95. In fact you can now adjust your UART settings by going into Control Panel, System, Device Manager, select your COM port, select Properties, Port Settings then choose Advanced. Here you can disable 16550 UART support and you can adjust your send and receive buffers.
Dial-Up Networking Client
Dial-Up Networking is becoming more popular because of the increase in mobile computing: users accessing the Internet or other machines in a corporate network from home or elsewhere.
Windows 95 provides support to connect to remote servers using a modem and the networking software built into Windows 95. Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows NT 3.1 and NT 3.5 also provide similar support. The differences are primarily in the protocols they use and their Dial-Up Server support.
Dial-Up Networking allows a Windows 95 client to connect remotely to many different network systems such as Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows NT, NetWare Connect Servers, Dial-in Routes and, of course, other Windows 95 machines. Dial-Up Networking extends the current Microsoft RAS product to reflect industry standards more closely and allow more flexibility in which protocol is used for the remote connection.
Connection Processes
There are three ways to make a connection to a remote server.
Explicit Connections
To create an explicit connection:
1. Double-click on the Dial-Up networking icon in My Computer.
2. Double-click on make New Connection.
3. Enter the friendly name of your connection, and the modem you
want to use, then select Next.
4. On the next screen enter the phone number of the server you
are dialing and what country it is in.
5. Select Next to double check your friendly name then select
Finish to complete setting up your connection.
6. To initiate the connection, double-click on the connection
icon you created.
7. You are prompted for your user name and logon password (Section
3 discusses what security options the Dial-Up server provides).
Enter them and select Enter; a status dialog displays the connection
progress.
Implicit Connections
An implicit dial-up networking connection results when a connection is attempted (by you or an application) to a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) named network resource that is not available through the network adapter.
Whenever Windows 95 cannot find a machine on your local network, it prompts you to use Dial-Up Networking to try and make the connection.
For example, if you select Start then Run and type in the name of a server, Windows first tries to make the connection on the LAN. If it cannot, it prompts you to use a Dial-Up Networking connection. This comes in handy when you have your portable on the road or at home.
Several other types of Network activities cause implicit Dial-Up Networking connections to start:
Application Invoked Connections
The Dial-Up Networking Session API is designed to establish remote network connections easily. It is used primarily by network applications such as the Windows 95 shell and Microsoft Exchange to provide a seamless way for applications to make remote connections with very little user intervention.
Dial-Up Networking Client Architecture
Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking architecture is similar to networking architecture using a network adapter. Dial-Up Networking uses an application layer to package the request, an interface to pass the request to a data protocol; and a line protocol to send the data on the telephone line.
Figure 1 Dial-Up Networking Client architecture
Data protocols package the data from the application and get it ready for transmission on a medium.
Line protocols package the message from the data protocol onto a medium such as serial or ISDN.
Windows 95 supports these data protocols:
For the most part, these are the same as the network data protocols supported under Windows 95..
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client supports these line protocols:
Windows 95 support for different line protocols expands your connectivity options by allowing you to connect to many dial-up servers.
PPP
The PPP line protocol is used by many 3rd party products to access corporate networks. PPP is also used by many Internet service providers to access the Internet. It was designed to define a standard encapsulation protocol for the transport of different network data protocols across serial links, so it supports multiple data protocols on the connection at the same time. It also supports link-quality testing, header compression and error detection.
To manually set your connection to use the PPP line protocol:
1. Start My Computer.
2. Select Dial-Up Networking.
3. Secondary-click on the connection icon, then choose properties.
4. Once inside Properties select Server Type. In the Dial-Up
Server selection enter "PPP: Windows 95, Windows NT version
3.5, Internet" as the server type for the connection.
Note This is the default setting. If you know you are going to be connecting to a PPP dial-up server, you do not need to change this setting.
Just as networking with a network interface card, the Windows 95 client must have a data protocol bound to the Microsoft Dial-Up adapter in Control Panel Network.
PPP line protocol supports these data protocols:
1. If you use TCP/IP on several different connections, you may find that your TCP/IP settings need to be different for each connection. For example, if you are on a corporate network using TCP/IP and you also have a dial-up connection to an Internet Service Provider which uses TCP/IP, you might think you would have a problem keeping separate IP addresses for each connection. Not so: Windows 95 makes this process simple and easy. To set a TCP/IP configuration for each connection: Double-click on the Dial-Up Networking icon in My Computer then secondary-click on your connection.
2. Select Properties then choose Server Type.
3. Check TCP/IP as one of the Protocols to use with that connection. (Note, TCP/IP will need to be bound to your dial-up adapter in Control Panel Networks).
4. Choose the TCP/IP Settings button to specify an IP address, Primary and Secondary DNS and Primary and Secondary WINS. This comes in handy if you need different IP addresses for each connection.
These types of machines can be PPP servers:
Some Internet service providers and third-party remote access products can also be PPP servers. The Windows 95 Dial-Up Server is available only in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.
When the Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client is using the PPP line protocol you can see:
When you use Dial-Up Networking with IPX on a local network that also uses IPX, IPX is disabled on your local network card while you are connected through Dial-Up Networking. Without this disconnection, your machine becomes an IPX router, routing packets from your local net onto your Dial-Up Networking connection.
Windows 95 supports the Dial-Up Network client to use only the NetBEUI or IPX protocols to another Windows 95 Dial-Up Network server. TCP/IP to a Windows 95 Dial-Up Network server is not supported. The Windows 95 Dial-Up Network client can use TCP/IP to a Windows NT 3.5 server or a PPP service provider on the Internet.
RAS
The RAS line protocol has been available in various Microsoft products since LAN Manager 2.1. RAS is a proprietary protocol based on AsyBEUI which is basically NetBEUI setup to work on a slow link. RAS is a fast connection type, but does not allow for multiple protocols or data compression like the point-to-point line protocol does.
With the RAS line protocol you can dial in and connect to Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and NT version 3.1 computers set up with the RAS Dial-Up server. If you want to connect to another Windows 95 or a Windows NT 3.5 Dial-Up Server, use the PPP line protocol; it has advantages and enhancements over RAS.
The RAS line protocol supports only the NetBEUI protocol, and the connection requires that NetBEUI is installed and bound to the Dial-Up Networking Adapter in Control Panel, Network. When the connection is made, Dial-Up Networking can determine if the client or the server should be using the RAS line protocol.
RAS Servers are computers running the following configurations:
The resources seen by Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking client using the RAS line protocol are any SMB based server resources available on the network.
SLIP
Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking client also supports the Serial Line Interface Protocol (SLIP), which has been used as an Internet line protocol for years. SLIP is simple to implement and works well in many environments. A typical environment for SLIP is Internet connectivity through an Internet Service Provider or remote access to private TCP/IP-based WAN. Its simplicity, however, leaves it with a number of limitations:
Note SLIP and CSLIP support are available only in the Windows 95 Resource Kit. To install SLIP or CSLIP, use the Add/Remove Programs Wizard from Control Panel.
To explicitly setup a SLIP connection, follow these steps::
1. From within Dial-Up Networking double-click on Make New Connection.
2. In the "Name of the computer you are dialing" box
enter: SLIP Connection to the Internet; choose Next.
3. On the next screen, enter the number to a local Internet Service
Provider.
4. Choose Next, then Finish.
5. Secondary-click on the connection icon and select Properties
then Server Type.
6. Explicitly set the SLIP line protocol as default: select SLIP:
UNIX Connection as the server type from the properties of the
connection. To use the CSLIP line protocol, select CSLIP: UNIX
Connection with IP header Compression option from the drop-down
list.
SLIP and CSLIP line protocols do not support software compression or password encryption.
Some Internet Service Providers such as the Microsoft Network require the User Name and Password during negotiation (some do not). Windows 95 provides a terminal window to allow you to type in your user name and password after the initial connection is made. To use it:
1. Select Configure, then Options.
2. Select Bring Up Terminal Window After Dialing.
3. Select OK.
This completes your connection icon. to use it, double- click on the icon to connect to the Internet. After you log in you can run any number of Internet utilities under Windows such as the Internet Explorer included in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.
The Windows 95 client must have the protected mode TCP/IP bound to the Microsoft Dial-Up adapter.
SLIP and CSLIP support the TCP/IP Data Protocol.
Machines that can be SLIP and CSLIP Servers are:
Resources seen by Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client using SLIP are
NetWare Connect
Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking client supports Novell's remote access product for NetWare networks called NetWare Connect. It is installed as a series of NLMs on a NetWare server, and provides:
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking client takes advantage only of NetWare Connect's Remote Access Services. If you need the other two services-modem pooling and remote computer control-use Novell's NetWare Connect client software.
When dialing into a NetWare Connect Server you will need to explicitly set the server type. Here is how to do it:
1. From within Dial-Up Networking, secondary-click on the connection
icon that will connect you to your NetWare Connect server (See
the previous walk through for the steps to create a connection
icon).
2. Select Properties then Server Type.
3. To explicitly use the NetWare Connect line protocol: select
NRN: NetWare Connect as the server type for the properties
of the connection.
NetWare Connect server does not support software compression and only supports the IPX data protocol.
A Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client using IPX over NetWare Connect will see the NetWare servers on the LAN connected to the NetWare Connect server.
Figure 2 Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client connecting to SMB-based servers
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client supports connecting to SMB-based LAN server resources in three ways:
Figure 3 Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client connecting to NetWare servers
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client supports connecting to NetWare resources in four ways:
As a rule, you do not have to be concerned with line and data protocols; the Dial-Up Networking can negotiate them automatically when dialing another (PPP or RAS) host or when clients dial into the Dial-Up Networking (PPP or RAS) server.
PPP is the default line protocol, so it is tried first. If the server does not support PPP, RAS is tried next.
NetWare Connect, SLIP (Serial Line Interface Protocol) and CSLIP (Compressed SLIP) are never negotiated by Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking. To connect to a server running any of these, manually select the correct line protocol when configuring the Microsoft Dial-Up adapter.
Connecting to the Internet
Windows 95 offers supports the two most popular remote line protocols to the Internet: SLIP and PPP. With either of these, you can use Windows 95 to take advantage of the expanding services and information on the Internet.
Figure 4 Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client connecting to the Internet
You can connect to the Internet three ways:
Note A Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server cannot provide access to Internet resources for a PPP client. Windows NT version 3.5 has a built-in IP router to provide this service; Windows 95 does not.
Before you can use Windows 95 to access the Internet you must get an Internet account through an Internet service provider such as MSN, CompuServe, America On-line and another dedicated Internet service provider.
To configure Dial-Up Networking to work with an Internet service provider, you will need the following information from your service provider:
If the service provider requires you to have a dedicated static IP address every time you dial in, you need to know:
Because of differences between various service providers, not all of the above information is always required. You also need to make sure the Microsoft Dial-Up Adapter is installed through the Network Configuration Properties and TCP/IP is bound to the adapter.
The Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 package makes connecting to the Internet quick and easy. See the Plus Pack directions for connecting your machine to the Internet.
When you complete Internet setup, you can connect to the Internet several ways. You can start the Internet connection (located in My Computer, Dial-Up Networking) then run your favorite Internet tool such as FTP or Mosaic, or you can run the Internet Explorer in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 by clicking on the Internet Explorer located on your desktop.
Questions and Answers
Q) I have a 14.4 fax modem. When I go into modem setup there is not a 14.4 speed selection. Why?
A) 14.4 modems use what is known as a split baud rate. This means that there are actually two baud rates. The first, known as the DTE speed, this is the speed at which the program sends information to the COM port. The second, known as the DCE speed, is the speed at which the two modems communicate with each other. Windows 95, like many Windows 3.1 COMM application, is allowing you to select the DTE speed and not the DCE speed.
Q) Are there any diagnostic tools to aid in a failed dial-up connection?
A) Yes, there are several tools. You have the PPPLOG.TXT which will help you troubleshoot a failed PPP connection. There is a MODEMLOG.TXT that will let you see what AT commands were sent to the modem and what responses it gave back. There is a MODEMDET.LOG that will show you the results from the modem detection process and there is the Diagnostics tab in Control Panel Modems.
Q) I have installed TCP/IP, and the Dial-Up adapter in Control Panel and made sure everything is bound together. But, I still have no access to Dial-Up Networking. The help file says there should be an icon in 'My Computer' but there is nothing. Any ideas?
A) Go to Control Panel/Add-Remove Programs/Window Setup. Click on Communications, then on Details. You should have a check mark before "Dial-Up Networking". Click "OK". Now "Dial-Up Networking" will appear in the folder "My Computer".
Q) Previously I had to modify my SYSTEM.INI still to adjust my COM settings. Will I have to do this with Windows 95?
A) No, nearly all of the COM adjustments you use to have to make in SYSTEM.INI under Windows 3.1 can be made through the Windows user interface.
Q) In the Connected dialog box it shows the speed you are connected at. For example 144000 bits per second. Is that computer to computer speed or computer to modem speed.
A) It depends on what AT command has been sent to the modem in the modem initialization string. For example, on some modems you can send an ATW1 and it will report to Windows 95 the computer to modem speed, or you can pass an ATW2 and it will report computer to computer speed.
Q) Does Windows 95 dial-up Networking provide any type of redial function?
A) Yes, it is disabled by default but you can enable it by selecting Connections from within the Dial-up Networking window then choose settings.
Q) If I have a connection to the Internet would it be possible for someone on the Internet to see y shared resources?
A) Yes it is possible but it requires some setup. First the person trying to connect to you would have to know your IP address and your computer name. They would the have to enter this information into a LMHOSTS file. After they do this they can connect to your shared resources. You can protect yourself by either putting passwords on your shares or by using User Level Security.
Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server
With Dial-Up Networking, you can configure a computer running Windows 95 to be a remote access server for dial-up clients running Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows for Workgroups 3.11. The Windows 95 dial-up server can provide Point to LAN access for its clients by using the NetBIOS gateway or IPX router, or as a Point-to-Point server to the client, sharing its file and printing resources with one dial-up client at a time.
The Dial-Up Networking server component (RNASERV.DLL) is only available in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.
Dial-Up Networking Server
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking server provides point-to-point and point-to-LAN connectivity to various Dial-Up Networking clients.
A point-to-point connection provides access only to shared resources on the Dial-Up server. This was the case with the Windows for Workgroups 3.11 RAS Dial-Up Server.
A point-to-LAN connection provides access to all shared resources on the network. Windows 95 provides point-to-LAN connectivity when you dial in using NetBEUI or IPX.
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server provides access for these clients:
Figure 5 Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Host server clients
To set up the Dial-Up Server, make sure you have installed Microsoft Plus!. Next double-click on the Dial-Up Networking icon from within My Computer, choose the Connections menu option then select the Dial-up Server. Inside the Dial-Up Server configuration box you can allow caller access and setup security.
Unlike the Dial-Up client, the Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server supports only the RAS (Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT 3.1) and PPP (Windows 95, Windows NT 3.5, Internet) line protocols.
To set the server type, in the Dial-Up server configuration box select Server Type.
When the server type is set to default, the server and client automatically negotiate between RAS and PPP. PPP is tried first. If the server type is explicitly set for PPP or RAS, then only that protocol is used to connect.
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Client and Server both support the same data protocols: IPX/SPX, NetBEUI and TCP/IP
Note When using static IP addresses for both client and server, TCP/IP provides only point-to-point connectivity. This means you can see only shared resources on the Dial-Up server, not the entire network. Due to some technical issues with TCP/IP, Windows 95 does not support remote clients using TCP/IP to dial into a Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking server. It does support remote client use of TCP/IP when dialing into other dial-up servers such as Windows NT 3.5.
Incoming packets from a remote client are one of two types:
Point-to-LAN with a NetBIOS Gateway
Figure 6 Point-to-LAN connection with a NetBIOS gateway
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server employs a NetBIOS gateway for Point to LAN connectivity for a Dial-Up Networking client. A remote client using NetBEUI can effectively access any NetBIOS-based network resource that would be available from the Dial-Up Networking server.
The Dial-Up Networking client using NetBEUI can access:
The DIAL-UP NETWORKING server employing the NetBIOS gateway is responsible for:
Point-to-LAN with an IPX Router
The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server also employs an IPX Router for packets traveling between the dial-up adapter and LAN adapter (but not between two LAN adapters). This provides Point-to-LAN connectivity for a dial-up networking client using IPX.
The IPX router of the dial-up networking server, built into NWLINK, routes IPX packets just as any IPX router does: packets destined to a machine on a remote subnet are sent to the router's hardware ID. The router, in this case, the dial-up networking server, looks at the network ID and passes the packet to the dial-up networking client if the network ID matches.
Figure 7 Point-to-LAN connection with an IPX router
The Dial-Up Networking Server employing the IPX router is responsible for:
Dial-Up Networking Security
A common misconception is that if you enable your computer for remote access, any unauthorized caller with a spare two minutes can dial into their system and copy or destroy your data. Not so. Windows 95 provides several levels of authentication and security that unauthorized callers must penetrate before reaching vital data.
Layers of Security
With Dial-Up Networking, a dial-in user must pass several levels of authentication before being allowed to modify data. The particular authentication mechanisms depend on the security model configured on the server, that is, share-level or user-level.
If you are unfamiliar with the security modules Windos 95 offers, check with Microsoft TV for the TrainCast session that deals with it: call 1-800-597-3200 or e-mail mstv@microsoft.com.
Figure 10 Dial-UP Networking security levels
When the Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking Server is configured for user level security in conjunction with a security provider (Windows NT Workstation or Domain, or a NetWare server), individual users allowed to dial in are selected from the security provider's list of accounts. This provides for easier administration, since dial-in users log on with the same accounts and passwords they use while at the office. This ensures that users have the same privileges and permissions they normally have using a computer directly connected to the office LAN.
When the Dial-Up Networking server is part of a Windows NT domain model, users must have explicit Dial-Up Networking permission as well as a valid Windows NT account before they can use Remote Access.
Questions and Answers
Q) Can I have 2 TAPI aware applications, such as FAX and Dial-Up Networking, in auto-answer mode at the same time?
A) Unfortunately, that is not supported with this release of Windows 95.
Q) How can I tell if the Dial-Up server is installed on my machine?
A) Go into My Computer then select Dial-Up Networking. Then click on the Connection menu option. If you have a Dial-Up Server option then the server is installed.
Q) I have problem. I am unable to connect to a Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking server when running a Windows for Workgroups Remote Access Service (RAS) client, Windows NT 3.1 RAS client, or Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking client.
A) This problem can occur if the Dial-Up Networking server you are connecting to is a Windows 95 computer set up as an NWSERVER and the client is using the RAS drivers instead of the Point-to-Point protocol (PPP) drivers. The server is unable to get the plain-text version of the client password. The plain-text password is necessary in order to do user-level security with a NetWare server. User-level security is enabled by default if you are running NWSERVER.
Q) When I use a 16-bit non-TAPI-aware communications program in Windows 95 I receive the error messages: The port is already open or Could not initialize port. What can I do to get around this problem.
A) To work around this problem, you must set the TAPI-aware application to not answer incoming calls. After you have used the non-TAPI-aware application, set the TAPI-aware application to answer incoming calls again.
Q) When I use the Dial-Up Networking client included with Windows 95 to connect to a Windows 95 or Windows NT remote access server, I get the following error message: "Dial-Up Networking could not negotiate a compatible set of network protocols you specified in the Server Type settings. Check your network configuration in the Control Panel then try the connection again."
A) This usually results because the network protocols used by the server do not match the protocols used by the Dial-Up Networking client. Just like networking with 2 network cards you protocols need to match on both the server and the client.
Conclusion
Since starting at Microsoft as a support engineer in 1991, Ben Stewart has supported MS-DOS 5.0, Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1. A Technical Training Specialist since 1992, Ben has delivered Microsoft New Hire and Windows 3.1 training. He has been working with Win 95 for over a year and has trained internal engineers and several OEMs including Compaq, Gateway and Zenith Data Systems.
Microsoft TechNet
August 1995
Volume 3, Issue 8
Go To TechNet Home Page
Go To Microsoft Home Page