Introduction, Links, other Sources

this is: WWW.HELMIG.COM

In my job, I am also involved in supporting Windows95 networking.
Although Networking is usually very simple, sometime there are unexpected problems, which are difficult to fix, because they are either very difficult and unknown, or they could also be "page 1 problems", described on page 1 of the manual or online-help and are often so simple, that people forget to check them.

The news-groups are an extremely value source of information, and when I have a "tricky" question and post it, I hope (and very often get) for an answer.

When reading the MS news-groups on networking, I see a lot of messages asking for some basic help, so I though I return some information to other users, but instead of typing the answers again and again, I put some guidelines and procedures on this website and point in my answers to my website, hoping it is helpful.

By now, I think that I have covered the most of the basics and have therefore remove the "Under Construction" sign and will concentrate more on "Maintenance" of these pages.

However, I will keep adding new pages on related networking material,in case I encounter an interesting topic, until I will run out of space on my Webserver-account (and I am already borrowing some disk-space from my colleague William).

But nobody is perfect: if you find a mistake or have a proposal to make it even better to understand or to add a new topic, please drop me a quick note via the
e-mail page


Before starting with the Windows95 specific software configuration, a fact mentioned in all professional Support documentation:
"More than 75% of all networking problems are caused by hardware problems: the network board or the network cable".

A very good source of information on Windows95/98 networking is the "real" Windows95/98 "User's Guide" ( not the thin booklet delivered with your Windows95/98 CD-ROM or floppies):

the "Windows95/98 Resource Kit" (1348 pages!), which Microsoft decided to sell separately at 49.95/69.95 US$.

However, if you have Windows95 as CD-ROM (either the Upgrade version or the OSR1/OSR2), you have the full Resource Kit as Help-file in \admin\reskit\helpfile as win95rk.hlp and win95rk.cnt.
If your Windows95 is on floppies: sorry, but the helpfile can be downloaded from Microsoft :
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/default.asp , search that page
for "Resource Kits", then "Windows95" for the Help-file ( 2.2 MByte)


The book "Windows98 Resource Kit" is even bigger (and more expensive) than the Windows95 version. But again, it is on your Windows98 CD-ROM:
Install it by running: \tools\reskit\setup.exe

I am not able to cover everything (for example: since I have myself no use of it and also not the required hardware, I am NOT covering connections with the Apple Macintosh or the UNIX-clone LINUX) , for really special question, please have a look at the news-groups:
- microsoft.public.win95.networking
- microsoft.public.win98.networking
- comp.os.ms-windows.networking.win95

A very good site is also "DejaNews" :http://www.dejanews.com

offering Searching of messages in News-Groups (and unless in the newgroups, where messages are usually erased after a few days/weeks, they keep the messages MUCH longer)

If you could not find a solution to your problem on my website,
you should check for for an answer on:
- Bob Cerelli's Windows95 Site
- HomePcNetwork.com
and of course, you can check for an answer by Searching the Microsoft Website.

Sound and Animation Control (implemented: June 1,98)
I have learned from your Feedback, that some of you do NOT like my sounds and animations (regarded as a waste of (online-) time. My site has been adjusted, allowing now to turn off Sounds and to reduce the animation's.