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Multiple Network Adapters
This page covers both Windows95 and Windows
NT4.
Networking with Windows95 and WindowsNT4 is usually an easy job:
Install the "Network Adapter",
add "Protocol" and "Client"
and you are "talking" over the network.
The possibility to define MULTIPLE protocols for a Network
adapter (which is so easy to setup due to Microsoft's NDIS
support) is highly appreciated by everyone, who tried to
setup/configure multiple protocols on a DOS based systems or
Windows 3.x-system: It was often impossible !
The same is true for installing MULTIPLE Network Adapters: A very
difficult (often impossible) task under DOS and Windows 3.x, also
a simple job under Windows 95 and Windows NT4.
The biggest challenge: IRQ-Resources
Since the days of the IBM AT systems, the design of the systems
has changed dramatically:
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IMB AT |
Modern Pentium II |
Clock:
Screen resolution:
Memory:
Disk:
Floppy disk:
available IRQ's: |
6 Mhz
EGA
typical 1 MByte
20 MByte
1.44 MByte
16 |
300 Mhz
UVGA (1280x1024 / 1600x1200)
typical 16/32/64 MByte
4 GByte
1.44 MByte (plus CD-ROM)
16 ! |
In today's high-performance systems, we are
still stuck with the limit of maximum 16 IRQ-lines ("What is an Interrupt ?"), which is turning into a serious problem on
today's Multi-Media Systems with Sound-Boards and
SCSI-controllers, in some cases no IRQ is anymore available
forcing to switch OFF something else (usually the second
Serial-Port COM2, which is not used so often).
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Windows95:
Check in the Control-Panel
"System", tab: "Device Manager"
the "Computer"-properties to
locate an unused IRQ.
In my example, I did already install
the second Network adapter.
But if this system had a Sound-board
(which usually takes 2 IRQ's) and
a SCSI-adapter, no more IRQ
would be available.
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Windows NT4:
On Windows NT, check the
"NT Diagnostics", Tab:"Resources".
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When installing a new network-board under Windows95, it will
automatically create a binding of ALL currently installed
protocols to the new board:
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This screen dump is a "fake",
because I had to make 2 screen
shots to get the full info
displayed.
All protocols have a Binding
to all Network cards.
We should clean this up, keeping
only the required bindings. |
When going to
Multi-Network-Adapter/Multi-Protocol setups, it is best to draw
it up to get an overview on the goal to be achieved:

In this example, I like to connect on different network cables:
- connect to a Novell-Netware server via IPX protocol
- connect to a Windows NT system via NetBEUI-protocol
- connect to the Internet using the Modem/Dialup-Adapter via
TCP/IP.
(In my example, I use 2 different
network-boards, but it is also possible to install 2 identical
network-boards, as long as they are configured for different IRQ
and Port-address.
To avoid another mis-understanding: if both the Novell-server AND
the NT-system are on the SAME network cable, you can connect to
them using ONLY ONE Network-adapter and BINDING multiple
protocols to this one Network adapter. Please look to this as an
exercise)
Windows95:
(see below for Windows NT4)
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to delete a Binding, select
the combination of
Protocol->Network board
and "Remove" it. |
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The "cleaned-out" version
on the "Network", containing
now only the required
Bindings.
We can now also verify
the Bindings by checking
the properties of the
components:
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IPX has a Binding to
the 3COM for the connection
to the Netware Server. |
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NetBEUI has a Binding to the
NE2000 for the connection
to the NT system. |
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The IPX-protocol has a
Binding to the Client
for Netware Networks.
(I manually un-checked
the binding to the Client
for Microsoft Network) |
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The NetBEUI-protocol has a
Binding to the Client for
Microsoft Networks. |
Lets now connect to these systems:

The Netware server does show up in the "Network
Neighborhood", but (it is part of the
Microsoft mystery of the "Browse-Master") the NT system did NOT show up in the "Network-Neighborhood",
but I am able to connect to it by running the "Run"-command: \\<server-name>, in my example:
\\piijh.
WindowsNT4:
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Lets check the "Network"
applet
in the Control-Panel. |
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Since we like to connect to a
Novell-netware server, we
need in addition to the
"Server" and "Workstation"
(required to connect to the
NT-system) the
"Client Services for Netware". |
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We have the protocols:
- NetBEUI to communicate
with the NT-system
- IPX to communicate to the
Novell Netware server |
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the 2 Network Adapters |
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The Bindings:
Here we need to do the job.
First, open (=expand the display)
by clicking on the "+" signs. |
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Then, select and "Disable" all
not required Bindings.
In this example:
no need for the IPX-protocol
to have a Binding to the
Server and Workstation, which is
used for connection to the NT-system. |
Then, we are ready to connect and browse the
network:

Don't ask me why: But under Windows NT4, both the
Novell-server(s) AND the NT-system
(PIIJH) are showing up in the "Network-Neighborhood"
(each time, when NT is able to do a job not
possible/available on Windows95, I say to myself:" Do
NOT forget, that Windows95 is only the little
brother of the big-boy NT
! ").
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