Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks on Windows 98
A quick tour of the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks on Windows 98.
Contents
Tools
Things you'll need to follow along:
- A VM with:
- Windows 98 SE.
- Bridged networking (IPX won't get through NAT)
- A NIC thats setup in Windows (I'm using PCnet-PCI II)
- The Windows 98 SE CD-ROM.
Creating the VM and installing Windows 98 are out of scope for this document as nothing special is required .
Installing
We're starting off with a clean install of Windows 98 SE. I've got an SVGA driver installed so performance isn't awful.
Open the Network control panel
Click the Add button
Choose Client
Choose Microsoft, Client for NetWare Networks
Change the Primary Network Logon to the Netware client.
Then click OK!
And feed it the Windows 98 CD.
Files are copied...
Then we reboot.
NetWare Login! This doesn't look very NDS! If you don't get this screen at all check your network settings. It seems if Windows can't see any netware servers it just skips the login screen and goes straight to the desktop.
More Screenshots
Lets login to an NDS server and see what happens!
Creating a local account to go with the netware one...
Login scripts run! Thats a good sign. That details button will show the script output if you're quick enough.
WhoAmI?
This shows the list of attached servers.
Network drives were correctly mapped.
Filesystem is NWCOMPA (NetWare Compatible I presume). Unlike the Novell client the Microsoft one doesn't give anything netware-specific in any of the file properties dialogs.
Network neighbourhood shows the attached NetWare server (vnw411) plus some windows ones.
Entire network shows my other Netware server (vnw32) plus some windows networking stuff. No NDS support here!
Server context menu - nothing interesting
Server properties.
Lets attach to the other server too.
Now attached to two servers as different users!
Installing NDS support
Lets make NDS work! Open the Network control panel again and click the Add button.
Choose Service.
And choose Service for NetWare Directory Services.
Then click OK.
Give it the CD...
Copy files...
And reboot.
And then NDS happens! Pick your tree...
And login to NDS!
The advanced button gives you this. I changed my context from root as that often doesn't work for some reason.
Lets login!
WhoAmI - now with NDS!
Lots more here!
Under entire network the NDS organisation is visible. The other zxnet is a windows networking workgroup. A different icon would have been nice!
Organisation context menu
Organisation properties: NDS tab.
NDS Administration Settings tab.
Inside the organisation there is...
Print queue properties
Print queue NDS tab
Server properties
Server properties - NDS tab
Inside the server
Thats about all there is to see from the Microsoft client. Looks functional enough.
Disclaimer & Comments
I'm not a netware expert, don't have any of those fancy novell certifications and have never administred a netware network; I've just played with it at home occasionally since 2004 or so. Email me if you've got any suggestions or corrections for this page or any extra information you think is worth including here. My address is david at this websites domain name (without the www bit of course).