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Microsoft supplied their own NetWare client with Windows 9x/ME and NT 3.50-XP. They seem work well enough though Novell apps like NetWare Administrator and the NetWare Application launcher won't work - they rely on the proper Novell client.
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The client for for Windows NT 3.1 went by the name NetWare Workstation Compatible Services (NWCS) during development with it adopting the Client Service for NetWare (CSNW) for its stable release in mid-1994.
This is the only "stable" client for NetWare and in general it seemed to be considered more reliable than Novells various pre-releases based on various archived usenet discussions from the time. Novell own client wouldn't make it out of testing until after the release of NT 3.50.
Functionality-wise its pretty much the same as the client on NT 3.50 and 3.51. You have to login to NetWare using the same username and password you use for your local windows account and it has no support for running login scripts.
Download for: x86, MIPS, or Alpha
Screenshots: Client Service for NetWare on Windows NT 3.1
NetWare Workstation Compatible Services (NWCS) was the name the NT 3.1 client went by during its two public beta releases. No information on the first beta has surfaced so far, but the x86 version of Beta 2 has been found - nwc-x86.zip. This originally came from winsite.com and is obviously not an EXE as originally distributed by Microsoft but it seems to be otherwise unmodified. The MIPS and Alpha versions are still missing.
The included readme referred to Beta 2 as a "stable product" and it looks pretty complete. Before installing you must install Microsofts IPX/SPX protocol (NWLink) as well as at least Service Pack 1 (not required for Alpha apparently). This client also has the unique ability to act as a gateway for workstations running only SMB/MS Net/Windows Networking clients allowing access to netware resources without a netware client installed.
Screenshots: NetWare Workstation Compatible Services Beta 2 on Windows NT 3.1
Client Service for Netware (CSNW) is the Microsoft client here. NDS support was added in NT 4.0 which seems to be the last major upgrade (it looks basically identical on 2000 and XP). Its the only way to connect to a NetWare server from the Alpha, MIPS and PowerPC versions of Windows NT.
This client appears to just log you into NetWare using your windows username and password. No local windows user account? No netware login. So for each netware login you want to use you've got to create a matching local windows user. If the password doesn't match you'll be prompted for your netware password after logging into windows. This reason alone probably makes the Microsoft Client Service for NetWare not worth using if you're on x86 and could otherwise use the proper Novell client.
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Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks on Windows 95 doesn't support NDS. To get NDS support install Service Pack 1 or MSNDS.EXE. On all subsequent releases of windows it should support NDS fine.
On Windows 98 installing the client doesn't get you NDS - you've also got to install the Service for NetWare DIrectory Services.
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The Microsoft client along with IPX support were removed in Windows Vista. The proper Novell/MicroFocus client is your only option here and only if you've got Native IP available (NetWare 5 or newer). The Novell client on NT relied on Microsofts IPX stack - as Vista removed the IPX stack the Novell client is unable to login to NetWare 4 or older.
This is a feature included with Windows 9x that lets it act as a server on a NetWare Network. Apparently it only implements the NetWare 2.2 version of the netware protocol (NCP) while advertising itself as a NetWare 3.12 server which causes compatibility issues. In particular only the following clients are compatible:
Novell TID 2907903 discusses these compatiblity issues in more detail.
In addition to the compatibility issues it isn't able to provide login services - it relies on a real NetWare server to provide login.exe and the set of DOS utilities. This means that Windows 95 can't act as a stand-alone NetWare server - there must always be a real NetWare server on the network.
For a closer look: Screenshots of installing File and Printer Sharing for NetWare Networks and trying it with a selection of clients.
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).