<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">SET PCTCP=C:\PCTCP\PCTCP.INI

SET PATH=C:\PCTCP;%PATH%

C:\WINDOWS\NET START

C:\PCTCP\ETHDRV</FONT></PRE>

<P>or

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">SET PCTCP=C:\PCTCP\PCTCP.INI

SET PATH=C:\PCTCP;%PATH%

C:\PCTCP\NETBIND

C:\PCTCP\ETHDRV</FONT></PRE>

<P>When these lines are executed during the system boot process, the system displays status messages when each command is completed. The NETBIND command displays this message if it loads successfully:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">MS-DOS LAN Manager v2.1 Netbind

Microsoft Netbind version 2.1</FONT></PRE>

<P>A third line might display a status message about the interrupt vector used by the system. If NETBIND couldn't load correctly, it generates a message like this:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">MS-DOS LAN Manager v2.1 Netbind

Error: Making PROTMAN IOCTL call.</FONT></PRE>

<P>This usually is generated when the network is already running (such as from issuing a NET START command before the NETBIND command; you might recall that only one of these two should be in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file).

<BR>

<P>The ETHDRV command displays a message with status information when it loads successfully. It looks like this:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">MAC/DIS converterFTP Software PC/TCP Resident Module 2.31   01/07/94 12:38

Copyright  1986-1993 by FTP Software, Inc.  All rights reserved.

Patch level 17637

Patch time: Fri Jan 07 14:25:09 1994

Kernel interrupt vector is 0x61

Code Segment occupies 49.0K of conventional memory

Data Segment occupies 19.5K of conventional memory

Packet Driver found at vector 0x60

        name:

        version: 30, class: 1, type: 57, functionality: 6

ifcust (PC/TCP Class 1 packet driver - DIX Ethernet) initialized

5 free packets of length 1514, 5 free packets of length 160

The Resident Module occupies 68.7K of conventional memory</FONT></PRE>

<P>If there is an error when the ETHDRV program loads, it generates an error message (of varying utility for debugging purposes). A sample error is shown here:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">FTP Software PC/TCP Resident Module 2.31    01/07/94 12:38

Copyright  1986-1993 by FTP Software, Inc.  All rights reserved.

Patch level 17637

Patch time: Fri Jan 07 14:25:09 1994

PC/TCP is already loaded (interrupt 0x61). Use 'inet unload' to unload it.</FONT></PRE>

<P>This error occurred because a PC/TCP driver had been loaded prior to the ETHDRV command.

<BR>

<P>Some DOS users like to leave these commands out of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and issue them manually. This has the advantage of reducing the amount of memory chewed up when the machine boots and the network is not required. A useful compromise is to create a small batch file that has these two commands and then run the batch file only if the network is used. Both NETBIND and ETHDRV do not seem to be critical as far as when they are loaded in the startup sequence (as opposed to some software that insists on being loaded first or last in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file).

<BR>

<BR>

<A ID="E70E35" NAME="E70E35"></A>

<H5 ALIGN=CENTER>

<CENTER>

<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>The CONFIG.SYS File</B></FONT></CENTER></H5>

<BR>

<P>The CONFIG.SYS file has to have drivers loaded for the protocol manager, the NDIS packet converter, and the network card driver. Systems running Windows for Workgroups might require additional drivers. The CONFIG.SYS file must have an entry setting the number of files open at one time to at least 20. If this doesn't exist, PC/TCP crashes. Add this line:

<BR>

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">FILES=20</FONT></PRE>

<P>to the CONFIG.SYS file. Depending on the amount of memory available, the number could be readily increased. With 8MB RAM or more, a value of 40 is satisfactory. Numbers above this setting tend to be counter-productive because RAM is wasted for no reason.

<BR>

<P>The protocol manager is supplied as part of Windows for Workgroups, and one is included with the PC/TCP software package. The choice of which to use is yours or your system administrator's. If Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (not 3.11) was already loaded and functional, CONFIG.SYS has a line similar to this:

<BR>

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\PROTMAN.DOS /I:C:\WINDOWS</FONT></PRE>

<P>The protocol manager is not always used with the Windows for Workgroups 3.11 release because it is included with other drivers within the CONFIG.SYS file (such as IFSHLP.SYS). If there is no protocol manager started at boot time, one should be added from the PC/TCP software. The entry within the CONFIG.SYS file is

<BR>

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\PCTCP\PROTMAN.DOS \I:C:\PCTCP</FONT></PRE>

<P>This loads the PC/TCP protocol manager. The \I at the end of the command tells the driver where to look for files (in this case, the PC/TCP installation directory).

<BR>

<P>A network card driver should appear next in CONFIG.SYS. This differs for each network card, but for the sample network DOS machine's Intel EtherExpress 16 network card, the line is

<BR>

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EXP16.DOS</FONT></PRE>

<P>This loads the EXP16 driver for the Intel network card. This was included with the Windows for Workgroups software, but it is also available as a generic driver. Some machines with Windows for Workgroups already installed might have this command already in the CONFIG.SYS file.

<BR>

<P>The final step is to load the PC/TCP NDIS Packet Converter. The current release of PC/TCP uses a packet converter called DIS_PKT.GUP. The line looks like this:

<BR>

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\PCTCP\DIS_PKT.GUP</FONT></PRE>

<P>Some systems running Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (and a few that have upgraded to 3.11) have the line

<BR>

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\WORKGRP.SYS</FONT></PRE>

<P>in the CONFIG.SYS file. This is for Windows for Workgroups' use and is not necessary if PC/TCP is to be used as a DOS-based system only. If the file was not installed by Windows for Workgroups and the system works properly without it, there is no need to add it.

<BR>

<P>When the system boots, the device drivers are loaded in turn. Each displays a short message showing its version number. Any errors that occur are also displayed. Usually the device drivers don't cause any problems.

<BR>

<P>The properly configured CONFIG.SYS file for the DOS machine should have these lines in it

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\PROTMAN.DOS /I:\C:\WINDOWS

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EXP16.DOS

DEVICE=C:\PCTCP\DIS_PKT.GUP</FONT></PRE>

<P>if it is using the Windows for Workgroups protocol manager. It should have the following lines if it is using the PC/TCP protocol manager:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">DEVICE=C:\PCTCP\PROTMAN.DOS /I:\C:\PCTCP

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EXP16.DOS

DEVICE=C:\PCTCP\DIS_PKT.GUP</FONT></PRE>

<P>As noted earlier, the network interface driver (EXP16) is different if your machine does not use the Intel EtherExpress 16 board.

<BR>

<P>The position of these lines within the CONFIG.SYS file isn't critical, although there might be problems if they are loaded into high memory with other drivers. Experimentation is the only way to find the most memory-efficient sequence.

<BR>

<BR>

<A ID="E70E36" NAME="E70E36"></A>

<H5 ALIGN=CENTER>

<CENTER>

<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>The PROTOCOL.INI File</B></FONT></CENTER></H5>

<BR>

<P>Windows for Workgroups has a PROTOCOL.INI file as part of its setup. The file tells the system about the network cards and drivers in use. The PC/TCP PROTOCOL.INI file does the same, but it resides in the PCTCP directory.

<BR>

<P>The contents of the PROTOCOL.INI file are different for each network card and driver configuration. There must be a section labeled [PKTDRV] (all in uppercase) that defines the driver name, the binding to the network card, and any configuration information needed. The sample network's PROTOCOL.INI file looks like this:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">[PKTDRV]

drivername=PKTDRV$

bindings=MS$EE16

intvec=0x60

[MS$EE16]

DriverName=EXP16$

IOADDRESS=0x360

IRQ=11

IOCHRDY=Late

TRANSCEIVER=Thin Net (BNC/COAX)</FONT></PRE>

<P>This PROTOCOL.INI file defines the packet driver as PKTDRV$, the default driver with PC/TCP. The binding to the Intel EtherExpress 16 card used on the DOS machine refers to another section in the file that lists the address, IRQ, and some specifics of the EtherExpress card. These lines could have been included in the [PKTDRV] section but were separated for compatibility with the Windows for Workgroups PROTOCOL.INI file, which is similar in layout. The EtherExpress 16 card is set to use IRQ 11, memory address 360, and use the Thin Ethernet cable connector. The intvec line in the [PKTDRV] section does not define the IRQ for the network card; instead, it is an interrupt for the driver.

<BR>

<P>A PROTOCOL.INI file for a system using a simpler network card than the EtherExpress can be shorter. A sample PROTOCOL.INI file for such a card might look like this:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">[PKTDRV]

drivername=PKTDRV$

binding=MS$ELNKII

intvec=0x65

chainvec=0x67</FONT></PRE>

<P>Finding the proper settings for the variables in the PROTOCOL.INI file can be a harrowing experience. If Windows for Workgroups is installed and running, the Windows PROTOCOL.INI file is a good source of information and can sometimes be copied without modification. Otherwise, the network card documentation can sometimes help.

<BR>

<BR>

<A ID="E70E37" NAME="E70E37"></A>

<H5 ALIGN=CENTER>

<CENTER>

<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>The PCTCP.INI File</B></FONT></CENTER></H5>

<BR>

<P>The PCTCP.INI file holds the kernel configuration information for PCTCP. In most cases, it can be left as supplied with the software. Tweaking the kernel parameters should be performed only after the network is installed and has been operating properly for a while. The PCTCP.INI file is quite lengthy, and care should be taken to avoid accidental changes, which can render the system inoperative.

<BR>

<P>If the supplied installation script is not used to install PC/TCP, a minimum PCTCP.INI file must be created manually. Examples are included with the distribution media, usually under the name TEMPLATE.INI. There are two ways to create the PCTCP.INI file and configure it properly. The first is to use an editor and modify the template file. The alternative is to run the kernel configuration utility KAPPCONF.

<BR>

<P>A minimum PCTCP.INI file needs to have the software serial number and activation key, the IP address, broadcast address, router address, a subnet mask, and information about the system in general. The minimum PCTCP.INI file would look like this:

<BR>

<PRE>

<FONT COLOR="#000080">[pctcp general]

domain                 = tpci.com

host-name              = sinbad

time-zone              = EST

time-zone-offset       = 600

user                   = tparker

[pctcp kernel]

serial-number          = 1234-5678-9012

authentication-key     = 1234-5678-9012

interface              = ifcust 0

low-window             = 0

window                 = 2048