[na-user] NA Networks w/Ethernet

[Hank Kohl]

NA and ethernet networks ramblings..........

At 09:52 07/29/96 EDT, Dave, K8CC, wrote:
>Gary, K7OX recently posed a question here on the reflector concerning the
>use of Ethernet cards to form a NA network.  .......  However, more technical
>information is required, plus we need to answer some questions.
>................... If anyone can shed some light on this task, I will be
>gald to undertake it.

I've been asking around work, but haven't been persistant enough.  All I do
at work is make 'em work - not real sure some days how they do it!

>BTW, don't try running multiple NA computers using a single .QDF file on a
>Novell network.  You can log QSOs, but NA will not be aware that a new QSO
>was logged to the main QDF file, so each computer's NA will get out of sync.

Dave is right about running NA with a single .QDF file on Novell network.
That should read ANY network - Novell, NetWare Lite, Personal NetWare, WFW,
etc.  At any time I can bring up NA from a Novell server or any of the
popular peer to peer networks.  You can keep the .QDF files on the server
(whether it is Novell or the designated server on a peer network) as long as
each computer is using a different named .QDF file.

>It is my understanding that there are no services in DOS to interface to
>Ethernet cards.  This means that either NA must provide these services or
>some other software must provide them.  Are users willing to invest in a
>Novell network?  Windows for Workgroups provide some services for sharing
>resources between computers, but NA is not a Windows program.

WFW or '95 comes with most PC's these days, so it can be considered free.  I
believe that NA will run real well on a DOS peer to peer network.  A Novell
network, as in client/server is real pricey!  Second choice, I'd go with
NetWare Lite or Personal Netware.  Think you can get it fairly reasonable -
about $50 per workstation plus NIC cards which can be had for about 25 - 30
from Data Comm Warehouse in Phila.

There are DOS drivers for networks.  Novell has a set called NetWare Client
for DOS (Windows, too).  WFW 3.11 properly installed will allow you to load
the network in DOS with the NET command.  NET /? will get you about two pages.

The BPQ code that we use on the DX clusters (PacketCluster, Clusse, DXNet
and maybe the CDX cluster) will run under DOS over an ethernet network.

Most NIC's (Network Interface Cards) come with the drivers that are needed -
LSL.COM (Link Support Layer), NE2000.COM or what ever NIC driver is
required, etc.  The SMC cards that I use have every driver known to networks
on the disk that comes with the card.

Think I'd go with a coax network ( 10base2 )- easier to work with putting
BNC connectors on 50 ohm coax and you don't need a hub like you do with UTP 
( 10baset ).

73    Hank    K8DD

k8dd@tir.com



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