We have a 16-port unmanaged D-Link switch on our LAN to which are plugged Cat 5 cables from the following Ethernet devices:

1. A Novell 3.12 server running on IPX/SPX.
2. A Broadband Internet ADSL Router with a built-in DHCP Server.
3. An SMC 802.11G Wireless Access Point set in Infrastructure mode.
4. Six Windows XP SP2 PCs + six Windows 98SE PCs running MS Client for Microsoft Networks, MS Client for Novell Networks, TCP/IP, IPX/SPX and MS NETBEUI protocols.

In this wired setup, we have no difficulty in running a peer-to-peer MS Network and peers-to-server Novell Network. The Wireless Access Point is only being used to provide wireless TCP/IP internet access to WiFi enabled laptops.

We are now looking to convert all the wired clients to wireless by replacing the wired ethernet adapters with wireless ones. However, we must be able to connect to the Novell server as well.

Is this possible ? If so, is there any configuration tweaking required, in the Access Point, Router or Client PCs. Incidentally, we tried it in one Windows 98SE client PC. Whereas the Internet and MS Network worked, we could not login to the Novell Server.

Your pointers on the above will be highly appreciated.

this is interesting....

1. a general point: It should work. I can run Netbeui over a wireless access point because the protocol operates above the WAP's layers. IPX=layer 3, SPX=layer 4, WAP= layers 1 and 2.

2. Another general point: cheaper WAPs can cause general networking problems. If the one you've got is a cheapie, I would be tempted to sell it and buy a really good one.

3. However almost certainly the problem is with the wireless NICs. The device driver for the NIC must accept IPX/SPX, or more specifically the interface between layer 2 and layer 3. I'm not 100% sure, but I think this interface is called ODI. It means that IPX/SPX or TCP/IP can be translated into the language of the NIC device driver, without the device driver programmers worrying too much. If the NIC does not support ODI, then it won't work. Once again, don't buy cheapies, and you'll improve your chances greatly.

4. It is recommended that for much greater scope of possibly network setups, use the Novell client, rather than Microsoft's version.

5. Have you dealt with the protocol bindings? If all these protocols are bound to all clients, then it's going to be a very slow network. By default Windows likes to bind everything to everything. Gibson Research (of SpinRite fame) has a good tutorial about this:

grc.com/su-bondage.htm

You need to bind all the protocols to your NIC, but only IPX/SPX to the Novell client, only Netbeui to the M$ client, and the web browser and e-mail will find TCP/IP by themselves (no binding explicitly done by you)

6. I know that you don't want others telling you how to run your network, but if I may make a suggestion, it may be a lot easier to get rid of IPX/SPX and load TCP/IP on your Netware 3.12 server.

regards,
A.C.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON

UPDATE:

I was speaking to a Novell tech about this. Newer Novell clients use the Microsoft interface for device drivers. That means that device drivers speak to a Novell client in the same way as a Microsoft client. This does away with any incompatibility. If it works for M$, it works for Novell.

If you get rid of the M$ client for Novell, and install the latest client, then choose IPX as the protocol, it will work fine with wireless NICs.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON

Hello A.C. and thanks a lot for all your help.

I did download the latest Novell Clients (for Win 98 and XP) from their site. The install process first uninstalls any previously installed client then installs itself. The wired client did not have any trouble logging into the Novell Server. (Amazing how much more the Novell client does over the stupid M$ one.)

The Wireless client failed to detect the server, however. During the install process, I was asked to select between one of the following protocol combos :

1. TCP/IP only
2. IPX only
3. TCP/IP and IPX

I had selected 'IPX only' and this was not able to connect to the server. (Yes, I had disabled the wired NIC before enabling the Netgear 802.11G Wireless NIC. This is also properly bound to IPX as shown in the Network Properties). I will try option 3 and come back to you.

Thanks once again.

Regards,
Shankar
Chennai, India.

OK, keep us posted.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON

I found this:

<QUOTE FROM CISCO SITE>

IPX auto frame detection may not work correctly

When using Novell IPX client software, the client adapter may not allow proper detection of the IPX frame type. As a result, the Novell IPX stack is unable to log into the Novell server. The IPX stack RIP requester stops trying after 2.5 seconds, which is the default value. To work around this problem, you can change the timeout value in the registry at the following location: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NwlnkIpx\Parameters

The parameter is a REG_DWORD named RipCount. Increase the value to 20 seconds by entering hex 28 (40 decimal). The units are in half seconds.

<END QUOTE>

Also, have you made absolutely sure there is no routing taking place in the wireless access point? If it truly is a WAP and not a router then it shouldn't but you never can tell until you have a look at the configuration.

"IPX ONLY" should work just as well as "IP AND IPX". The protocol choice should make no difference to the Wireless Access POint, as already stated.