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Configure the IPeXchange Client Software

Configure the IPeXchange Client Software

Configure the IPeXchange Client Software

This chapter describes how to install the IPeXchange client software on a personal computer or workstation. This chapter contains the following sections:


Prerequisites for Installation

To install the IPeXchange client software, you need the following:

In addition, to ensure smooth installation and startup on a Windows for Workgroups operating system, check the IPX/SPX version numbers and compatibility of configured frame types before installing the IPeXchange client software.


Check IPX/SPX Version Numbers

The IPeXchange client relies on the Novell IPX/SPX components and versions listed in Table 3-1.

Table 3-1 : Required Versions of IPX/SPX Components

Component Version Applicable Operating System Where Located
IPXODI 3.0 or later Windows 3.1 Typically installed in \nwclient
LSL 2.12 or later Windows 3.1 nwclient installed in \nwclient
NWIPXSPX.DLL 4.10 or later Windows 3.1 Typically installed in \windows or \windows\system
VIPX.386 1.19 or later Windows 3.1 windows installed in \windows or \windows\system

To determine the version numbers of your files, you can download the Novell Technical Support (NTS) Windows Diagnostics tool, ntswd.exe. This tool is in a self-extracting file named windr2.exe located at Novell's FTP site, ftp.novell.com/pub/netwire/novfiles/.

If your installed Novell files are outdated, you can download new files from NetWire, CompuServe, or ftp.novell.com.


Checking Windows for Workgroups Frame Types

On Windows for Workgroups computers, the NWLINK component supplied by Microsoft must interoperate with the IPX/SPX component supplied by Novell. These components use different configuration files, but both configuration files must specify the same frame type. Mismatched frame types are a common source of problems.

To ensure that the IPX/SPX frame type and the NWLINK frame type are set to the same value, following these steps:

Step 1 Use a text editor to open the file net.cfg.

Step 2 Find one or more of the following lines, which configure the IPX/SPX frame type. If there are no similar lines, type in the line that specifies the Ethernet frame type used on your network.


Frame Ethernet_802.3
Frame Ethernet_802.2
Frame Ethernet_II
Frame Ethernet_SNAP

Step 3 Immediately below the lines displayed in Step 2, find one or more of the following lines. If the line is missing, type in the line that specifies the IPX frame type used on your network:


Protocol IPX 0 Ethernet_802.3
Protocol IPX E0 Ethernet_802.2
Protocol IPX 8137 Ethernet_II
Protocol IPX 8137 Ethernet_SNAP

Step 4 Note the values you typed in Step 2 and Step 3, and close the file.

Step 5 Open the file protocol.ini. This is the file in which NWLINK is configured. If this file does not exist, create it in the Windows directory.

Step 6 Find the section labeled [NWLINK]. If there is no NWLINK section, create this section header.

Step 7 If there is a line in the NWLINK section starting with FRAME=, make sure that it specifies the same frame type that you noted in the NET.CFG file in Step 2. (Note that the format of the lines differs slightly, as shown in Table 3-2.) If the frame types are the same, close the file, exit the text editor, and proceed to the next section, "Run the Setup Program."

Step 8 If there is no line starting with FRAME=, or if the frame type specified does not match the frame type in net.cfg, add the frame type to protocol.ini using the format shown in Table 3-2.

Step 9 Close the protocol.ini file and exit the text editor.

Table 3-2 : NET.CFG and PROTOCOL.INI Frame Formats

NET.CFG Format PROTOCOL.INI Format
Protocol IPX 0 Ethernet_802.3 FRAME=ETHERNET_802.3
Protocol IPX E0 Ethernet_802.2 FRAME=ETHERNET_802.2
Protocol IPX 8137 Ethernet_II FRAME=ETHERNET_II
Protocol IPX 8137 Ethernet_SNAP FRAME=ETHERNET_SNAP


Run the Setup Program

From the Windows File Manager, start the installation of the IPeXchange client software: 

A:SETUP

The setup program asks you to select the setup program you want to use:

Timesaver To avoid installing the IPeXchange client files on every computer, install them on the NetWare file server. Place the files in a public folder that is on the search path, such as F:\public.


Run Express Setup

If you choose Express Setup, the Setup program takes the following actions:

Because the IPeXchange client software requires a customized winsock.dll file, there must be only one file with that name. Allow the Setup program to back up the existing winsock.dll files, or exit from Setup.

device=vipx.386
TimerCriticalSection=10000

  • Adds the following section to the file:

[vipx]
VipxMappingPages=20
VipxFailOverSizedPackets=ON 






[Internet Junction Client]        
Preferred Gateway=Any






The IPeXchange client software first tries to connect the client to the preferred gateway. The default value, Any, allows the software to automatically pick a gateway from among those available. You can change this value later, as described in the chapter "Advanced Configuration of the IPXchange Gateway."















Run Custom Setup


If you choose Custom Setup, the Setup program takes the following actions:









Because the IPeXchange client software requires a customized winsock.dll file, there must be only one file with that name. Allow the Setup program to back up the existing winsock.dll files, or exit from Setup.


















device=vipx.386






TimerCriticalSection=10000



    

  • 

Adds the following section to the file:









[vipx]






VipxMappingPages=20






VipxFailOverSizedPackets=ON















The IPeXchange client software first tries to connect the client to the preferred gateway. The default value, Any, allows the software to automatically pick a gateway from among those available. You can change this value later, as described in the section "Advanced Configuration of the IPeXchange Client."












[Internet Junction Client]        
Preferred Gateway=gateway-name










   Test Connectivity to the Gateway    


After your computer has rebooted, start the IPeXchange client by double-clicking its icon. 

The window shown in Figure 3-1 appears, displaying diagnostic information. 

 Figure 3-1  :    Client Status Window    
s4742.gif


When the client connects to a gateway, a message appears identifying it. For example, if the client connects to the gateway IPeX-gateway, the following message is displayed:


Client Connected to IPeX-gateway        






   Use the IPeXchange Client    


Once you have installed the IPeXchange client software and confirmed that the IPeXchange client and gateway work together successfully, you can install and run any of the applications listed in the appendix "Applications Certified for Use with the IPeXchange Gateway," or other Winsock 1.1--compliant applications. 


Once the IPeXchange client software is running, you do not usually need to start or stop it explicitly. When any Winsock 1.1--compatible application starts, the IPeXchange client automatically starts and connects to a gateway on behalf of the application. When applications shut down and the client is idle, the IPeXchange client automatically exits. 

See the section "Advanced Configuration of the IPeXchange Client" for information about additional software features.




   Advanced Configuration of the IPeXchange Client    


This section describes the following advanced configuration procedures for the IPeXchange client. You do not need to perform these procedures unless you have multiple gateways.









Change a Client's Preferred Gateway


If your site has multiple gateways, the IPeXchange client software performs automatic load balancing by picking a gateway from among those available. However, you can specify a client's preferred gateway---the gateway to which the client tries to connect at startup. Specifying preferred gateways can be useful for dividing the user community---for example, for administrative or accounting purposes. If the preferred gateway is unavailable, the client connects to any available gateway. 

To specify a preferred gateway, do one of the following:









Edit the win.ini File


To edit the win.ini file, perform the following steps: 

 Step 1  Use a text editor to open the win.ini file. 


 Step 2  Look for a section like the following:









[Internet Junction Client]






Preferred Gateway = Any





To specify a gateway, change the value after the equal sign (=) to the name of the gateway. 






 Step 3  Close the file and reboot the computer.





Modify the Command Line or Target Property


If a Windows icon represents an executable program, its Properties window includes information that tells Windows how to start the program. This information is called the command line property in Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups and the target property in Windows 95. 

The following command line or target property starts ipexclnt.exe:


ipexclnt         [-g gateway-name]



gateway-name specifies the client's preferred IJ gateway.

For example, the following property causes the client to try to connect with the gateway boojum:


        ipexclnt -g boojum



If boojum is unavailable, the client connects to any available gateway.

To change the preferred gateway, edit the properties of the IPeXchange item. When the IPeXchange client starts, it writes gateway-name into the win.ini file as the new value for the preferred gateway. 





Change a Client's Current Gateway


Sometimes a client might want to disconnect from one gateway and connect to another. For instance, your network could be configured so that one gateway provides Internet access and another provides internal TCP/IP access, and a client might want to switch between the two. 

The Gateways menu in the IPeXchange client window displays a list of known gateways. A check mark indicates the gateway to which the client is currently connected. The client software periodically refreshes the list, adding names as gateway SAP messages arrive, and removing the names of servers that stop sending SAP messages.

To change a client's current gateway, perform the following steps:

 Step 1  Close any Internet or TCP/IP client applications that are running.


 Step 2  Open the IPeXchange window by double-clicking on its icon.


 Step 3  Pull down the Gateways menu and click on the name of the gateway that you want to connect to. 


When a client changes the current gateway, the new gateway automatically becomes the preferred gateway. The client software writes the gateway name into the WIN.INI file and attempts to connect to that gateway the next time it starts. 




Display a Client's Status 


The IPeXchange window for the IPeXchange client includes a Status menu item.This option provides information about the client or gateway software and its current connections. 

When you first select the Status menu item, the display is static---status appears on the screen once and does not refresh itself. 

Click again on the Status menu item to start a low-level tracing program that shows the transmission of SAP messages and routing information packet (RIP) messages. Generating a trace can be helpful if you need to troubleshoot a problem. 

To stop the trace program, click again on the Status menu item. An updated static display appears.





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