277 - ODI Ethernet Driver

NewDeal Technical Support Document 277

ODI ETHERNET DRIVER

How to configure and use the ODI Ethernet Driver to connect NewDeal software to the Internet over a Local Area Network

What is the EtherODI driver?

The ODI Ethernet Driver is new in Release 3 of NewDeal software. With the EtherODI driver, you can connect a workstation to the Internet through a NIC (Network Interface Card) connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) and then use Skipper, NewMail, Meeting Room and other Internet clients in NewDeal without a modem.

What you need to use the EtherODI driver

To use the EtherODI driver, you must have these things:

NewDeal Release 3. The ODI Ethernet driver will not work with previous versions of the software.
The ODI Ethernet Driver itself. The DOS name of the file is ETHERODI.GEO and it should be in the \SYSTEM\SOCKET folder on the workstation. If you do not have the driver, you can download it from the NewDeal web site.
A network server that provides an IP gateway and DNS services. The ODI Ethernet Driver has been tested with a Linux server emulating Novell Netware, with Unix servers, and with Windows NT servers.
A network interface card (NIC) that has a 16-bit driver for Novell Netware 3.xx. We have tested the driver with NE2000 and compatibles, several 3Com network cards, and several SMC network cards, among others. You must load a 16-bit DOS driver for the network card on the workstation in order to use the ODI Ethernet Driver.
LSL.COM (Link Support Layer) for Novell Netware 3.xx must be installed on the workstation. The ODI Ethernet driver has been tested with LSL.COM versions 2.11, 2.12, and 2.20.
The ODI Ethernet Driver requires that the workstation be running Novell Netware 3.xx client drivers. It will not coexist with Netware 4.x nor with Windows TCP/IP support enabled.

How to configure the workstation to use the ODI Ethernet Driver

Make sure \SYSTEM\SOCKET\ETHERODI.GEO exists.

Locate, install, and load Novell Netware Link Support Layer (LSL.COM) for Novell Netware 3.xx.

Locate, install and load the 16-bit DOS driver for the network card (NIC). For an SMC card, this might be a file named SMC8000.COM. For an NE2000 or compatible network card, the file may be named NE2000.COM.
In a typical installation of Novell client software the following modules are loaded (often from the AUTOEXEC.BAT or STARTNET.BAT file):
```
 C:\NWCLIENT\LSL.COM
 C:\NWCLIENT\3C5X9.COM  (this is the network card driver)
 C:\NWCLIENT\IPXODI.COM
 C:\NWCLIENT\VLM.EXE
 F:\LOGIN somebody
```
Only LSL.COM and the network card driver are actually required for ETHERODI.GEO to work.

Edit the NET.CFG file to add two lines (if they don't already exist) for the protocol IDs for IP and ARP, like this:
```
  PROTOCOL IP id_for_IP frame_type_for_IP_and_ARP
  PROTOCOL ARP id_for_ARP frame_type_for_IP_and_ARP
```
In a typical installation, the NET.CFG file is located in C:\NWCLIENT. The ID for IP is usually 0x800 and that for APR is usually 0x806, unless your LAN is configured differently. The EtherODI driver doesn't assume any IDs for the two protocols, it just uses the ones specified in NET.CFG.
The frame type for IP and ARP must be the same (either Ethernet_II or Ethernet_Snap). For example, on our testing network, Ethernet II frame type is used. Thus our NET.CFG for an SMC NIC looks like this:
```
Link Driver SMC8000
    FRAME ETHERNET_II
    PROTOCOL IP 800 ETHERNET_II
    PROTOCOL ARP 806 ETHERNET_II
```
If more than one frame type in your LAN supports IP, the ODI Ethernet Driver will use the first one listed in NET.CFG.

Edit the GEOS.INI file. The GEOS.INI file is located in the directory where you installed NewDeal.

Add these keys to your GEOS.INI, if they don't already exist. You must modify the GEOS.INI by hand. Preferences cannot configure the GEOS.INI to use the ODI Ethernet Driver. You must define a static IP address (ipaddr) and provide at least one DNS server (dns1). The other keys under accessPoint0001 can be left as 0.0.0.0 on most computers.

[socket]
domains = {
tcpip
}

[resolver]
sbelt = {}
cacheSize = 100
errorCount = 0

[tcpip]
driver = TCP/IP Driver
driverType = 0
link = ODI Ethernet Driver
linkDomain = ODI Ethernet

[accpnt]
prevID = 4
contents = {
00010001
}

[accessPoint0001] 
;Change these values to the ones for your net.
;You must define a static ip address and at 
;least one domain name server (dns1). The other
;keys can be left as 0.0.0.0 on most networks.
ipaddr = 0.0.0.0
ipgate = 0.0.0.0
ipmask = 0.0.0.0
dns1 = 0.0.0.0
dns2 = 0.0.0.0

When the configuration of the workstation is complete, reboot to load the drivers and launch NewDeal. The Internet client applications should automatically find and use the Internet connection over the LAN.

3Com 32-bit NIC

If you're using a 3Com EtherLink XL network card (or any 32bit 3Com card that uses the 3C90X driver), you must add the line NO_PIPELINE to your NET.CFG file. Your NET.CFG file would look something like this:

Link Driver 3C90X
    NO_PIPELINE

    FRAME ETHERNET_II
    PROTOCOL IP 800 ETHERNET_II
    PROTOCOL ARP 806 ETHERNET_II

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Last Modified 15 Feb 1999