PicLan Version 2.0.0.17 Release Announcement

PicLan Version 2.0.0.17 is currently being released for all platforms and clients

PicLan version 2.0.0.17 is currently being released for all platforms and clients.  This release includes a number of signifigant bug fixes and new features.  Because this is a signifigant release, most users should consider upgrading to this release.  Also because this is a signifigant release, it currently has BETA status, so users should excercise caution for the next several weeks.

This release consolidates a number of interim releases and features including:

• Native SOFTRAP aborts on Mentor PRO during PL-LOAD
• PCI adapter TP full/half duplex interface programming
• PCI adapter support for Fast Ethernet
• Windows DSG printing functions with Win95 and WinNT
• Major additions to Windows 95 and Windows NT client support:
• Windows NT Winsock usage when IPX routing is loaded
• Windows 95/NT Winsock usage when 3rd-party windows sockets DLLs are loaded.
• This fixes past problems with NetWare's IPX/IP Gateway on Win95

Bug Fixes

PCI Network Adapters

A problem with the PCI driver interface that programs 21041 network adapters with a half-duplex twisted-pair interface has been corrected. This bug would force users to run 21041 adapters in full-duplex mode, which in turn would create an excessive number of network collisions reducing network performance and in some cased impacting on connection reliability.

Win32 Printing

The method of implementing the WIN printing path inside of the Windows DSG has been re-implemented.  This new code should make printing through the Windows DSG more reliable and versatile.  In addition, the WIN printer paths can now specify printer names, network paths, or local device names.

Mentor PRO

This bug has been fixed in 2.0.0.10.  It appears this is a conflict between a PicLan function and the system's BIOS.  The PicLan function has been modified to avoid the problem.

GP Fault in PLTW.EXE

New Features

Additional PCI Support

For Pick hosts that support PCI adapters, a number of new adapters have been officially supported and tested.  The list of PCI adapters now includes:

• Generic 21040 adapters
• Compex has been tested at MSC
• Generic 21041 adapters
• Compex and Linksys have been tested at MSC
• SMC and Kingston have been tested in the field with previous PicLan releases.
• Generic 21140 adapters
• Compex and Linksys have been tested at MSC
• Compex 21143 adapters
• Compex FreedomLine 100 has been tested at MSC

Win32 DSG

PicLan now includes a 32-bit executable as a Windows DOS Services Gateway. This new program has the following enhanced features:

• Support for long file names
• Support for re-direction to Windows print queues either by printer name, device name, or network path.

Print Job PRE and POST Control Records

These functions allow the system administrator to setup a print queue to automatically setup a printer configuration without changing the jobs that generate the print files themselves.  This is intended so that you can create print queues that automatically place a printer in landscape mode, or automatically setup a font size.

SERVER-PROCESS Spooler Poll-Time Setting

You can now set the delay time between SERVER-PROCESS spooler polls to any value from 10 to 60 seconds.  While this is not really necessary for most sites, enough people asked for it to justify it's inclusion. The PL-KICK-SERVER command remains the preferred method of reducing the delay in network printing.

Windows Socket Usage Changes for Win32

• You can now choose the IPX interface API that you wish to use
• WSOCK32.DLL - Winsock version 1.1 interface from Microsoft
• WS2_32.DLL - Winsock version 2 interface from Microsoft
• NWSIPX32.DLL - 32-bit IPX interface from Novell
• The SAP (Service Advertising Socket) will now only be opened if the client is configured as a DSG
• If the SAP socket fails to open, the client will still function, although the DSG may not advertise.
• You can select to advertise IPX services via Winsock 2 or NWSIPX API calls instead of having PicLan manually broadcast SAP packets.

The main limitations that these changes address are:

• You can now use the NetWare IPX/IP and IP/IP gateway on Windows 95 by using the NWSIPX32.DLL instead of Winsock.
• You can now run the PicLan client and DSG on a Windows NT system that is routing IPX packets or has RRAS (routing and RAS) loaded.

• Windows 95
• If you have Client32 from Novell loaded, choose the NWSIPX option. This option uses Novell interfaces to talk to IPX instead of Microsoft's.
• If you are running the NetWare IPX/IP or IP/IP Gateway, then you must run NWSIPX.  Winsock 1.1 will not function.
• Winsock 1.1 also works with Client32 loaded provided that you are not using the IPX/IP Gateway.
• If you do not have Client32 from Novell loaded, choose the Winsock 1.1 option.
• Winsock 2 is not available with Windows 95.  It may be available in Windows 98.
• Windows NT
• Try to use Winsock 2 if possible
• If you are running a DSG, try to use the API calls instead of SAP. This appears to be more compatible with multi-homing and SAP router services.
• The API calls have a 5-15 second delay built into them, so the DSG will not show up on the rest of the network for a short period of time.
• If the DSG is not visible to the network, try Winsock 2 SAP or NWSIPX (if the InternetWare C for Windows NT is loaded)
• You should not need to use Winsock 1.1 as Winsock 2 is always available on Windows NT 4.0.
• If you are loading onto Windows NT 3.51, you might get PicLan to work with Winsock 1.1.  This platform is theoretically possible, but no longer supported by Modular Software.