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Q128008: RAS: Connecting Using IPXCP Drops Local Netware Session

Article: Q128008
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.50
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 02-FEB-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5 
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SYMPTOM
-------

When you make a call with RAS from a computer running Windows NT 3.5 and
Client Services for NetWare (CSNW), you lose your connection to the local
NetWare server. If you are running applications from the local NetWare
server, and you have not saved your work, the data is lost. You cannot
browse or reconnect to local NetWare servers as long as the RAS IPXCP
connection exists.

These symptoms occur when the computer running Windows NT and CSNW has an
IPX session to a local Novell server and you connect to the RAS server
using PPP IPX (also called IPXCP) and the remote Windows NT 3.5 LAN also
has NetWare servers.

CAUSE
=====

Two design limitations cause this problem:

By design, the list of Novell NetWare servers on a NetWare LAN is collected by
the servers and stored in their respective binderies. All NetWare client
redirectors query a single bindery to do name to address translation for servers
in that list. Therefore, a remote NetWare server accessed using RAS does not
have information in its bindery about the local NetWare LAN servers, and vice
versa.

Just like the Novell NetWare redirector, the Microsoft CSNW redirector is not
capable of connecting to disjointed NetWare networks simultaneously, because it
relies on the information in a single NetWare server bindery. For the Netware
server bindery to contain servers from the local and remote NetWare LAN, Windows
NT would need to be connected through an internal IPX bridge that routes IPX.
This feature is currently not available.

Secondly, RAS on Windows NT 3.5 tells the Windows NT CSNW redirector to
automatically switch to the remote NetWare LAN, and in effect, drop the local
NetWare connection, if an IPXCP connection was successfully negotiated between
the RAS client and server.

WORKAROUND
==========

To workaround this problem, ensure that Gateway Services for Netware is
installed on the RAS server. Instead of configuring RAS for PPP IPX (protocol
being IPXCP) configure the RAS client for NetBEUI (protocol being NetBEUICP).
Ensure the IPX option is unmarked. This will allow you to access the remote
NetWare servers while having a session to a local NetWare server.

STATUS
======

This feature is under review and will be considered for inclusion in a future
release.


Additional query words: prodnt nwcs

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT350search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS350search
Version           : 3.50

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