Secure Design - LanLock FAQ for WFW

LanLock error with WFW

Problem: LanLock error occurs with Windows for Workgroups.

Date: December 5, 1994

(Note: Secure Design makes every effort within its means to verify this information. However, the information provided in this document is FOR YOUR INFORMATION only. Secure Design makes no explicit or implied claims to the validity of this information. Novell NetWare is a trademark of Novell Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft.)

This document talks about LanLock problems with Windows For Workgroups v3.11. The error this discusses occurs when starting an application. The LanLock llcall.dll will display the message:

"No LanLock Zones could be found. The LanLock Server may not be functioning properly."

This problem does not affect Windows 3.1 or DOS applications running in a Windows or WFW DOS shell.

The problem is not so much a problem as it is a WFW configuration error. It would seem that even if you have all the NetWare VLM/ODI drivers set to use a specific frame type ETHERNET_II, WFW will set the default transport protocol for it's own stuff to 802.3.

This seems to affect the Novell nwipxspx.dll (which llcall.dll uses) however does not seem to affect any of the nwcalls.dll or netware.drv NetWare functions. Since LanLock is one of a very few applications that use the IPX dll, the problem may have gone unnoticed. Most applications only use the function calls in netware.drv which has
such functions as bindery lookups, queue management, and connection information.

The solution:
Select the "Network Setup" application in the "network" group. A dialog will be shown with "network drivers" towards the bottom. Select the driver that your ethernet card is using (mine is SMC8000)

Double click the item "IPX/SPX Compatible transport with NetBIOS" A dialog with options including "Frame Type" will be shown. Set the frame type to ETHERNET_II or whatever you are using, and click on the "Set" button. Now click on "Ok" to return to the first dialog.

Next click on the "Drivers..." button. Make sure the IPX/SPX item is set as the Default protocol, and return to the first dialog. Lastly, click "Ok" to close the network setup application.

This will change some things in your protocol.ini and net.cfg. On my test system, the following was changed:

net.cfg (old)	(new)
Link Driver smc8000 Frame Ethernet_II Port #1 280 Mem #1 00D0000 Int #1 2	Link Driver smc8000 Frame Ethernet_II Frame Ethernet_802.2 Frame Ethernet_802.3 Frame Ethernet_SNAP Port #1 280 Mem #1 00D0000 Int #1 2
Protocol IPX Ethernet_II Bind smc8000	Protocol IPX Ethernet_II Bind smc8000

And in the protocol.ini file:

(old)	(new)
[Link Driver SMC8000] data=Frame Ethernet_802.3	[Link Driver SMC8000] data=Frame Ethernet_SNAP data=Frame Ethernet_802.2 data=Frame Ethernet_II data=Frame Ethernet_802.3
[NWLINK] BINDINGS=SMC8000	[NWLINK] BINDINGS=SMC8000 FRAME=ETHERNET_II
[NETBEUI] BINDINGS=SMC8000 LANABASE=1 SESSIONA=10	[NETBEUI] BINDINGS=SMC8000 LANABASE=1 NCBS=12

After making the changes in the "Network Setup" application, you may wish to review the specific changes to your net.cfg and protocol.ini files.

When testing LanLock, you should use the wtest.exe application. This is a small program that will display a text log of each action of the LanLock client when trying to start an application "Notepad.exe" This is very helpful in finding problems with LanLock. With the problem described above, LanLock will appear to work correctly, sending (and resending) packets to the LanLock server. The problem is that the packets are of the wrong frame type and the LanLock server will not receive them.

Further questions on this, please contact our support group at Secure Design.