Windows 3.11 / MS-DOS filesharing \ VOGONS

Windows 3.11 / MS-DOS filesharing

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First post, by RetroSpector78

Posted on 2019-09-09, 16:33

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I've setup a small network of 3 retro computers

msdos with MS Network Client 3.0
windows for workgroups 3.11
windows 98 SE

The goal is to be able to share files. I've setup all 3 computers to use NetBEUI, and I can share folders on win3.11 / win98se, and have the msdos machine consume them (using the "net use" command).

Now, I thought I would be able to do the same by using the IPX/SPX compatible transport, without NetBEUI but that does not seem to work.

When I remove NetBEUI support from all 3 machines and switch to IPX/SPX instead on all 3, the MS-DOS machine can see the windows 98SE shares fine, but the windows 3.11 is left in the dark (its shares are not seen anymore by msdos and windows 98).

Any idea what might be causing this ? I have the exact same behavior on Virtualbox when setting up the 3 machines in VMs so it has to be some kind of OS setting.

Reply 1 of 11, by Caluser2000

Posted on 2019-09-09, 21:10

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Any particular reason you want IPX/SPX? Just use NetBios. It's a lot leaner. No TCP/IP required.

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 2 of 11, by Jo22

Posted on 2019-09-09, 21:23

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I'm sorry, I don't know how to help right now or what to recommend.
Some ideas though:
a) You could try to use both protocols
b) You could try Windows for Workgroups 3.10
This one worked a bit different than 3.11, so maybe it works
c) You could use MS-DOS on the Workgroups machine for networking
There also was an "Workgroup add-on" that gave DOS WfW 3.1x connectivity

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In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

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Reply 3 of 11, by Caluser2000

Posted on 2019-09-09, 22:42

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WfW 3.1 worked exactly the same as wfw 3.1 wrt to networking but lacked as many nic drivers. The 3.11 indicated it had some half dozen or so core file updates.

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 4 of 11, by chinny22

Posted on 2019-09-10, 12:45

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Can the WFW PC access the shares on the other PC's
I've found It's not uncommon for shares to work 1 way but not the other for whatever reason.

maybe, and its a long shot, try installing WFW selecting IPX and removing NetBEUI during the setup screen, maybe windows is still trying to fall back on NetBEUI even though its removed?
You can also try setting your frame type to 802.3 rather then Auto? maybe WFW is defaulting to something else for whatever reason?

Reply 5 of 11, by RetroSpector78

Posted on 2019-09-10, 20:58

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Caluser2000 wrote:
Any particular reason you want IPX/SPX? Just use NetBios. It's a lot leaner. No TCP/IP required.

No particular reason besides curiosity. File and printer sharing should in theory work over IPX/SPX. It does between ms-dos and win98se. Don't get it why it doesn't in WfW 3.11

Reply 6 of 11, by RetroSpector78

Posted on 2019-09-10, 21:08

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chinny22 wrote:
Can the WFW PC access the shares on the other PC's I've found It's not uncommon for shares to work 1 way but not the other for w […]
Show full quote
Can the WFW PC access the shares on the other PC's
I've found It's not uncommon for shares to work 1 way but not the other for whatever reason.

maybe, and its a long shot, try installing WFW selecting IPX and removing NetBEUI during the setup screen, maybe windows is still trying to fall back on NetBEUI even though its removed?
You can also try setting your frame type to 802.3 rather then Auto? maybe WFW is defaulting to something else for whatever reason?

Tried the frame type and some other advanced settings but to no avail. Also tried re-installing. (Have the exact same thing happening in virtualbox, as well as on actual hardware)

Reply 7 of 11, by Jo22

Posted on 2019-09-11, 03:09

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RetroSpector78 wrote:
Caluser2000 wrote:
Any particular reason you want IPX/SPX? Just use NetBios. It's a lot leaner. No TCP/IP required.

No particular reason besides curiosity. File and printer sharing should in theory work over IPX/SPX. It does between ms-dos and win98se. Don't get it why it doesn't in WfW 3.11

Curiosity, that's the right route! 😎 If you're brave, you can also give AppleTalk a try. 😉 There's a driver package that works with DOS and NE2000 cards. See Re: Best way to transfer files over a network in Windows 95? .

Edit: Windows 3.11 I believe doesn't support the real "IPX/SPX" (without NetBIOS), as Novell networks do. There's a third-party driver for that, I believe. Hmm..
Anyway, Novell DOS 7.x comes with IPX/SPX support for Windows 3.x. It was called Personal Netware or so. You could give this a try for a pure IPX/SPX experience. 😉

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 8 of 11, by Caluser2000

Posted on 2019-09-17, 00:49

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Personal Netware was only really for peer to peer not really intended to integrate into a Netware network at all. NETBios is far more efficient.

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 9 of 11, by maxtherabbit

Posted on 2019-09-17, 00:55

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I seem to remember IPX/SPX in early versions of windows not working unless you specified a (matching) network ID to all clients in the protocol settings

Reply 10 of 11, by RetroSpector78

Posted on 2019-09-17, 08:21

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maxtherabbit wrote:
I seem to remember IPX/SPX in early versions of windows not working unless you specified a (matching) network ID to all clients in the protocol settings

Thanks for the tip ... but I'm not seeing a network ID option in the ipx/spx settings. (I do see frametype, max connections, max sockets, ....)

Reply 11 of 11, by maxtherabbit

Posted on 2019-09-17, 13:53

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RetroSpector78 wrote:
maxtherabbit wrote:
I seem to remember IPX/SPX in early versions of windows not working unless you specified a (matching) network ID to all clients in the protocol settings

Thanks for the tip ... but I'm not seeing a network ID option in the ipx/spx settings. (I do see frametype, max connections, max sockets, ....)

I think it was actually called "network address" or "network number" - this might help: http://techgenix.com/ipxspx/

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