Windows95.com LAN Connection Instructions

What You Need to Get Started:

A PC running Windows 95
A network adapter card connected to a running LAN
An Internet connection to your site (see your LAN administrator for information)

Special Note:

Your LAN administrator should be aware of any network connections and/or changes you are planning to make. Please contact him or her regarding your Windows 95 Internet connection before making any changes to your configuration.

Step 1: Install the Network Adapter Driver and TCP/IP Protocol (if not already installed)

Press the button, select Settings..., then Control Panel. Double-click the Network icon. You'll see a dialog box like this. Make sure the Configuration tab is selected. Both your Network Adapter (not the Dial-Up Adapter) and TCP/IP should be present. If they are, you're ready to proceed to step 2.

If you need to install TCP/IP, hit the Add... button, double-click Protocol, then select Microsoft, then TCP/IP, and hit OK. To add your adapter, hit the Add... button, double-click Adapter, then scroll down the list until you see your card's vendor on the list. Choose the correct adapter and hit . Now your Network dialog box should contain both your Adapter and TCP/IP. Select the adapter, click Properties..., Bindings, and make sure the TCP/IP and NetBEUI boxes are checked (as well as any other protocols you are using--check with your LAN administrator). You're now ready to proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Configure your Network Client and TCP/IP Protocol

Now that the drivers are installed, you need to configure them to work with Windows 95. Go to the Control Panel and double-click the Network icon. You should get a dialog box like this.

Click on the Microsoft Network Client, then click on Properties. If you plan to log onto an NT server, make sure the Log on to Windows NT domain box is checked. Otherwise, you can leave it unchecked. If you are connecting to an NT server you can also select Quick Login or Logon and Restore Network Connections Quick Login assumes that the connections you usually make when you log on are actually there, and Logon and Restore Network Connections verifies the integrity of all assigned network connections. When you are done with these settings, press the OK button.

Click on the TCP/IP protocol (highlighted in the picture) and press the Properties... button. You should get the TCP/IP Properties box.

There are six sections in this dialog box. We'll deal with them in order. In each case, you can click on the section title to get a picture of the dialog box with the correct options selected.

IP Address

Select the Specify an IP address option. Then type in your IP address, which was assigned to you by your provider or LAN administrator (when running a Novell network, this number will be in your NET.CFG file, usually in your root directory). Next, fill in the Subnet Mask text area. This number will probably be 255.255.255.0. If you were using Trumpet Winsock, these numbers are the IP address and Netmask values in the Trumpet Winsock Setup dialog box.

WINS Configuration

Select the Disable WINS Resolution option for now, you can enable it later when you want to run peer to peer networking.

Gateway

Type in the gateway that you are using on your LAN. If you were using Trumpet Winsock, this number is the Default Gateway value in the Trumpet Winsock Setup dialog box. Get this number from your LAN Administrator, or your Internet Provider (when running a Novell network, this number will be in your NET.CFG file, usually in your root directory). Once you've entered this number, press the Add button.

Bindings

By default, the Client for Microsoft Networks option is checked. Leave it alone. You may also have another client (such as Novell) loaded for your network. Make sure it is checked, as well.

Advanced

Make sure the Set this protocol to be the default protocol option is checked.

DNS Configuration

This is probably what has been giving you the most trouble. Select the Enable DNS option. This stands for Domain Name Service. Enter your user name in the Host box. In the Domain, put in the name of your provider, like abc.com or partyon.com or whatever. Your company may have its own DNS. Check with your LAN Administrator.

In the DNS Server Search Order section, put in the IP address of your provider's name server and press the Add button. If you were using Trumpet Winsock, this number is the Name server value in the Trumpet Winsock Setup dialog box.

In the Domain Suffix Search Order section, type in the domain suffix (usually the same as the domain) and press the Add button. If you were using Trumpet Winsock, this is the Domain Suffix value in the Trumpet Winsock Setup dialog box.

When you're all done setting these options, press the OK button. Then press the OK button in the Network dialog box. Windows 95 will ask you to reboot. Press Yes and run to the fridge for a quick snack. You're almost done!

Step 3: Getting Connected

Since Windows 95 automatically loads its TCP/IP stack upon startup, you should be able to fire up those 32-bit Winsock apps right away! You can get the latest Windows 95 apps from my 32-bit Shareware Collection. If you think everything is setup up correctly, but you're still having problems, try Windows95.com Internet Troubleshooting Page.

©1995 Steve Jenkins
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