Setting up TCP/IP in Windows for Workgroups

#1 of a series of notes on how to do things on the UNM / EPS network by Jim Connolly

(Revision date: 31-Oct-97)

Note added by Jim Connolly 10/8/96: E&PS department users are encouraged to upgrade to Windows 95 in which 32-bit TCP/IP is part of the package. For those who are sticking with WFWG, the material in this document will work fine.

Microsoft has produced a TCP/IP implementation which they call "Wolverine" which integrates directly into Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (WFW). The latest version contains files dated 11/21/94. This update fixes a few significant bugs but is essentially the same as the original official release of 8/94.

The chief advantage of this TCP/IP is that it is a "Winsock-compliant" implementation which gives you access to the best software available to communicate over the Internet, including Email clients, FTP clients, FTP servers, Worldwide Web browsers, and improved Telnet packages. Much of this software is free. It also eliminates the need for packet drivers, and other memory-resident DOS programs which can slow performance and conflict with things like mouse drivers. Being integrated into the Windows operating system, it is also quite fast.

It comes with barebones implementations of Telnet and FTP, and supports automatic installation of almost any network card (including the 3Com cards most of us have). If you are a legitimate legal user of Windows for Workgroups 3.11, there is no charge for this software. It is available from Microsoft over the internet at FTP.MICROSOFT.COM, or give me a diskette and I'll make you a copy. The basic protocol is very good, but there are Freeware implementations of FTP and Telnet that are much better than the included utilities. I have a number of good ones in my local FTP server (OPEN epsjrc.unm.edu with FTP once you are setup) and GET the README.TXT file for information about what is available.

To instll the software, you run the WFW network setup program and install a new protocol from diskette. The Windows help file which comes with the protocol software (MTCPIP32.HLP) contains detailed instructions concerning installation, and may be viewed using the WINHELP program (just double click on MTCPIP32.HLP in file manager). It is probably advisable to print a few of the pages in the installation section to refer to as you go through the installation process.

Before Installing TCP/IP, your network card needs to be installed and configured properly. This is done through the network setup program which should be available to you in WFW. For most cards (including the 3COM versions) this process is pretty automatic, but if you are upgrading from an earlier Windows version, you need to make sure all of your old network drivers have been removed from your system (or deactivated by placing a REM in front of them in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files). If you have DEC Pathworks installed under an earlier version of Windows, these changes are not trivial and involve registering software licensing. Make sure you consult with someone who is experienced in Pathworks (i.e., Mark Miller) before you jump into this.
Note that only 3 protocols may be active simultaneously under WFW. If you already have 3 active, you will need to deactivate one of them using the network setup option of Winsetup (WFW should automatically setup an Icon in a Network group in Program Manager to do this). For most installations in the EPS Department, you will want to have Microsoft NetBEUI, Pathworks DecNET, and TCP/IP-32 (which you are installing). Microsoft NetBEUI should be your default protocol. Anything "removed" is really just deactivated and may be reactivated at a later time if needed.

Addresses You Need to Know. To make TCP/IP function and talk to the Internet, you need to tell the software some things upon installation. These items apply only to the network in the EPS building:

Your IP Address: (Your unique network address. For EPS users the format should be 129.24.168.### where ### is your unique number. Get it from Mark Miller or whoever has the jobs of distributing them to users if you don't already know it. You may also request an IP address from CIRT, but it is much faster to get it locally.)

Our Subnet Mask: 255.255.248.0

The IP Address of the Local Gateway: 129.24.168.1

DNS Locations:
IP Address of Primary Domain Name System (DNS): 129.24.8.1
(Note: this is Ariel, UNM's chief IP machine)
IP Address of Secondary Domain Name System (DNS): 129.24.8.4
(Note: Second and Third DNS addresses are optional, and are only needed if the primary is not functioning for some reason. The ones given are in the order suggested by CIRT. This is Deimos, another dedicated IP machine)
IP Address of Third Domain Name System (DNS): 129.24.8.45
(Note: This is Carina, another UNIX machine.)

After Installing: As you close the setup program, you will be told that some ".INI" (and perhaps some other) files have been changed and that for the changes to take effect you will need to either reboot the system or restart Windows. Before you click on the appropriate box to do this, write down the names of the files changed and the names that the "old" filenames were renamed to. That way if anything goes seriously wrong (in my experience, this is not something which is likely to happen), you will be able to restore your system to where it was prior to the changes.
After your system reboots, your TCP/IP should work. Test it out by starting Telnet and logging into your CIRT account. Try out FTP by logging into an anonymous FTP server. UNM's (pretty meager stuff) is ftp.unm.com. The standard protocol for logging in anonymously is to enter anonymous as your username and enter your email address as your password. Open ftp.cdrom.com to explore a truly massive shareware/freeware resource. If during "working" hours Monday through Thursday, see what's on mine (OPEN epsjrc.unm.edu).