Windows 95 with IPX/SPX and Ethernet Frame
Types
By default, when Windows 95 is configured to use the Microsoft
IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol, Windows 95 will attempt to auto-detect the frame type used
for IPX/SPX on the network.
Auto frame type detection works by sending a general RIP request in each
frame format when Windows 95 starts up. Based on the responses received from routers,
Windows 95 determines the most prevalent frame type used and sets that as the default
frame type.
In a single protocol network, this process works quite well, saving the
Windows 95 user from having to find out what frame type is in use and manually setting up
the protocol details.
In a mixed frame-type environment however, it is possible for this
process to select the wrong frame type, as the selection is made purely on quantity of
packets seen during the initial detection phase, not the content. As a result, it is
possible for a Windows 95 system configured as a NetWare client to not see any NetWare
resources. Also, once the frame type has been auto-detected at startup, it will stay set
to that value until the system is re-started, when the process starts again.
It is therefore recommended that in a mixed frame-type environment that
Windows 95 is manually configured to use the correct frame type. This is done as
follows...
- Go into Control Panel and double-click on the Network icon
- Double-click on the IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol entry
- Click on the Advanced tag and select Frame Type
- Change the Frame Type value to the correct frame type (Ethernet 802.2 for
example)
- Click OK to exit from the IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol properties screen
- Click OK to exit the Network screen, and re-boot the system when prompted
for the changes to take effect.
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