Copyright: Copyright (c) 1997 J. W. Hance


Contents
 	NetSwitcher™ for Windows 95/NT

Introduction

Installation

Creating Setup Configurations

Loading Setup Configurations

Licensing Netswitcher

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

About the Author


Introduction

NetSwitcher™ for Windows 95/NT

What is NetSwitcher™?

NetSwitcher™ is a utility which addresses a problem in Windows 95/NT which afflicts users who need to connect to more than one network.  For example, if you regularly work in two different locations and use a notebook computer with an Ethernet card, you may need to have different IP addresses, netmasks, gateways, hostname, etc…  Microsoft’s Network Control Panel allows you to change these but it is a manual, time consuming, and error prone process.  NetSwitcher™ solves this problem by “memorizing” your networking setups and allowing you to restore them when you need to change hookups.  If your new setup requires a reboot, NetSwitcher™ will prompt you to reboot.  If, however, a reboot is not required, then unlike the Network Control Panel, no reboot will be requested.  Remember that if a reboot is required it is because Windows requires the reboot before the changes you made are effective.  Please direct any complaints about this to Microsoft directly.

NetSwitcher™ also solves a problem with Microsoft’s Dial-Up Networking utility in Windows 95.  If you have more than one ISP (Internet Service Provider) where you have to use a different domain name server (DNS) for each one, then NetSwitcher™ will change this part of your setup for you without requiring a reboot.  You may say, “Oh, the Dial-Up Networking connection setup menu has a place for me to specify the DNS address for each connection.  Why can’t I just use that?”  Well, you can use that, but it doesn’t work if you have a DNS server configured in the NETWORK Control Panel.  So you need to change your Network Control Panel settings each time you want to use a different ISP, and do a reboot for it to take effect.  Or, you can use NetSwitcher™ to change this setting for you.  If you don’t use a LAN based DNS server, then you can leave the DNS server in the NETWORK Control Panel blank and the Dial-Up Networking utility will work for you.

NetSwitcher™ is a SHAREWARE program and is Copyright © 1996 by J. W. Hance. It is distributed freely for your evaluation.  You are granted a 10 day temporary license so that you may evaluate NetSwitcher™ in your environment.  After that time, the evaluation license expires and you then have two choices.

1.	You may discontinue using NetSwitcher™ and you are under no further obligation.

2.	You may license NetSwitcher™ by paying the license fee.


Topics
Installation

System Requirements

NetSwitcher™ runs only under Window 95 and NT and only on computers which can run Windows 95 or NT.   To be useful, some sort of network adapter must be present. In Windows 95, the Dial Up Adapter can be the one network adapter.  Under Windows NT, there must be at least one hardware network adapter.

NetSwitcher™ assumes that you are using Microsoft’s TCP/IP stack which is included with Windows 95 or NT.  It is unlikely that NetSwitcher™ with work with third party stacks like Trumpet, NetManage, Distinct, and others. NetSwitcher™ is a true 32-bit executable program and was built using Microsoft Visual C++ V4.2 and Microsoft Foundation Classes V4.2.

Installation of NetSwitcher™ is quick and easy.  Since you are reading this HELP file, you have obviously downloaded the distribution archive and unpacked it.  NetSwitcher™ should be installed in a directory of it’s own and all of the files in the distribution archive should be placed in the same directory as the executable.  If you did not do it this way, make it so now.

When you run NetSwitcher™ for the first time, it must register the file type “.nsw” with Windows as a data file for the NetSwitcher.Exe application.  If you later move NetSwitcher™, you will need to run NetSwitcher.Exe from the command shell with the “-install” switch.  This will re-register the “.nsw” file type with the new executable file location.

To reinstall NetSwticher™ open a command shell, set your working directory to the directory where NetSwitcher™ lives and type:

Example: C:\NETSW>netsw -install

Note that this is ONLY necessary if you have moved NetSwitcher™ to a new location.

Making your first setup file is as simple as this:

1. In the dropdown dialog box named “Network Adapter” select one of your network adapters.  If there is only one, choose it.  If you have no adapters listed then you cannot use NetSwitcher™.  You should see the currently configured parameters displayed in the various fields.

2. Now click the SAVE button.  This will display a FILE SAVE dialog navigator.  Save this in a file with a name of your choosing.  Don’t put an extension other than “.nsw” on the file you save or NetSwitcher™ will not recognize it as one of it’s data files.

3. You have now saved your current setup.


Topics
Creating Setup Configurations

There are two basic ways to create setup configuration (or “.nsw” files) for NetSwitcher™:

Method One - “Setup and Save”

1. Using this method you go through the manual process of setting each value the way you want it in the Networking Control Panel.  I recommend this method  at the beginning as it makes sure that you have each value set just the way you want it.

2. After you have changed your setup, you must reboot Windows.

3. After rebooting, you can now run NetSwitcher™.  Choose your network adapter from the menu dropdown box and choose SAVE.  Be sure you save it under a different filename from any previously saved setups unless you are wanting to replace that setup.  Each setup is stored in it’s own file.

4. Repeat the steps 1-3 above until you have created all the setups you need.

Method Two - “Copy and Edit”

1. The setup files (i.e. “.nsw” files) are ASCII files and can be edited with any text editor.  For example, you could edit one of your saved setups in the Windows NOTEPAD editor.  Following is what one of the setup files looks like:

#

# NetSwitcher Setup File

#

NETSWITCHER_FILE_VERSION '1.0'

Adapter ‘Dial-Up Adapter’

#AutoApply

#AutoReboot

IPAddress ‘123.4.5.6’

IPMask ‘255.255.255.0’

DefaultGateway ‘’

NameServer ‘123.4.5.10’

HostName ‘joebob’

Domain ‘supernet.com’

SearchList ‘’

LMHostFile ‘C:\WINDOWS\lmhosts’

NameServer1 ‘’

NameServer2 ‘’

#ScopeID

EnableDNS ‘1’

NodeType ‘1’

ComputerName ‘MY COMPUTER’

Workgroup ‘MY WORKGROUP’

NTLogon ‘NO’

NTDomain ‘MY NT SERVER’

IpxFrame ‘4’

#DHCPWINS

NODHCPWINS

#RunCommand ‘C:\MYPROGRAM\RUNME -ANY ARGUMENTS /GO HERE’

#

# End of NetSwitcher Setup File

#

All you need to do is make the changes you want to the different setup values and save this out as a replacement for the current setup file, or do a SAVE AS to create a new setup file.  If you leave the value BLANK after the setup directive, it will be set to BLANK.  If you comment out the line (with a “#” in the first column, that setup parameter will not be changed from it’s current value.

Here is a description of each of the configuration file directives:

(Directives marked with a “*” will require a reboot after they are changed)

NETSWITCHER_FILE_VERSION

Don’t mess with this one.  If it’s wrong or different, NetSwitcher™ will not install this setup file.

Adapter

This is the name of the adapter to apply the setup to.  If this line is not included in the setup file, then one of the adapters must be selected from the Network Adapter combobox.

AutoApply

If this line is present (and uncommented) NetSwitcher™ will automatically (i.e. without user intervention) apply the setup as specified in the file being loaded.  If there is an error in the file, however, the AutoApply will be ignored.  The NetSwitcher™ window will not appear if a “.nsw” file containing AutoApply is double-clicked or dropped onto the NetSwitcher™ icon. If a reboot is reguired, NetSwitcher™ will still prompt you for a reboot.

AutoApply

If this line is present (and uncommented) NetSwitcher™ will automatically (i.e. without user intervention) reboot the computer (if necessary) after applying the new setup.

IPAddress*

This is the IP address you want to set for the network adapter in the A.B.C.D notation.  Be sure it is a legal TCP/IP address.  Remember that each of the A, B, C, & D number must be between 0 and 255.  If you set the address to 0.0.0.0, that tells the network adapter to get it’s address from the host (i.e. server).  This is most commonly used with the Dial-Up adapter running PPP (point-to-point protocol) or those network running a DHCP server.

IPMask*

This is the Netmask to setup for the adapter.  Please don’t guess what this should be.  Ask your network administrator or ISP.  It will often be 255.255.255.0 but not always.  If it’s wrong you could cause problems on your segment of the network.

DefaultGateway*

This is the IP address of your router or gateway machine.  In your environment, you may not have or need one, so it might be blank.  If you are inside a company and are trying to get out to the internet, you probably will have to set this.  If you are using Dial-Up with PPP, you usually don’t have to set this.

NameServer

This is the IP address of your DNS nameserver or nameservers.  There can be more than one but there don’t have to be any if you enter all of the hosts your want to talk to into your LMHOSTS file or just use their IP address. For a single nameserver it will just be an IP address like 123.1.2.3.  For multiple, it will be a comma separated list (without spaces) like 123.1.2.3,123.2.3.4,123.4.5.6. If you don’t know the IP address of your nameserver, ask your network administrator or ISP.

HostName

This is your hostname but without your domain information.  So if your PC is mypc.mycompany.com, HostName would be set to mypc.

Domain

This is your domain, but without your hostname.  So if your PC is mypc.mycompany.com, Domain would be set to mycompany.com.

SearchList

This is the default domain which is appended to hostnames which do not have a domain name before trying to look them up in the DNS database.  For example, if you have set SearchList to mycompany.com, then if you try to telnet to xyz, it will default to xyz.mycompany.com.  This parameter is commonly used to keep you from having to type in the full domain name for your local hosts.  There can be more than one domain in the SearchList, separate the different domain names with a comma.

LMHostFile

The file LMHOSTS is normally found in \WINDOWS\LMHOSTS and is where you can manually enter IP addresses of hosts which are not in the DNS database of your DNS server or if you don’t use a DNS server but don’t want to remember the IP addresses all the time.  If you want to have a different LMHOSTS file for each setup, then you can change which one is used by setting this one to a different pathname.  Be sure to use the full file system pathname for this parameter.

NameServer1 & NameServer2

These are used by the WINS configuration.  I don’t use WINS, don’t know what it is or have any way of testing it but some have asked for this support.  Use at your own peril!  Please EMAIL me if I don’t have this right.

ScopeID

This is related to the WINS setup.  Some sort of name goes here which allows your computer to “see” other computers in the same scope.

EnableDNS

This is set to 1 to enable the DNS lookup for the specified nameserver and set to 0 to disable DNS lookups.

NodeType

If you configure and enable WINS, NodeType should be set to 8.  Otherwise, set it to 1.

For those who want more information about what this does, following is an excerpt from Microsoft Windows NT documentation about the use of the NodeType entry:

NetBIOS over TCP/IP is the session-layer network service that performs

name-to-IP address mapping for name resolution. This section describes

the modes of NetBIOS over TCP/IP, as defined in RFCs 1001 and 1002 to

specify how NetBIOS should be implemented over TCP/IP.

The modes of NetBIOS over TCP/IP define how network resources are

identified and accessed. The two most important aspects of the related

naming activities are registration and resolution. Registration is the

process used to acquire a unique name for each node (computer system)

on the network. A computer typically registers itself when it starts.

Resolution is the process used to determine the specific address for a

computer name.

The NetBIOS over TCP/IP modes include the following:

b-node (1), which uses broadcasts to resolve names

p-node (2), which uses point-to-point communications with a name

            server to resolve names

m-node (4), which uses b-node first (broadcasts), then p-node (name

            queries) if the broadcast fails to resolve a name

h-node (8), which uses p-node first for name queries, then b-node if

            the name service is unavailable or if the name is not

            registered in the WINS database

For DHCP users on a Windows NT network, the node type is assigned by

the DHCP server. When WINS servers are in place on the network,

NetBIOS over TCP/IP resolves names on a client computer by

communicating with the WINS server. When WINS servers are not in

place, NetBIOS over TCP/IP uses b-node broadcasts to resolve names.

NetBIOS over TCP/IP in Windows NT can also use LMHOSTS files and DNS

for name resolution, depending on how TCP/IP is configured on a

particular computer. In Windows NT 3.5, the NETBT.SYS module provides

the NetBIOS over TCP/IP functionality that supports name registration

and resolution modes.

Windows NT version 3.5 supports all of the NetBIOS over TCP/IP modes

described in the following sections. NetBIOS over TCP/IP is also used

with the LAN Manager 2.x Server message protocol.

B-Node

The b-node mode uses broadcasts for name registration and resolution.

That is, if NT_PC1 wants to communicate with NT_PC2 it will broadcast

to all machines that it is looking for NT_PC2 and then wait a

specified time for NT_PC2 to respond. B-node has two major problems:

In a large environment, it loads the network with broadcasts.

Routers do not forward broadcasts, so computers that are on

opposite sides of a router will never hear the requests.

P-Node

The p-node mode addresses the issues that b-node does not solve. In a

p-node environment, computers neither create nor respond to

broadcasts. All computers register themselves with the WINS server,

which is a NetBIOS Name Server (NBNS) with enhancements. The WINS

server is responsible for knowing computer names and addresses and for

ensuring no duplicate names exist on the network. All computers must

be configured to know the address of the WINS server.

In this environment, when NT_PC1 wants to communicate with NT_PC2, it

queries the WINS server for the address of NT_PC2. When NT_PC1 gets

the appropriate address from the WINS server, it goes directly to

NT_PC2 without broadcasting. Because the name queries go directly to

the WINS server, p-node avoids loading the network with broadcasts.

Because broadcasts are not used and because the address is received

directly, computers can span routers.

The most significant problems with p-node are the following:

All computers must be configured to know the address of the WINS

server (although this is typically configured via DHCP)

If for any reason the WINS server is down, computers that rely on

the WINS server to resolve addresses cannot get to any other systems

on the network, even if they are on the local network

M-Node

The m-node mode was created primarily to solve the problems associated

with b-node and p-node. This mode uses a combination of b-node and

p-node. In an m-node environment, a computer first attempts

registration and resolution using b-node. If that is successful, it

then switches to the p-node. Because this uses b-node first, it does

not solve the problem of generating broadcast traffic on the network.

However, m-node can cross routers. Also, because b-node is always

tried first, computers on the same side of a router continue to

operate as usual if the WINS server is down.

M-node uses broadcasts for performance optimization, because in most

environments local resources are used more frequently than remote

resources. Also, in a Windows NT network, m-node can cause problems

with NetLogon in routed environments.

H-Node

The h-node mode, which is currently in RFC draft form, is also a

combination of b-node and p-node that uses broadcasts as a last

effort. Because p-node is used first, no broadcasts are generated if

the WINS server is running, and computers can span routers. If the

WINS server is down, b-node is used, so computers on the same side of

a router continue to operate as usual.

The h-node mode does more than change the order for using b-node and

p-node. If the WINS server is down so that local broadcasts (b-node)

must be used, the computer will continue to poll the WINS server. As

soon as the WINS server can be reached again, the system switches back

to p-node. Also, optionally on a Windows network, h-node can be

configured to use LMHOSTS after broadcast name resolution fails.

The h-node mode solves the most significant problems associated with

broadcasts and operating in a routed environment. For Microsoft TCP/IP

users who configure TCP/IP manually, h-node is used by default, unless

the user does not specify addresses for WINS servers when configuring

TCP/IP.

B-Node with LMHOSTS and Combinations

Another variation is also used in Microsoft networks to span routers

without a WINS server and p-node mode. In this mode, b-node uses a

list of computers and addresses stored in an LMHOSTS file. If a b-node

attempt fails, the system looks in LMHOSTS to find a name and then

uses the associated address to cross the router. However, each

computer must have this list, which creates an administrative burden

in maintaining and distributing the list. Both Windows for Workgroups

3.11 and LAN Manager 2.x used such a modified b-node system. Windows

NT uses this method if WINS servers are not used on the network. In

Windows NT, some extensions have been added to this file to make it

easier to manage (as described in Chapter 6, "Setting Up LMHOSTS"),

but modified b-node is not an ideal solution.

Some sites may need to use both b-node and p-node modes at the same

site. Although this configuration can work, administrators must

exercise extreme caution in doing so, using it only for transition

situations. Because p-node hosts disregard broadcasts and b-node hosts

rely on broadcasts for name resolution, the two hosts can potentially

be configured with the same NetBIOS name, leading to unpredictable

results. Notice that if a computer configured to use b-node has a

static mapping in the WINS database, a computer configured to use

p-node cannot use the same computer name.

ComputerName*

This is the MS Windows networking name for this computer.  It is normally set in the Control Panels>Networking>Identification menu.

Workgroup*

This is the MS Windows networking name for the WORKGROUP you are in.  It is normally set in the Control Panels>Networking>Identification menu.

NTLogon*

This item has a value of either “YES” or “NO” and specifies whether Windows 95 is to attempt to logon to the specified Windows NT Domain.  Note that this item is case-sensitive so “yes” will not enable this item.

NTDomain*

This is the name of the NT Domain which Windows 95 will attempt to login to if NTLogon is equal to “YES”.

IpxFrame*

This is the IPX/SPX protocol FrameType setting.  The default for Win95 is “4” which is an automatic frame type detection.  Some networks have trouble autodetecting and so this allows you to specify you desired value.  Possible values, and their meaning are:

“0” - 802.3

“1” - 802.2

“2” - Ethernet II

Note that “3” is NOT used

“4” - Auto (this is the Win95 default)

“5” - Token Ring

“6” - Token Ring SNAP

DHCPWINS & NODHCPWINS*

These options specify whether or not to select the “Use DHCP for WINS Resolution” option.  Only one of these should be set.  If neither is present, then the existing state of this flag will remain.

RunCommand

This option allows you to tie in an external command to be run after you press the APPLY button.  After NetSwitcher makes it’s changes, it will execute the specified command.


Topics
Loading Setup Configurations

There are five ways to get a setup file into NetSwitcher™.

1. Invoke NetSwitcher™, select a Network Adapter, press the LOAD button, choose a setup file, press the APPLY button.

2. Invoke NetSwitcher™,  select a Network Adapter, drag a “.nsw” file onto the NetSwitcher™ window, press the APPLY button.

3. Drag a “nsw” file onto the NetSwitcher™ application icon, choose a Network Adapter, press the APPLY button.

4. Double click on a “.nsw” file, choose a Network Adapter, press the APPLY button.

5. From the command shell type: netsw setup.nsw, choose a Network Adapter, press the APPLY button.

It’s up to you, use the method you are most comfortable with.  Note that no changes are made unless you press the APPLY button.  The OK and CANCEL buttons do the same thing, they quit the application.


Adapter Not Found
Adapter Not Found Error

If you see the following warning message:

It almost always means that you have an incorrectly or incompletely installed network adapter.  Check your Windows 95 System Control Panel and verify that all of the network adapters shown there are actually installed and configured in your system.  In the case that your system appears to be correctly configured, use the REGDUMP.EXE utility included with NetSwitcher™ and create a dump of the relevant portions of your Windows 95 system registry.  EMAIL me the output of the program and I will attempt to determine what is causing this error on your system.

The following shows an incorrectly installed network card driver:


Bindings Not Found
Bindings Not Found Error

If you see the following warning message:

This message usually means that the chosen network adapter has no bindings set.  If you go to the Network Control Panel and view the Bindings tab for the specified network adapter, you may see something like the following:

You need to enable at least the TCP/IP protocol in order for NetSwitcher™ to work properly.


Protocol Not Found
Protocol Not Found Error

You may also get an error about a protocol not found.  Usually this means that the TCP/IP protocol is not bound to the network adapter you specified.  Go to the Network Control Panel and enable the TCP/IP protocol.  If the TCP/IP protocol is NOT enabled, then the following is what the Bindings tab would look like:

You may also get a message like:

This is not an actual error but just a notice that you do not have the IPX/SPX protocol enabled on the requested adapter.  NetSwitcher will still operate normally with the exception of the IPX Frame Type listbox.

This control will be disabled.


Topics
Licensing NetSwitcher™

NetSwitcher™ is SHAREWARE.  You may evaluate it for up to 15 days before deciding if it is worth the registration fee. If you do not feel it is worth the registration fee, you are under no obligation to continue using it nor are you under obligation to pay for it. In fact, if you choose not to license NetSwitcher™, you will be in violation of this license agreement if you continue to use it.  It is also against the terms of this license agreement to de-compile, disassemble, or otherwise reverse-engineer NetSwitcher™.  If you want to know how NetSwitcher™ works, please EMAIL me and I’ll be glad to explain it to you.

Remember that by using NetSwitcher™ you accept the terms of it’s licensing, if you cannot or will not accept these terms, then you must not use NetSwitcher™ at all.

NetSwitcher™ is Copyright © 1996 J.W. Hance with All Rights Reserved.  NetSwitcher™ may be freely distributed provided that all files (including this HELP file) are included with the distribution.  NetSwitcher™ may also be included on CDROM or other compilations of programs provided that all files and documentation are included.

The paid license allows you to run as many copies of NetSwitcher™ on as many computers as you have or use.  If there is more than one user, then those additional users require their own licenses.  Corporate, site and source code licenses are also available at modest prices.  Please contact me at my EMAIL address below for further information.

For those of you who worry about such things, NetSwitcher™ will not fail to work or otherwise do anything nasty to your system if you continue to use it past the evaluation period.  It will only periodically “nag” you about registering it if you have not done so.

To register your copy of NetSwitcher™, please send (preferably a check) for US$8.00 to me at:

J.W. Hance

1950 E Greyhound Pass #18, Box 305

Carmel, IN 46033 USA

Be sure to include your EMAIL address with your registration so that I can send you the registered version.

I am sorry but I cannot accept credit card payments of any kind.  The processing and setup fees for this are very expensive.  At US$8.00 per copy the costs are too prohibitive.  For those international NetSwitcher™ users, I understand that many banks charge excessive fees for US$ checks and money orders.  Many users have found that getting small amounts of US$ cash is relatively easy and cheap.  Many have sent cash through the mail without incident.

Please feel free to contact me via EMAIL at: joe@bysnet.com, or FAX at (317) 575-9435

The latest version of NetSwitcher™ can always be found at: http://www.bysnet.com/netsw.html

For those interested in volume discounts or other site licenses for NetSwitcher™, please EMAIL me at joe@bysnet.com for details.

THIS SOFTWARE AND THE ACCOMPANYING FILES ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  Because of the various hardware and software environments into which NetSwitcher™  may be put, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED.

Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it.  The user must assume the entire risk of using the program.  ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.


Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a number of questions which are frequently asked about NetSwitcher™.  Please review these questions and answers before contacting  the author.

Q1) I would like to register my copy of NetSwitcher™ via credit card, why haven’t you included instructions on how to do this?

A1) NetSwitcher™ sells for the low price of US$8.00 and the total sales volume is relatively low.  Credit card processors (i.e. those who process the payments and actually bill your card) don’t want to fool with small businesses and therefore make it very expensive for us to use.  Figuring in the costs of “setup” and the per-transaction charges, I would need to charge about US$20 per copy of NetSwitcher™ in order to net US$8.  I am opposed to having users pay more to an outside company for servicing their credit card than to me for writing the program.  (Note: If you are familiar with a company which offers better terms or less restrictive policies on credit card processing, please let me know.  I will look into it.  Compuserve is NOT among these, however, their Shareware registration program is no bargain either.)

Q2) Why does NetSwitcher™ require me to reboot my computer after making changes.

A2) NetSwitcher™ is not requiring you to reboot at any time.  It is telling you however, that some of the changes you have made will not take effect until Windows 95 reboots.  This is the way Microsoft designed Windows 95 and is beyond my control.  I believe that this is a stupid way to design an operating system but then, Microsoft never came to me and asked for my advice when building Windows 95.

Q3) I’ve seen two utilities, TCP Switcher and NetSwitcher™.  What is the difference? Do I need both?

A3) You are right, there are two utilities and I’ve have written both of them. NetSwitcher™ is a superset of TCP Switcher and so it is probable that you don’t need them both.  TCP Switcher deals only with the DNS server address problem associated with Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking or DUN.  Microsoft is aware of this problem (see Knowledge Base article Q139948) but seems unable (or more likely unwilling) to fix it. The main purpose of TCP Switcher is for users who need to use one DNS server when connected to a LAN and another when connected to an ISP, or those who use two (or more) different ISPs. See the URL http://www.bysnet.com/tcpsw.html for more information about TCP Switcher. NetSwitcher™ controls almost all of the Windows 95 network setup features.  It is primarily designed for mobile computer users who need to plug their computer into different networks at different locations. NetSwitcher™ will change the DNS server setup just like TCP Switcher, it’s just a bit more complicated to use.  For this reason, many users have decided that they need to use both TCP Switcher and NetSwitcher™.  That is perfectly acceptable and they work together just fine.

Q4) Is use a 3rd party TCP/IP stack like { Trumpet Winsock, NetManage Chameleon, PC/TCP, etc… }.  Can I use NetSwitcher™?

A4) Probably not, these tools handle their setup information in very different ways than the TCP/IP stack included in Windows 95.

Q5) Why are all the fields grayed out in my copy of NetSwitcher™?  I’d like to be able to directly edit the data for my computer.

A5) That feature is included in the registered version of NetSwitcher™.  Please register and you will have access to that capability.

Q6) I need some of the capabilities of NetSwitcher™ for users within my company but NetSwitcher™ seems to be far too powerful for less sophisticated users.  Can you build me a “idiot-proof” version for their use?

A7) Absolutely, I’ve made custom versions of NetSwitcher™ for more than a dozen companies worldwide.  Please EMAIL me with your requirements and I’ll provide you with the details on what it would take to accommodate your needs.

Q8) I’m concerned that NetSwitcher™ will mess up my system, what does it do?

A8) NetSwitcher™ does nothing to your system that you couldn’t do yourself via the Network Control Panel.  It just brings all of those settings to one screen and allows you to save and load those setups to and from the disk.  Therefore, anything NetSwitcher™ does to your system can be undone by using the Network Control Panel.

Q9) I received a confusing message about “Adapter not found”.  What gives?

A9) This means that NetSwitcher™ was unable to locate the setup information about one of your network devices.  This almost always means that the driver for your network card is incompletely installed or somehow a mixture of two versions.  The best thing to do is to reinstall your network card driver from either the Windows 95 CDROM or from the driver disk which came with your card.  If that fails to help, run the REGDUMP.EXE program which is included with NetSwitcher™ and send me the output.  I can usually debug your problem from this information.  The worst offender seems to be Xircom PCMCIA adapters, they seem to release new versions of their drivers every week and not all versions properly update themselves.

Q10) Will NetSwitcher™ work under Window NT Workstation 4.0?

A10) Yes it will.  In fact, it will work with Windows NT Workstation 3.51 as well.

Q11) I hate installing programs to try which install a bunch of files and then I can’t get rid of them all.  How do I remove NetSwitcher™ from my system if I no longer want it?

A11) NetSwitcher™ does not install any files to your system other than those which end up in the target directory where you install NetSwitcher™.  Therefore, to remove NetSwitcher™ just delete the directory where you installed it and all traces of NetSwitcher™ will be gone.

Q12) I’m compiling a Windows CDROM Shareware collection and want to include NetSwitcher™ on it.  Is this permitted?

A12) Yes, permission is granted to include NetSwitcher™ on any CDROM collection, Internet site, or BBS provided that the original distribution file is unaltered and that all files are included.  If you need other arrangements (such as different compression utility) please contact me.


About the Author

J. W. Hance has been programming computers since 1974 and has programmed everything from the ancient Rockwell PPS-4 to an IBM System 370.  He purchased his first computer in 1978, the MOS Technology KIM-1.  Since that time, he has used and programmed almost everything in between.  His current system of choice is a Windows 95 based Pentium 133 system.  He has programmed in many languages include assembly language, FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, C, C++, PERL, and Visual Basic.

Mr. Hance is also holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and is a Registered Professional Engineer, licensed to practice in the State of Indiana.

Over the past 4 years, he has become interested in Microsoft Windows programming and has developed a number of Windows based applications.  TCP Switcher was his first SHAREWARE program. NetSwitcher™ has been his most successful SHAREWARE program to date.