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- .TOPIC:
- Running VBBS on a Local Area Network(LAN)
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation --11-D-1
-
-
- ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
- ║CHAPTER 11 ANNEX D RUNNING VBBS ON A LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) ║
- ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-
- General Guidelines
- LAN Pointers
- LANtastic
- Novell Lite
- Novell Netware
-
- .TOPIC:
- General Guidelines
- General
- ═══════
-
- With a LAN (Local Area Network), you don't need multitasking
- software. However, use of a LAN does not preclude the use of
- multitasking software.
-
- When using a LAN, workstations (and the server, if non-dedicated)
- can be used to run one copy of VBBS each. Each copy, of course,
- must run on its own unique channel number.
-
- One of the advantages of a LAN setup is that hardware-wise, the
- maximum COM port limitation disappears. Thus, there are versions
- of VBBS up to 64 users, intended for LAN installations. Versions
- supporting more than 64 users are available by special request.
-
- Another advantage is that you can run the many inexpensive games,
- doors, transfer protocols, etc. already available because no
- special COM handling is needed.
-
- Often, the cost of networking software and hardware is easily
- offset when one considers that most of the PCs on the network
- will not require a hard drive - only the file server, whose hard
- drive is shared with all of its clients. Additionally, data
- security becomes easier, because now all PC's can share one com-
- mon database, and one can be managed easier (backed up, etc.)
- than several.
-
- Businesses considering VBBS may consider a LAN as well, as VBBS
- and many other applications can co-reside on the server, running
- simultaneously. Users only have access to that which the net-
- work administration allows them access to, so confidential book-
- keeping or word-processing files are invisible to say, VBBS
- users, engineering sorts or whomever is not supposed to have
- access. LANs combined with multitasking software make VBBS a
- valuable and cost-efficient business tool for customer support
- as well as any other day-to-day business computing needs.
-
- Multiuser Bulletin Board Systems run on LAN set-ups offer the
- highest performance available; this is very important when many
- high-speed modem lines are to be used.
-
- With the cost of 286/386 motherboards and LAN hardware dropping
- constantly, a multi-user LAN-based VBBS is more affordable than
- one might think.
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation --11-D-2
-
-
- VBBS 6.12 has been tested and known to be compatible with:
-
- Novell Netware / Ethernet
- Novell Lite / Ethernet
- LANtastic NOS / 2 MB
- LANtastic NOS / Ethernet
-
- This is not an exhaustive list. VBBS should be compatible with
- most any DOS LAN environment.
-
- .TOPIC:
- LAN Pointers
- LAN Pointers
- ════════════
-
- All LANs are not created equal. This discussion is intended to
- provide an overview of more common LAN options to help the VBBS
- sysop gain a basic understanding of LANs. There are two basic
- types of LANs, with many different LAN software vendors and
- several types of network cards used for each type.
-
- The first type of LAN, called "peer-to-peer" networking, allows
- one PC to share resources (hard drives, floppies, printers, etc.)
- with another PC and vice versa. The second type employs a "dedi-
- cated file server" and all PC's access network programs and data-
- bases from the LAN's dedicated fileserver(s). Both of these sys-
- tems have their strong and weak points, and sometimes features
- can be intermixed.
-
- Both LAN types can use ARCnet (2.25 MBPS data transfer rates),
- Ethernet (10 MBPS), Super ARCnet (12.5 MBPS) or Token Ring (4 or
- 16 MBPS). Currently, Ethernet is regarded as providing the most
- bang for the buck, with its 10 MBPS throughput and the price of
- Ethernet cards falling below $100.00 each in the mail order
- market. With most types of networking, one LAN card per PC would
- be required. It is not recommended to use networks employing the
- use of the PC's parallel or serial ports, as those types of LANs
- are too slow to provide a fast enough interface for a VBBS user.
- Use the fastest LAN cards you can afford.
-
- VBBS was designed and tested on a LANtastic 2 MB/sec LAN.
- It does very well on this relatively slow hardware platform;
- speed is excellent, given the limitations of the hardware.
- However, faster LANs (ie..10 MB/sec) run noticeably faster.
- (Note: The disk I/O optimizations made in VBBS will result
- in speed increases over all platforms, LAN, or non-LAN. Even
- XTs should run considerably faster.)
-
- All path specifications under VCONFIG "System Paths" must be
- set to a drive which is shared among the entire network. This is
- easily accomplished with most networks. With Novell Lite, for
- example, clients only need to load CLIENT.EXE after loading the
- network drivers, then map the net drive. The server, however,
- must load BOTH SERVER.EXE and CLIENT.EXE, and map the net drive
- the SAME WAY the clients do. This may result in replicating the
- "C" drive as logical drive "F" or whatever. Though in reality
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation --11-D-3
-
-
- the "F" drive is really just another label for the "C" drive,
- this will be necessary for proper network operation. All VBBS
- nodes must look to the same path.
-
- If necessary, FLAG all VBBS files as SHARABLE, READ/WRITE.
-
- Synchronize all of the clocks on your work stations.
- (Most networks let you set your workstation clock from the net-
- work server's clock; this is done automatically with Novell Net-
- ware).
-
- .TOPIC:
- LANtastic
- LANtastic (Artisoft)
- ═════════════════════
-
- LANtastic was designed to be a peer-to-peer type network, but a
- dedicated fileserver can be set as well. LANtastic is among the
- most stable of peer-to-peer type Network Operating Systems, but
- its performance as a dedicated file server falls below that of
- dedicated Netware. Net cards for LANtastic are proprietary, making
- them more expensive. Novell NE-1000 and NE-2000 compatible
- Ethernet cards may also be used, but adaptors must be used in
- conjunction with these cards to make them work with LANtastic,
- raising the price significantly.
-
- Costs for a two-node Ethernet LANtastic setup for software,
- cabling and netcards run between $475.00 to $550.00. Additional
- workstations are added by purchasing additional netcards for each
- new workstation at about $175 each. The practical limit of this
- type of network would be about 10 nodes, though the software will
- allow many more.
-
- These prices reflect current market prices only, and may vary
- with different vendors and market conditions.
-
- .TOPIC:
- Novell Lite
- Novell Lite (Novell)
- ═════════════════════
-
- At this writing, Novell Lite is at revision 1.1. It is a peer-
- to-peer networking system not as stable as LANtastic, but is in
- use with Multinode VBBS successfully. Novell Lite can also be
- used to set up a dedicated file server. One advantage of Novell
- Lite is that it can use many of the generic low-cost netcards
- available on the market today without any special adaptors.
-
- Costs for a two-node Ethernet Novell Lite setup for software,
- cabling and netcards run between $400.00 to $475.00. Additional
- nodes are added by purchasing a copy of Novell Lite and a net-
- card for each workstation to be added, up to 25, but the prac-
- tical limit would be about ten nodes. Again, these prices re-
- flect current market prices only, and may vary with different
- vendors and market conditions.
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation --11-D-4
- .TOPIC:
- Novell Netware
- Novell Netware 2.2 and 3.1x (Novell)
- ═════════════════════════════════════
-
- Novell Netware has captured the lion's share of the LAN market,
- for good reason. Novell is revered as the best network opera-
- ting system available, period. Out of the box, Netware 3.11 can
- not only interface DOS machines, but PC's using Windows, OS/2,
- and Macintosh machines. PCs and workstations running UNIX and
- main and mini-mainframes can also be interfaced to Netware 3.11
- with the purchase of additional software modules through Novell.
-
- Both 3.1x and 2.2 DEDICATED Netware load DOS initially, then load
- their own operating system, then totally remove DOS from the ser-
- ver's NOS environment. Netware utilizes its own file system,
- making its own hard drive partitions, which support extended at-
- tributes, increased security over DOS based NOSes and much im-
- proved disk performance. Additionally, Netware partitions are
- not prone to disk fragmenting and data corruption to the extent
- that DOS NOSes are.
-
- Although 2.2 will not allow true "peer-to-peer" style networking,
- it will allow the file server to log onto the network as a work-
- station, though this will decrease performance of the server
- significantly as it runs DOS tasks as well as its tasks as file
- server. Netware is seldom used in this manner; in fact, Netware
- 3.x does not allow the server to be used as anything other than
- a dedicated server.
-
- However, Artisoft LANtastic for Netware and Novell Lite can both
- be used in conjunction with dedicated Netware to incorporate the
- best of both worlds -- the rock-solid performance and security
- of dedicated Netware along with the utility of peer-to-peer net-
- working.
-
- Netware 2.2 and 3.11 will serve those interested in dedicated
- Netware for DOS, Windows and OS/2 PC's equally. 2.2 will run on
- a 286, 3.11 requires a 386SX. Because its own operating system
- is optimized for file serving and its disk management is far
- superior to DOS, it provides superior connectivity. Novell's
- Netware is the system of choice for those planning large LANs.
- For those who can go a few extra bucks, it is still a great
- choice for small LANs.
-
- The price for Netware 2.2 starts around $500.00 for a 5-user
- version, with Ethernet cards available for under $100.00 each.
- One card is necessary for each node and one for the fileserver.
- Again, these prices reflect current market prices only, and may
- vary with different vendors and market conditions.
-
-