You may not believe this, but with this article we have reached the end of the formal OS/2 Peer Networking Series. Congratulations if you have stuck with the entire series! I hope you have found it as profitable as I have.

I fully intend to do more networking articles in the future, but they will be geared toward how to use the LAN we have set up, not with its structure.

Last week we completed our discussion of connecting the LAN to the Internet by showing you how to configure a simple InJoy Firewall setup.

Many OS/2 users need to use Windows either at work to run for special applications. Moreover, many peer-to-peer LAN's of the type we have discussed in this series are set up in homes where the workstations are family members' computers. Because of Microsoft's phenomenal success in marketing it's products, it is very common to find at least one family member using Windows, often for school projects. Therefore it is fitting to close this series by showing how to add a Windows system to the LAN. Surprisingly it is not difficult, once you get used to the Desktop and terminology differences.

Preparation

Before proceding with the connecting of the Windows system to the OS/2 LAN, please make sure you have done the following:

1. The OS/2-based LAN discussed in the preceding articles is installed according to the instructions in the preceding articles in this series, and is functioning correctly.

2. The LAN is properly connected to the Internet.

3. Your PC is equipped with a Windows-compatible Ethernet LAN adapter.

4. You have connected your LAN adapter to the LAN's hub using Category 5 cable and a RJ45 connectors.

5. You have correctly installed Windows 95/98 on your PC.¹

6. During the installation of Windows 98 you installed the your LAN adapter's driver and the Windows Logon feature.

Network Software Installation

1. Open Control Panel: Click on Start|Settings|Control Panel.

2. Open Network: Double-click on Network.

3. If you don't see the description of your NIC in the window, click on Add.

4. Select Adapter, and click on Add.

5. Scroll Manufacturer window until you see the manufacturer of your NIC; if you can't find your NIC mfg, but you have a driver diskette or CD, then

   1. Click on Have Disk, and follow instructions on the screen prompts.

   2. Go to step 8.

6. Scroll Network Adapter window until you see the description of your NIC; if you can't find your NIC, but you have a driver diskette or CD, then

   1. Click on Have Disk, and follow instructions on the screen prompt.

   2. Go to step 8.

7. Click on OK.

8. Verify that the Primary Network Logon (lower) window in the Network Configuration object contains "Client for Microsoft Networks".

9. Verify that the upper window contains your NIC description.

10. Verify that the upper window contains TCP/IP or TCP/IP --> NIC description; if it doesn't then:

    1. Highlight the NIC description.

    2. Click on Add.

    3. Select Protocol and click on Add.

    4. Select Microsoft and scroll right window until you see TCP/IP.

    5. Select TCP/IP and click OK.

11. Verify that the upper window contains NETBEUI or NETBEUI --> NIC description; if it doesn't then:

    1. Highlight the NIC description.

    2. Click on Add.

    3. Select Protocol and click on Add.

    4. Select Microsoft and scroll right window until you see NETBEUI.

    5. Select NETBEUI and click OK.

12. Click on the Identification tab near the top of the object.

    1. In the Computer Name window enter a unique name for this workstation. (Tip: If your PC also has an OS/2 system installed that's connected to the same LAN, then for the sake of simplicity use the OS/2 Hostname as the Computer Name.)

    2. In the Workgroup window enter the DOMAIN NAME. This is critical! Workgroup is the Microsoft term for Domain name, and as in OS/2, if this name does not match that the domain name of the rest of the LAN, it will not see the LAN.

    3. The Computer Description window may be left blank or be filled with a description that will identify this PC to others on the LAN.

13. Click on OK.

14. If Windows asks you to insert your Windows CD-ROM, do so and follow the on-screen prompts.

15. When Windows asks to restart your PC, click on Yes.

    Next page > Configuring the Workstation  > Page 1, 2