Introduct to Artisoft (LANtastic) hardware training module from 3/23/1996

Introduction to ArtisoftHardware

Module HDW0103/23/96

ARTISOFT CORPORATE MISSION

To be a leading developer and marketer of network solutions to workgroups, small businesses, andremote network users.

MISSION

To establish channel franchises through sales execution, support, and technical services on a globalbasis.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT DEPARTMENT MISSION

To Serve customers...

Better than yesterday

Better than our competitors

Better than our customers expect.

EDUCATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT MISSION

To provide Artisoft Technical Support and Sales associates with the best training and best informationtools in the industry.

Prepared by Curt Langley

PLEASE NOTE: This is a training document. It is not intended for use as a troubleshooting reference. Product featuresand concerns can and often do change without notice. Please refer to source documents or Folios for the most currentproduct information.

©1996 ARTISOFT, INC. All rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form by any means without the written permission ofARTISOFT, INC.

Module HDW01 03/23/96 1Introduction to Artisoft Hardware

Introduction to Artisoft Hardware

Overview

Over the years, Artisoft has manufactured several network hardware products for useon LANtastic networks and Ethernet networks in general. Although Artisoft no longermanufactures any hardware itself, it is still necessary for support personnel to familiarizethemselves with all Artisoft hardware products, both discontinued and current. Thismodule will present an overview of each primary hardware product that Artisoft hassold over the years. The following information will be covered:

• A description of each product.• Any default settings and specifications for each product.• Basic configuration and troubleshooting tips.• Current status of each product - discontinued, out of warranty, current product,

ETC.

Performance Objectives

This module is intended to be a basic overview of the Artisoft product line, not acomprehensive installation, configuration or troubleshooting guide. Only majornetworking products will be covered. A few minor hardware add-on kits or accessorykits will also be covered. Graphics of some, but not all of the hardware will be used tohelp you identify a product.

When you have completed this module, you should be able to do/understand thefollowing:

• Describe and discuss each major hardware product produced by Artisoft.• Describe the default settings and configuration of each product.

Hardware/Software Requirements

There are no specific hardware requirements for this module, but it will be helpful if youcan have any samples of the covered hardware handy for reference. If you are takingthis module in the Artisoft training lab, you can obtain sample hardware from thetraining staff.

Network Adapter Basics

Almost every kind of device that connects to a machine’s bus, including all networkadapters, must use an IRQ to communicate with the CPU and a IOBASE tocommunicate with its associated driver program.

IRQ (Interrupt Request) - when a adapter card wants to do something, such as senddata to the machine, it generates an interrupt. This causes the CPU to stop what it is


doing, service the call based on what interrupt number was used, then return to what itwas doing before it was interrupted. For example, if a network adapter signals the CPUwith an interrupt, the CPU will check its Interrupt Vector Table to see what numberinterrupt was used to call it. That table will point it to the program in memory that theadapter is calling. In this case, that would be a low level network driver. Each adapterin a machine must have a unique IRQ number.

IOBASE (IO Port Address) - once an adapter has issued an interrupt to the CPU telling itthat it has data to give, it must have a way to actually deliver that data. The CPU andthe adapter need a place in memory to act as a “mailbox”. This mailbox can pick upand deliver actual data in both directions. The mailbox is called the IOBASE. Thismemory address is usually 8,16 or 20 bits in length. For example, if the adapter hasdata for the network, it can place two bytes (16 bits) of data into that location inmemory, then signal the CPU with an interrupt that it has something for it to do. TheCPU will check the Interrupt Vector table and jump to the location in memory toexecute the low level adapter driver code. The driver will look in the appropriatelocation in memory, the IOBASE, and retrieve the data. If the network has something tosend, the process is reversed.

RAMBASE - this is an area of upper memory used by an adapter for storing information.The size will vary. This memory provides a buffer that the adapter uses to both storeinformation and pass information back and forth to its device driver, much like using theIOBASE. Adapters using a rambase will usually deliver faster performance thanadapters using only an IOBASE, but this performance gain is primarily on sequentialaccesses only.

Bus Types

Bus type refers to the slot specification on a particular motherboard. There arecurrently five main bus types:

• ISA (Industry Standard Architecture).• EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture).• MCA (Micro Channel Architecture).• VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) Local Bus.• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect).

The bus slots of each type are shaped and pinned differently, requiring a different typeof adapter. Adapters for one bus type are not compatible with adapters of anotherwith one exception, you can use an ISA adapter in an EISA slot. This is the onlyexception. Artisoft has manufactured ISA and MCA adapters only.

The Artisoft Adapter Line

This section will cover each network adapter ever manufactured and sold by Artisoft. Itwill start with the 2MBPS line of products, then conclude with the Ethernet line.

2MBPS General Information

The 2MBPS (Million Bits Per Second) line adapters were the first network adaptersmanufactured by Artisoft and are proprietary. That means no other company has ever


designed or manufactured this exact type of adapter. There are no specificationsavailable to the public, as there is with Ethernet.This technology has a throughput rated at two million bits per second. As with anytransmission medium, the actual data throughput will be lower, approximately 1.5megabits per second.

General Cable Specifications

The 2MBPS platform uses a dual, shielded, twisted pair cable. That is four wires twistedinto two pairs. The connectors at each end of the cable, and on the adapter, are DB9(9-pin) type connectors. Each adapter has one male and one female DB9 connector.

The adapters are cabled together by connecting the male DB9 on one adapter with thefemale DB9 on another adapter. Any open DB9 connectors must be terminated.

Supported Cables

Only the following cables are supported with the 2MBPS line of adapters. No othertype should even be considered.

Cable Type Maximum Lengthper Segment

# of Nodesper Segment

Artisoft cable 1500 feet 32AT&T grade dual twisted pair telephone cable 300 feet 32Belden 9729 andPlenum 89729 cable

1000 feet 32

2MBPS Driver Programs

A noticeable difference between the 2MBPS adapters and the Ethernet adapters is thedriver programs loaded for LANtastic. Normally LANtastic, using an Ethernet adapter,would load four programs in a specific order. This next table demonstrates the loadorder assuming an Artisoft NodeRunner adapter.

2MBPS CABLE TYPE

Dual, Shielded,Twisted Pair

DB9 Terminator

2MBPS Cable with DB9 Connectors


LANtastic Network Program Load Order (Ethernet)

Program Name PurposeNR.EXE Adapter driver for the NodeRunner adapterAILANBIO.EXE Transport Protocol, Artisoft NetBIOSREDIR.EXE Client softwareSERVER.EXE Server software

The 2MBPS platform, being proprietary to Artisoft, does things a little differently. Itcombines the adapter driver and transport protocol into a single program calledLANBIOS. The driver for each 2MBPS adapter is listed in the next table.

2MBPS Drivers

Program Name AdapterLANBIOS.EXE O2MBPSLANBIOS2.EXE E2MBPSLANBIOS3.EXE A2MBPS

This results in only three programs being loaded on a LANtastic machine. This nexttable shows this load order assuming an A2MBPS adapter.

LANtastic Network Program Load Order (2MBPS)

Program Name PurposeLANBIOS3.EXE Adapter driver and transport protocol for the A2MBPS

adapterREDIR.EXE Client softwareSERVER.EXE Server software

Sometimes a user will not be able to properly describe an adapter to support personnelon the phone. This presents the person trying to support LANtastic with the task ofdetermining which Artisoft, or other brand, of adapter the customer is using. ForArtisoft adapters, one way to identify the adapter is to see which driver is loading in theAUTOEXEC.BAT or STARTNET.BAT files. If it is a LANBIOS driver, then you shouldimmediately know that they are using a 2MBPS adapter. Depending on the versionrunning (LANBIOS, LANBIOS2, or LANBIOS3), you should be able to identify thespecific adapter.

Of course, the user could be loading the incorrect driver for the adapter. If that is thecase, you may have to resort to other means of identifying the card, such as describingthe connectors or opening the machine up to get the specific model number of thecard.


O2MBPS Adapters

DescriptionAn 8-bit, ISA, two megabit per second adapter, proprietary to Artisoft. This is referredto as the Original 2MBPS adapter.

WarrantyFive years from date of purchase.Current StatusThis product is no longer manufactured.

Features• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.

ApplicationsCan still be used in a basic LANtastic network, but only on a DOS/Windows platform.

Specifications• Cable -- Dual shielded, twisted pair cable with DB9 connectors.• IRQ's -- 2, 3, 4, 5• IObase -- None• Boot Prom -- None• Rambase -- 32k Default is D800. Range is C000 - FFFF.• DMA -- None• Novell Compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic -- LANBIOS.EXE• OS/2 -- None• NDIS -- None• Windows 95 - None

Usage Notes• The adapter does not use an IOBASE.• The adapter can only access the lower IRQs.• The IRQ and rambase are set by jumpers on the board.• This adapter’s compatibility with faster machines, such as Pentiums, is

questionable.• One way to identify the adapter and distinguish it from the other 2MBPS

models is its BLUE color.

Troubleshooting

Rambase conflicts are possible with this adapter. You need to exclude the rambasewith EMM386 in the CONFIG.SYS file. If running Windows, also use theEMMEXCLUDE statement in the SYSTEM.INI file to exclude the rambase.


E2MBPS Adapters

DescriptionAn 8-bit, ISA, two megabit per second adapter, proprietary to Artisoft. This is referredto as the Enhanced 2MBPS adapter.

WarrantyFive years from date of purchase.

Current StatusThis product is no longer manufactured.

Features• Software configurable IRQ and IOBASE.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.• Uses an on board coprocessor to perform many functions, relieving the CPU

from the task. This usually results in faster network performance.• 32k of onboard RAM to speed processing.


Specifications• Cable -- Dual shielded, twisted pair cable using DB9 connectors.• IRQ's -- 2, 3 (default), 4, 5,6,7,10,15• IObase -- 220,240,260,280 (default), 2A0,320,340,360• Boot Prom -- Optional Daughterboard• Rambase -- 32k Default is D800. Range is A000 - FFFF.• DMA -- None• Novell Compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic -- LANBIOS2.EXE• OS/2 -- None• NDIS -- None• Windows 95 - None

Usage Notes• This is an 8-bit adapter, but it has the extra connectors to access IRQs 10 and

15.• This adapter’s compatibility with faster machines, such as Pentiums, is

questionable.• One way to identify this adapter and distinguish it from other 2MBPS models

is by its light green color and the fact that is has only four dip switches on it.The A2MBPS has eight and the O2MBPS has none.

• The IRQ and IOBASE are changed from the default using command lineswitches.

• The rambase is set by four dip switches on the board. If changed from thedefault, you must specify the new rambase on the command line loading thedriver.


• An example of loading the LANBIOS2 driver with non-default settings wouldbe:

LANBIOS2 iobase=320 irq=10 rambase=c800 • The LANBIOS2 driver comes with a command line switch called /AUTO. If

you load the driver with this switch, then the driver will attempt to select itsown IRQ and IOBASE. It will usually find one that is free, but not always. Thisswitch does not select a rambase. Assuming a non-default rambase is used,the command line to load the driver with the AUTO switch would be:

LANBIOS2 auto rambase=c800 verbose

The main reason to use this switch is when you are not sure which IRQ orIOBASE to set the card to. If you load the driver with the AUTO switch, andthe adapter and network appear to function normally, then it is a fairly safebet that the selected settings are safe to use. You then need to hard code thesettings on the LANBIOS2 load line and remove the AUTO switch. To seewhich settings the AUTO switch selected, load the driver with the VERBOSEswitch and be sure to pause the screen after the driver loads successfully.The information displayed on the screen will show you which IRQ andIOBASE were selected.

LANtastic (tm) NETBIOS V2.22 - (C) Copyright 1992 ARTISOFT Inc.

Command line auto verboseNode address 00006EA00001 Adapter number 0Interrupt request 10 RAM base D800Maximum number of names 16 Number of buffers 8Default number of sessions 32 System timeout 10Default number of NCBs 32 I/O base address 280Local interrupt stack DISABLED Bytes of memory used 1712 ---- LANtastic NETBIOS installed ----

• This E2MBPS adapter has the ability to add remote booting or additional ramto the adapter. This is accomplished using a add on board called the E2MBPSDaughterboard. This board plugs into to E2MBPS adapter with an additionalsocket. You can add a single remote boot chip or a 32k ram chip to thisboard. The board contains dip switches for setting a rombase if remotebooting.


Troubleshooting• Rambase conflicts are possible with this adapter. You need to exclude the

rambase with EMM386 in the CONFIG.SYS file. If running Windows, also usethe EMMEXCLUDE statement in the SYSTEM.INI file to exclude the rambase.

• You do not want to leave the AUTO switch on the LANBIOS2 driver. Thismay seem like an easy way to load the driver without worrying about thesettings, but it will usually result in problems. LANBIOS2 will not accuratelydetect all available IRQs or IOBASES, and there is no guarantee that it willdetect the same settings every time it boots. This can lead to inconsistenciesin making or keeping a network connection. It can also result in the driverloading most of the time, but not all of the time.

A2MBPS Adapters

DescriptionAn 8-bit, ISA, two megabit per second adapter, proprietary to Artisoft. This is referredto as the Advanced 2MBPS adapter.



Features• Software configurable IRQ and IOBASE.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.• Uses an on board coprocessor to perform many functions, relieving the CPU

from the task. This usually results in faster network performance.• 8k of onboard RAM to speed processing.

The E2MBPS Daughterboard

Front View

Inserting the Daughterboard



Specifications• Cable -- Dual shielded, twisted pair cable using DB9 connectors.• IRQ's -- 2, 3 (default), 4, 5,6,7,10,15• IObase -- 220 through 3E0h, 280 (default)• Boot Prom -- Optional Daughterboard• Rambase -- 8k Default is D800. Range is A000 - E000.• DMA -- None• Novell Compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic -- LANBIOS3.EXE• OS/2 -- None• NDIS -- None• Windows 95 - None

Usage Notes• This is an 8-bit adapter, but it has the extra connectors to access IRQs 10 and

15.• This adapter’s compatibility with faster machines, such as Pentiums, is

questionable.• One way to identify this adapter and distinguish it from other 2MBPS models

is its dark green color and use of eight dip switches. The E2MBPS has four andthe O2MBPS has none.

• The IRQ and IOBASE are changed from the default using command lineswitches.

• The rambase is set by four dip switches on the board. If changed from thedefault, you must specify the new rambase on the command line loading thedriver.

• The A2MBPS adapter features a socket that can be used for a remote bootROM or 32k ram chip. The boot rombase is set by dip switches 5-8.

• The rambase on the A2MBPS adapter is set by dip switches 1-4.• An example of loading the LANBIOS3 driver with non-default settings would

be: LANBIOS3 iobase=320 irq=10 rambase=c800 • The LANBIOS3 driver comes with a command line switch called /AUTO. If

you load the driver with this switch, then the driver will attempt to select itsown IRQ and IOBASE. It will usually find one that is free, but not always. Thisswitch does not select a rambase. Assuming a non-default rambase is used,the command line to load the driver would look like this:

LANBIOS3 auto rambase=c800 verbose

The main reason to use this switch is when you are not sure which IRQ orIOBASE to set the card to. If you load the driver with the AUTO switch, andthe adapter and network appear to function normally, then it is a fairly safe


bet that the selected settings are safe to use. You then need to hard code thesettings on the LANBIOS3 load line and remove the AUTO switch. To seewhich settings the AUTO switch selected, load the driver with the VERBOSEswitch and be sure to pause the screen after the driver loads successfully.The information displayed on the screen will show you which IRQ andIOBASE were selected.

LANtastic (tm) NETBIOS V2.06 - (C) Copyright 1992 ARTISOFT Inc.

Command line auto verboseNode address 00006EA00001 Adapter number 0Interrupt request 10 RAM base D800Maximum number of names 16 Number of buffers 8Default number of sessions 32 System timeout 10Default number of NCBs 32 I/O base address 280(UDUU)Local interrupt stack DISABLED Shared memory mode 8KBytes of memory used 3616 ---- LANtastic NETBIOS installed ----

Troubleshooting• Rambase conflicts are possible with this adapter. You need to exclude the

rambase with EMM386 in the CONFIG.SYS file. If running Windows, also usethe EMMEXCLUDE statement in the SYSTEM.INI file to exclude the rambase.

• You do not want to leave the AUTO switch on the LANBIOS3 driver. Thismay seem like an easy way to load the driver without worrying about thesetting, but it will usually result in problems. LANBIOS3 will not accuratelydetect all available IRQs or IOBASES, and there is no guarantee that it willdetect the same settings every time it boots. This can lead to inconsistenciesin making or keeping a network connection. It can also result in the driverloading most of the time, but not all of the time.

• LANBIOS3, version 2.05, is known to have problems maintaining aconnection. Make sure the user has LANBIOS3 2.06 or higher. This can beobtained from the BBS in a self extracting zip file called LANBIOS.EXE.

The A2MBPS Adapter

Face PlateView

Jumpers for RAMbase or ROMBase Address

DB15 MaleConnector

DB15 FemaleConnector

Optional BootROM or RAM

Upgrade


The 2MBPS Hub

DescriptionA 12 port hub designed specifically for connecting network segments using Artisoft2MBPS adapters.



Features• Can be used to extend the cable length of a 2MBPS network.• Can connect up to six 2MBPS networks and 120 nodes.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.

ApplicationsCan only be used with LANtastic networks running Artisoft 2MBPS adapters.

Specifications• Cable -- uses the cable specified for all 2MBPS adapters. Connects to hub with

special DB9 to RJ-11 adapter using a flat extension cable supplied by Artisoft.

Usage Notes• Using a special DB9 to RJ-11 connector, you can run a cable from the 2MBPS

adapter to the RJ-11 port on the hub.• The hub uses a “harmonica” with a 50 pin connector for its RJ-11 connections.• The extension cable used to connect the DB9-RJ11 adapter cannot exceed 6

inches in length.• You cannot mix cable types on this hub, even specified cable types.


Simply LANtastic Adapters

DescriptionAn 8-bit ethernet adapter specially designed for simplicity of installation.



Features• Software configurable.• Uses mini-coax cabling with popular hi-fi connectors and no terminating

resistors.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.

ApplicationsIdeal for small office/ home office networks where performance is not as important asease of use.

Specifications• Cable -- Instead of coax or UTP, the card uses mini coax cable.• (RG174A/U) with 3.5mm mini jack connectors, eliminating the need for T-

connectors. Maximum cable length is 200 feet.• IRQ's -- 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15• IObase -- 300, 320, 340, 360• Boot Prom -- None• Rambase -- None

Standard 2MBPSCable

DB9 to RJ11Adapter

2MBPSHub

Harmonica With RJ11 Ports

ExtensionCable

2MBPS Hub


• DMA -- None• Novell Compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic -- NR.EXE• OS/2 -- AEXNDIS.OS2• NDIS -- AEXNDIS.DOS• Windows 95 - None

Usage Notes• Simply cards are self-terminating, eliminating the need for terminating resistors.

The cards on either end of the network must have only cable inserted.• A length of RG174A/U cable can be connected to regular RG58A/U coax

using a special connector supplied by Artisoft. Only one of these connectorsis permitted in a segment. The maximum segment length remains 200'.

• Two lengths of RG174A/U cable can be linked together using a 1/8-inch(3.5mm) Mini Jack Coupler available at any electronics supply store. TheRadio Shack part number is 274-1555 but be careful. This is a stereo couplerand may not make a good connection to mono cable.

• The card does not have a Novell setting.

Troubleshooting• IObase conflicts can usually be resolved by using NRMOVE to temporarily

shift the card's IObase then running NRSETUP.

Simply Parallel Adapter

DescriptionA parallel port ethernet adapter.WarrantyFive years from date of purchase.

The Simply Ethernet Adapter

Mini-jackConnectors



Features• Eliminates need to open computer and insert network adapter.• Completes the "too simple to screw up" notion of Simply LANtastic.• Works with standard, bi-directional, and enhanced parallel ports.• Printer connects to adapter and print jobs are passed through.• Connects to machine via proprietary cable.• Connects to network via the same RG174/U cable with 3.5mm mini jacks that

are used by the Simply adapters.

ApplicationsThe same as the Simply ethernet adapter, except that with this adapter even a completeneophyte should be able to install a network.

Specifications• Cable -- Uses mini coax cable (RG174/U) with 3.5mm mini jack connectors.

Self terminating. Maximum cable length is 200 feet.• IRQ's -- 5, 7• IObase -- Determined by LPT port• Boot Prom -- None• Rambase -- None• DMA -- None• Novell Compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic -- NRP.EXE• OS/2 -- None• NDIS -- None• Windows 95 - none

Usage Notes• Same cabling caveats as regular Simply installation.

TroubleshootingSome printers have a low pickup threshold for signals coming down the cable. Thesemay not print if connected to the Parallel Adapter. Refer to Folios or Oprah for theproposed fix for this problem.


AE Series (AE-1/T, AE-2 and AE-3) Adapters

DescriptionA 16-bit ISA ethernet card.



Features• Hardware register-level compatible with the NE2000.• Jumper configurable.• 16K on-board RAM for buffering network traffic. Expandable to 64K.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.

ApplicationsCan be used in any network as a standard Ethernet card.

Specifications• Cable -- Thin or thick ethernet or UTP (AE-1/T is UTP only, AE-3 supports all

three)• IRQ -- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15 [w1]• IObase -- 300, 320, 340, 360 [w4]• Boot Prom -- Yes [w6]• Rambase -- None• DMA -- None• Novell compatible -- Yes [w5]

Drivers• LANtastic -- AEX.EXE (defaults to IRQ15) or AE2.EXE (defaults to IRQ3)

Printer Cable

SIDE VIEW

Parallel PortConnection

PowerSupply

The Simply Parallel Adapter


• NDIS -- AEXNDIS.DOS• NDIS for OS/2 -- AEXNDIS.OS2• Windows 95 - use AE series driver supplied by Microsoft.

Usage Notes• AE2 adapters are workhorses with few operating problems.• Earlier revisions (B and C) use an older NIC controller chip. Revision E and F

use the same National Semiconductor NIC controller used by the NE2000.• A 32K memory upgrade is available to help relieve traffic bottleneck on a

resource-choked server.

TroubleshootingHas non-standard bus timing jumper [w8] that resolves most timing problems.

NodeRunner 2000 and NodeRunner 2000SI Adapters

Description• 16-bit ISA ethernet cards.• The NR2000 is designed for use in a LANtastic network version 5.0 or earlier.• The NR2000SI is designed for use in third-party networks or with LANtastic

version 6.0. SI cards can be identified by a red or yellow sticker on the outsideof the metal mounting bracket. Standard NR2000 cards have a white sticker.


AE1-T

AE2-T

AE2

AE3

AE Series AdaptersBoot ROMSockets

RAM UpgradeSocketsW8 (Non Stanbard Bus)

Jumper

RJ45 (UTP)RJ45 (UTP)

RJ45 (UTP)

BNC (Coax)

BNC (Coax)

DB15(Thicknet)

DB15(Thicknet)

DB15(Thicknet)


Current StatusThese products are no longer manufactured.

Features• Uses ALICE chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuitry (ASIC)

technology chip that speeds up processing and simplifies board design.• Software configurable using NRCONFIG for NR2000 cards and NRSETUP for

either NR2000SI or NR2000 cards.• Autosensing for 8-bit mode when inserted in 8-bit slot.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.

Applications• Works in any ethernet network: LANtastic, NetWare, or otherwise.• Works in both ISA and EISA machines.• The NR2000A and NR2000SI/A have an option for adding an additional 32K

of SRAM for buffering network traffic.• The NR2000 series is compatible with LANtastic 4.0 and above.

Specifications• Cable -- thin or thick ethernet or UTP (NR2000/T is UTP only, NR2000A

supports all three)• IRQ -- 2. 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15• IObase -- 300, 320, 340, 360• Boot Prom -- Yes• Rambase -- None• DMA -- None• Novell compatible -- Yes

Drivers• LANtastic -- NODERUN.EXE (for NR2000) and NR.EXE (for NR2000SI)• NDIS -- AEXNDIS.DOS• NDIS for OS/2 -- AEXNDIS.OS2• Windows 95 - Use the NE2000 compatible driver supplied by Microsoft.

Usage Notes• Customers get upset when they purchase an SI card then find out it will not

work in a standard NOS 5.0 network. Make sure a user purchasing an SI cardhas NOS 6.0 or 5.0AI.

• NRSETUP contains a diagnostic option for troubleshooting a bad card. It alsofeatures an automatic configuration option that helps ferret out an availableIObase and IRQ combination.

• Use the 32K RAM upgrade on A series cards if LANcheck reveals a number ofresource exhausts after a short period of network operation.

• Backward Compatibility - Drivers for using an NR2000 in a NOS 4.1 networkcan be found on the driver disk in a directory labeled V4.10. There you'll finda file named V410.EXE. This is a self-extracting executable. Run it in a blanksubdirectory on the machine's hard drive to extract the 4.1 version ofNODERUN.EXE and AILANBIO.EXE.

• Users with 4.0 networks will need to download AEX_41.EXE from the ArtifactsBBS. This is a self-extracting executable that will yield the 4.1 version of theAEX driver. This and the 4.1 AILANBIO must be copied to every machine withan AE2 card in the network.


Troubleshooting• IObase conflicts can usually be resolved by using NRMOVE to temporarily

shift the card's IObase then running NRSETUP.• Most timing problems can be resolved by running NRSETUP and setting

IOCS16 timing to EARLY.• The on-board EEPROM can sometimes become corrupted when running

NRCONFIG. If moving the IObase does not relieve the problem, the cardgenerally has to be replaced.

Model Types

The NodeRunner series comes in the following models:

• NodeRunner 2000/C - Coax connector only.• NodeRunner 2000/C (SI) - Coax connector only.• NodeRunner 2000/T - UTP connector only.• NodeRunner 2000/T (SI) - UTP connector only.• NodeRunner 2000/A - Coax, UTP and AUI connectors.• NodeRunner 2000/A (SI) - Coax, UTP and AUI connectors.• NodeRunner 2000/MC - MicroChannel, Coax and UTP connectors only.• NodeRunner 2000/MC (SI) - MicroChannel, Coax and UTP connectors only

The NodeRunner 2000/A

Boot ROM

BNCCoax

DB15Thicknet

RJ45UTP

Expansion RAMSocket

Peer HubConnection

The NodeRunner 2000/C SI

Boot ROM

BNCCoaxConnector


NodeRunner Pro (UTP and Combo)

Description• 16-bit ISA ethernet cards.• Co-developed with Intel.


Current StatusThese products are currently manufactured.

Features• Software configurable using the NPROSET program.• Autosensing for 8-bit mode when inserted in 8-bit slot.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.• Automatic configuration.

Applications• Works in any ethernet network such as LANtastic, NetWare, Windows NT,

ETC.• Works in both ISA and EISA machines.• Plug-and-Play compatible.• Concurrent Processing feature improves performance in some situations.• Autosensing of cable type (NodeRunner Pro Combo).• 32k of onboard RAM to speed processing.

Specifications• Cable

Coax or UTP (NodeRunner Pro Combo)UTP only( NodeRunner Pro UTP)

• IRQ -- 2. 3, 4, 5 (default), 7,9, 10, 11, 12• IObase -- 16 bit block between 200 and 390, 300 (default)• Boot Prom -- Yes, but not supported for LANtastic at this time.• Rambase -- None• DMA -- None• Novell compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic -- NPRO.EXE• NDIS -- EPRO.DOS• NDIS for OS/2 -- EPRO.OS2• Windows 95 - Use the Intel PRO/10 driver supplied by Microsoft.• Novell Client - EPROODI.COM• Novell Server - EPRO.LAN• Windows NT - EPRONT.SYS• UNIX (Packet Driver) - EPROPKT.COM

Usage Notes• NPROSET features a self diagnostic ability to test each adapter locally.


• NPROSET features a network communication test for testing connection withanother NodeRunner Pro adapter on the same network.

• The Concurrent Processing feature is only used if the adapter driver is writtento use it. The native LANtastic driver, NPRO.EXE, is not written to useConcurrent Processing.

Troubleshooting• When using the adapter with a Plug-and-Play operating system, such as

Windows 95, you must choose the correct driver. If PnP is enabled on theadapter, Windows 95 should detect and load the correct driver for you, theIntel EtherExpress PRO/10 [PnP Enabled]. If PnP is not enabled, be sure to usethe Intel EtherExpress PRO/10 driver.

• The adapter features an 8-bit setting that acts like the non standard bus timingsetting found on other Artisoft adapters.

• On some machines, it may be necessary to disable the PnP setting for theadapter, primarily on non PnP computers.

• In some instances where the drivers will not load or the adapter will notcommunicate on the network, you should try disabling Concurrent Processing.

Artisoft MicroChannel Adapters

The MicroChannel bus standard was created by IBM for use in its PS2 model machines.The bus slots and pinouts for a MicroChannel adapter are different from ISA. The twostandards are not compatible.

All MicroChannel adapters use the same types of settings that an Ethernet adapter uses.Settings such as the IOBASE, IRQ, rambase and connector type are set by software. AllMicroChannel adapters use a program from the IBM Reference Disk to configure thesesettings. This disk is supplied with the IBM machine, not by Artisoft or any otheradapter manufacturer. What each manufacturer supplies is a ADF (Adapter DescriptionFile) to be used by the Reference Disk. These files always end in an *.ADF extension.They should be located on the driver disk supplied with the adapter. When theReference program is run, it will request the driver disk from the adapter manufacturer.Once the disk is inserted, the ADF file will be read. This file contains the informationthat the Reference disk needs to configure this specific adapter, such as available IRQsor Connector type.

Description• 16-bit, MicroChannel adapters for use in MicroChannel machines only.• Models were manufactured for the AE series, A2MBPS and NodeRunner

series.

Warranty5 years from date of purchase.

Current StatusAll MicroChannel adapters are no longer manufactured.

Features• 16K of on board RAM in AE2/MC, upgradable to 64K.• 32k of on board RAM in the NodeRunner/MC, upgradable to 64k.


• 32k of on board RAM in the A2MBPS/MC.

Applications• All models are intended for use in LANtastic networks only. You can mix

MicroChannel and Ethernet adapters on the same network.

Specifications• Cable -- 2MBPS uses specified cable for that platform. O2MBPS, E2MBPS and

A2MBPS models were available. The AE and NodeRunner series come inthin/thick or UTP models.

• IRQAE and NodeRunner - 3 (default), 4, 5,92MBPS - 3 (default), 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

• IObase (All Models) - 300, 320, 340, 360,1000 (default),2020,8020• Boot Prom

AE and NodeRunner adapters - YesA2MBPS adapters - YesO2MBPS and E2MBPS adapters - None

• Rambase -- (2MBPS only) - 32k block from C0000 to BFFF, DFFFF (default)• DMA -- None• Novell compatible -- No

Drivers• LANtastic

AEX.EXE for the AE series.NR.EXE for the NodeRunner series.LANBIOS3.EXE for the A2MBPS adapter.

• NDISAEXNDIS.DOS for the AE and NodeRunner adapters.None for the 2MBPS adapter.

• NDIS for OS/2AEXNDIS.OS2 for the AE and NodeRunner adapters.None for the 2MBPS adapters.

• Windows 95 - None for any of the adapters.

ADF Files• @6343.ADF - 2MBPS adapters.• @67B0.ADF for AE and NodeRunner adapters.

Usage Notes• When you boot the machine from the Reference Disk, the program will detect

if you have any new hardware or allow you to configure existing hardware.The Automatic configuration method should usually be used. The system willdetermine what settings to use for you. You should only do a Manualconfiguration when Automatic does not seem to work properly.

• If a user does not have the ADF file needed for their Artisoft adapter, they candownload it from the Artisoft BBS. The ADF files for all Artisoft MicroChannelmodels are contained in a self extracting Zip file called ADF.EXE.

MicroChannel adapters can be identified by their smaller, shorter gold contacts or theblue plastic handles they have to make removing and inserting them easier. The


following example of a MicroChannel adapter will give you an idea of how they shouldlook.

Boot PROMs

DescriptionA boot PROM makes it possible for a machine without a floppy or hard drive to bootup and attach to the network server.



Features• A workstation equipped with a boot PROM has just enough smarts to boot up

and look for a server. It expects to find a "boot image" on the server thatcontains the files that would otherwise be found on a bootable floppy.

• When the workstation finds this boot image, it completes the boot sequenceand attaches to the server.

• From this point on, the workstation accesses server resources just as it would ifit had booted from a normal device.

Applications• Remote booting adds a measure of security because a user can't copy

information from the server onto a floppy. This is handy when you don't wanta temp worker walking off with a copy of your customer list.

• Remote booting is also ideal for adverse environments where the internals of afloppy could get fouled.

• Remote booting is handy for network administrators who need control overthe logon scripts and don't want users swapping floppies or hacking their ownlogon sequences.

• Remote booting is not necessarily lower in cost than using a floppy. ThePROM chips cost about as much as a floppy drive. There's no moving parts towear out, though.

The AE2 MicroChannel Adapter

RAM UpgradeSockets

Boot ROMSocket

DB15Thicknet

BNCCoax


Remote Booting with Artisoft AdaptersArtisoft adapters use two methods for remote booting:

• Old Style -- The card driver (AEX or NR or NODERUN) and the NetBIOS driver(AILANBIO) are coded onto the PROM. The chip uses these as the transportprotocol to load the remaining drivers from the boot image.

• FFRPL (find/found remote program load) -- The chip sets up a 360K RAMdriveon the workstation, designates it as drive A, then makes a low level connectionto a bootstrap loader on the server. The bootstrap loader shovels the bootimage into the RAMdrive, then the workstation boots off the RAMdrive as if itwere a regular floppy drive.

Deciding which method to use depends on what style of remote boot ROM iscompatible with the adapter model and whether the user has more than 360K of files toput in the image. The next table describes each Ethernet adapter and its accociatedboot ROM chips.

Adapter Boot ROM CommentsAE-2 revB&C

Part #153 (NOS 4.1)Part #853 (NOS 5.0+)

Old Style only, chip not programmable.FFRPL only, chip not programmable.

AE-2 rev E Part #153 (NOS 4.1)Part #853 (NOS 5.0+)Part #176 (all NOS)

Old Sly only, chip not programmable.FFRPL only, chip not programmable.FFRPL only, 16K chip not big enough to hold Old Style.

AE-2 rev F Part #882T (all NOS) Old Style or FFRPL, 32K programmable chip, needs GAL.NR2000 andNR2000SI

Part #882T (NOS 5.0+) Old Style or FFRPL, 32k programmable chip,discard GAL if already mounted to board.

Troubleshooting

A common problem with boot ROM chips is inserting them correctly. If they areinserted backwards, or one of the pins on the chip does not make proper contact withthe socket, then the chip will not function. There is a notch on the boot ROM chip anda corresponding notch on the boot ROM socket. You need to line them up to insureproper insertion. The chip must be carefully seated, insuring that all of the pins on thechip insert into a hole on the socket. Sometimes, it is possible for one pin to bend intothe socket, without getting into the hole. The chip may look like it is seated properly,but is not. The usual way to check for this is to remove the chip, then carefullystraighten the pin, then reinsert the chip. The following graphic demonstrates theproper insertion orientation.


T-Runner I (8 and 12 Port Ethernet Hubs)

Description• Free-standing dynamic 10baseT concentrators. Concentrators are also called hubs.

The names are used interchangeably. Also known as the T-Runner I series.


Current StatusBoth products are no longer manufactured.

Features• The T-Runner 8 has eight RJ-45 ports. The T-Runner 12 has 12 RJ-45 ports.

Each port is equipped with a green Link Light and an amber Activity light.• Both units are compatible with all Artisoft 10BaseT ethernet cards.• Both units come with a 10Base2 (thinnet) BNC connector.• The units come with a separate 120V power supply.• The cases are suitable for stacking or wall mounting.

Applications• Small to medium-sized 10baseT installations where no filtering or routing is

desired.• The thinnet port gives the hubs a significant advantage because up to 30 units

can be daisy-chained together without using any of the RJ-45 ports on eachunit and special cabling.

About 10BaseT10BaseT uses two pairs of tiny wires that are twisted together and covered withinsulation. They are often referred to as UTP for Unshielded Twisted Pairs. One pair isused for transmitting, the other pair for receiving. The wires are attached to an RJ-45jack that looks similar to a phone jack.

• This style of ethernet is inherently more noisy and the cards must be designed tocompensate for this extra interference.

Inserting a Boot ROM Chip

Chip

Socket

Notch


• Hubs can be connected together using the UTP cable but not with standardstraight-through wiring. This would connect the transmit pair to the transmitter inthe hub instead of the receiver. A special crossover cable is used to connect hubs.

10BaseT installations tend to be more complex than coax to justify the extra cost of theconcentrator and the hassle of the extra cables. A typical installation might have one ormore concentrators in a stuffing room with four-conductor UTP run from each port to alay-down board (or patch panel) where large bundles of cables pick off the appropriatepairs and route them through the walls to RJ-45 jacks. Another piece of UTP connectsthe wall jack to the plug on the adapter card. As you can imagine, there is plenty ofroom for cable screwups in this kind of installation. The advantage is that a singlesegment can fail without taking down the rest of the network.

Usage Notes• Passive hubs pass on every signal they receive. They do not discriminate as to

packet type, source, or destination. They do not amplify. A dynamic hub suchas the T-Runner series hubs boosts the signal a bit. However, they do notreduce network traffic or extend the length of a network beyond normalethernet specifications.

• Ethernet specs limit the number of hubs between any two communicatingstations to a maximum of four. This makes the thinnet capability of these unitseven more attractive.

Troubleshooting

• An open wire should be indicated by a loss of the link light. Because of thenumber of connections between the computer and the hub, it's often the casethat the link light will be on but there is too much impedance to pass a clearsignal.

• Signals to a shorted wire will be cut by a jabber circuit in the hub before it canbring down the other nodes. If this feature fails, every single link light andactivity light might energize. In this case, kill the power by pulling the powerjack, remove all cables, and reenergize the unit. If it appears to be functional,reinsert the segment jacks one at a time until the failing segment causes thesymptom again.


T-Runner II (8 and 16 Port Ethernet Hubs)

Description• Free-standing dynamic 10baseT concentrators. Concentrators are also called hubs.

The names are used interchangeably. Also known as the T-Runner II series. Theseare the successors to the T-Runner I series. They have a different look, but thesame essential functionality.


Current StatusBoth products currently manufactured.

Features• The T-Runner II Hub 8 has eight RJ-45 ports. The T-Runner II Hub 16 has 16

RJ-45 ports. Each port is equipped with a green Link Light and an amberActivity light.

• Both units are compatible with all Artisoft 10BaseT ethernet cards.• Both units come with a 10Base2 (thinnet) BNC connector.• Both units come with a AUI (thicknet) connector.• The units come with a separate 120V power supply.• The cases are suitable for wall mounting.

Applications• Small to medium-sized 10baseT installations where no filtering or routing is

desired.• The thinnet port gives the hubs a significant advantage because up to 30 units

can be daisy-chained together without using any of the RJ-45 ports on eachunit and special cabling.

The T-Runner 8 Hub

Front View

Rear View


• The AUI (thicknet) port allows you to daisy chain up to four hubs together,which allows you to use thicknet cable lengths (up to 500 meters) betweenthem.

About 10BaseT10BaseT uses two pairs of tiny wires that are twisted together and covered withinsulation. They are often referred to as UTP for Unshielded Twisted Pairs. One pair isused for transmitting, the other pair for receiving. The wires are attached to an RJ-45jack that looks similar to a phone jack.

• This style of ethernet is inherently more noisy and the cards must be designed tocompensate for this extra interference.

• Hubs can be connected together using the UTP cable but not with standardstraight-through wiring. This would connect the transmit pair to the transmitter inthe hub instead of the receiver. A special crossover cable is used to connect hubs.

10BaseT installations tend to be more complex than coax to justify the extra cost of theconcentrator and the hassle of the extra cables. A typical installation might have one ormore concentrators in a stuffing room with four-conductor UTP run from each port to alay-down board (or patch panel) where large bundles of cables pick off the appropriatepairs and route them through the walls to RJ-45 jacks. Another piece of UTP connectsthe wall jack to the plug on the adapter card. As you can imagine, there is plenty ofroom for cable screwups in this kind of installation. The advantage is that a singlesegment can fail without taking down the rest of the network.

Usage Notes• Passive hubs pass on every signal they receive. They do not discriminate as to

packet type, source, or destination. They do not amplify. A dynamic hub suchas the T-Runner series hubs boosts the signal a bit. However, they do notreduce network traffic or extend the length of a network beyond normalethernet specifications.

• Ethernet specs limit the number of hubs between any two communicatingstations to a maximum of four. This makes the thinnet capability of these unitseven more attractive.

Troubleshooting

• An open wire should be indicated by a loss of the link light. Because of thenumber of connections between the computer and the hub, it's often the casethat the link light will be on but there is too much impedance to pass a clearsignal.

• Signals to a shorted wire will be cut by a jabber circuit in the hub before it canbring down the other nodes. If this feature fails, every single link light andactivity light might energize. In this case, kill the power by pulling the powerjack, remove all cables, and reenergize the unit. If it appears to be functional,reinsert the segment jacks one at a time until the failing segment causes thesymptom again.

The Artisoft Peer Hub

DescriptionA dynamic 10BaseT hub designed to be inserted in a computer.




.Features

• Looks like an 8-bit ethernet adapter but there are no ethernet processing ortransceiver circuits on it. It merely passes signals.

• Five external RJ-45 ports and two internal ports. The external ports arecompatible with all ethernet adapters using UTP connections, including the fullline of Artisoft ethernet adapters. The two internal ports can be connected toother Artisoft AE/T series and NR2000/T series adapters mounted in the samecomputer.

• If an internal connection is wired to an AE-3 or NR2000A adapter, it provides aport to a thinnet or 10base5 installation.

• Up to four Peer Hubs can be put in one machine, providing connectivity forup to 20 external stations plus the internal adapters.

Applications• Small 10baseT installations where the host computer(s) has a free slot.• Low-cost alternative to a free-standing hub.• Particularly attractive for LANtastic networks because of the internal

connectivity options.

Usage Notes• The Peer Hub has two operating modes, hardware and software, set by a

jumper on the card.

Hardware-only mode -- the hub uses the host computer purely as a powersupply. In this configuration the hub requires no IObase.Software Mode -- a program called PH-SETUP.EXE is loaded when thecomputer boots. The software has the following features:

1. Alarms at failure of a port.2. Displays port status including wire reversals and transmission

problems.3. Maintains log of port usage.

• In the software mode, the hub must communicate to the computer, whichrequires an IObase. The default is 2F0h but can be changed with DIPswitches.

• If multiple hubs are put in one machine, they must each be configured with aunique IObase. Each hub comes from the factory with a unique name sothere shouldn't be any confusion running the software.

Troubleshooting• The only problems generally are caused by users who try to use the software

settings with the card in hardware mode, or vice-versa.• Troubleshooting procedures for port failures are the same as for the T-Runner hubs.


The Artisoft Peer Hub

Connections toother Peer Hubsor Artisoft Adapters

5 RJ45UTP Ports

The Artisoft Central Station I and II

DescriptionA free-standing unit for connecting printers, modems, and laptops into a LANtasticnetwork without the need for another computer.


Current StatusThese products are no longer manufactured.

Features• Eliminates the need to tie up a workstation with print jobs.• Has an on-board microprocessor capable of simultaneously handling high-

speed modems, serial printers, parallel printers, and a laptop.• Connects to network via thinnet or UTP.• Special software is available for using the Central Station in a Novell network.• Uses the same stackable housing as an T-Runner hubs.• 12 volt, 1 amp, unregulated power supply.

Applications• Remote Access to a LANtastic or Novell network. (See discussion next page

about Remote Access vs. Remote Control.)• Allows connecting a laptop to a network without the need for purchasing

another network adapter.• Gives greater flexibility in locating a workgroup printer.

Specifications• 2 standard DB-9 bi-directional serial ports.• 1 DB-9 AUX serial port capable of XON/XOFF protocol (Central Station II

only).• 1 DB-25 parallel port designator for parallel printing connections.• 1 DB-25 parallel port that can accommodate a laptop or another parallel

printer (Central Station II only).


• 32K PEROM for storing settings. NOTE: This PEROM will be damaged if theincorrect software is used to program it. See Troubleshooting section fordetails.

Drivers• LANtastic (Laptop to Ethernet) - CSPPORT.EXE• LANtastic (Print Server) - CSPRINT.EXE• LANtastic (Dial Up) - MPORT.EXE• Novell (Laptop to Ethernet) - CSWS.COM• Novell (Print Server) - None (not needed)• Novell (Dial Up) - NDUWS.COM

Usage Notes• Any modems attached to the Central Station cannot be shared by the network or

used for the purposes of dialing out. A modem connected to the Central Stationcan only be used for a single remote dial in session.

• The Central Station is not compatible with LANtastic for Windows 95 machine.• The Central Station will not support a 28.8 modem.

The Central Station ships with software for programming the PEROM and drivers for theinterfacing machines. This software falls into the following categories:

• Laptop-to-Ethernet (LTE) -- allows a laptop (or any DOS-based PC with a parallelport) to connect to the network through the Central Station without the need for aseparate network adapter. The speed of the connection is limited by the maximumspeed of the PC's parallel port (115Kbps) but this limitation is shared by all parallelport adapters.

• Lantastic Printer Server (LPS) -- allows a parallel or serial printer connected to theCentral Station to despool print jobs from another server or servers on the network.This makes it possible to centralize the printers in a workgroup without tying up acomputer in that location.

Printing throughput is a bit slower than a direct connection to the server becausethe job must despool over the network. Print jobs tend to be much slower than10Mbps, though, so there is not usually a big performance penalty.

Setup at the server can be confusing because the software that intercepts the printjob and sends it on to the network must be loaded before the regular networkdrivers.

• Lantastic Dialup (LDU) - allows a remote machine running LANtastic to connect tothe network with a modem without giving up the use of one of the local machines.This kind of "remote access" is not the "remote control" touted by products likeCarbon Copy and PC Anywhere. The difference is important.

REMOTE ACCESS gives a user direct connection to the network through a modemat the remote machine and a modem connected to the Central Station. It is as ifthey had an ethernet adapter in their machine with a very, very, very long cable.

Advantages:

All the local machines can still be used for their normal functions.There is no need for special software other than a NOS license at theremote machine.


The Central Station has the necessary buffered UARTs (UniversalAsynchronous Receiver/Transmitters) for supporting high-speedcommunications.Normal network security is used for guarding access to files.

Disadvantages:

Incurs a serious performance penalty because all data must be transferredvia modem. Where Ethernet speeds rarely fall below 5Mbps even in hightraffic conditions, the fastest modem connection supported by theCentral Station is 14.4 Kbps. The data transfer rate can be as much asquadrupled with special compression algorithms, but these are all butineffective when dealing with files like executables that are alreadycompact. For this reason, users are encouraged strongly not to runprograms across the phone line. The program should be run locally andonly data passed along.Also, because of the limited throughput, delivering graphics to the remoteworkstation is virtually impossible. The Central Station will supportrunning Windows on the remote machine in Standard mode, but actuallyloading long graphics files across the wire is all but out of the question.

REMOTE CONTROL gives a user control of the machine attached to a modem.Everything the local displays locally is also displayed remotely, and every keystrokeand mouse movement made at the remote machine is echoed locally.

Advantages:

Speed. Images are virtualized so that only absolutely necessaryinformation is passed over the modem. Data transfer is kept local on theethernet so the user has the sensation of actually being at the machine.

Disadvantages:

No one else can use the machine while it is being controlled remotely.The smoothness of the remote display isn't quite as nice as the vendorswould like you to believe.Most remote control programs will not operate satisfactorily on amachine that is acting as a server. This is especially true for dedicatedservers where the performance parameters have all been adjusted tofavor network traffic.The programs are not expensive, but in general they cost more than anode of LANtastic.For the most part, if a user is considering the purchase of an CentralStation purely for remote dialup, and security is not an issue, they wouldprobably be better off buying a cheap 386 pizza box machine with nokeyboard or monitor, outfitting it with an Artisoft network adapter and asingle license of LANtastic, cabling it into the network, and putting it in acloset somewhere.

TroubleshootingThe unit itself is reliable but the complexity of connecting modems with different DTErates, initialization strings, and uncertain parentage, not to mention the vagaries of


telephone line connections in general, high-speed telecommunications in particular, andvarious hardware and software incompatibilities at the despool servers and laptop allcombine to make the troubleshooting of Central Station problems a black art indeed.

If there are problems communicating via modem:

• Make sure the modems are set for hardware flow control and that the initializationstrings are correct. The vendor can supply these strings. A few are kept in Foliosbut the list does not cover every possible model of modem.

• If the user has Windows loaded, ensure it is in Standard mode.• Make sure the user is not trying to dial out or in through a digital PBX.• Force the units to a lower DTE and DCE rate.

If there are problems printing:

• Make sure CSPRINT is loading before the network drivers and has the correctparameters on the driver line.

• Make sure the printer works by connecting it with the existing cable to the parallelport of a vanilla machine.

• If the printer is a serial printer, make sure the user has a serial printer cable and nota null modem cable. Make sure the despooling resource is set for INT14.

If there are problems making connection from a laptop:

• The unit comes with a cable for the LTE connection. This is the only approvedcable for LTE. Others, no matter how much they look or ring out like the suppliedcable, will not be supported. New cables can be ordered.

• Vanilla the machine and handload CSPORT and the remaining network drivers.• If the user has Windows loaded, ensure it is in Standard mode.• Use DEBUG to verify that the parallel port is using the standard IObase. Change

the CSPORT line if necessary.

There have been three revisions of StationWare:

• Version 2.0 for use in LANtastic 4.1 networks• Version 2.1 for use in LANtastic 5.0 networks• Version 3.0, a feature enhancement for use in LANtastic 5.0 and 6.0 networks.

Once the PEROM of a Central Station has been updated with the new software, itcannot be taken back to the older settings. Attempting to do so will permanentlydamage the unit and is not covered by warranty.

NOTEThe manual makes several statements concerning the "upgradability" of the hardwareon board the Central Station II, specifically regarding additional memory and newfeatures. There are no memory upgrades available and the unit cannot use regularDRAM in any packaging. There are no new features other than the enhancements inversion 3.0.

To review, the Central Station is a multi-connectivity product designed to perform threefunctions on a LANtastic or NetWare network:


• Remote Dial Up - Dialing into the network from a remote node using amodem.

• Laptop Connection - Connect a laptop or desktop computer to the networkthrough the parallel port.

• Print Server - Connect printers directly to the Central Station and share themon the network.

The Central Station has these ports available for connecting printers:

• Central Station I - LPT1, COM1, COM2• Central Station II - LPT1, COM1, COM2, AUX , PC

In terms of printing, the Central Station I and Central Station II have a few differences:

• The Central Station I CANNOT use the AUX and PC ports for printing.• The Central Station I can use StationWare versions 2.x and 3.x.• The Central Station II can ONLY use StationWare 3.0 software.

The LANtastic Sounding Board (Voice Adapter)

Artisoft manufactured a sound board that was used primarily for recording and playingback voice mail on the LANtastic network. Originally marketed as the Voice Adapter, itlater became known as the Sounding Board. It could also be used to voice “chat” on aLANtastic network. An additional handset from Artisoft was required to record andlisten to messages. You could use this board to record and playback the voice errormessages introduced in LANtastic 5.0. It was marketed as part of the short livedArtisoft Net Media package and the ArtiScribe transcription program before beingdiscontinued.

In a Windows environment, this adapter was capable of recording sound in theMULAW format used by Artisoft, or the Windows WAVE format. You could alsoembed sound into OLE objects.

The Artisoft Central Station

Front View

Rear View

PowerOutlet

BNCConnector

UTPConnector

LPT1Port

COM1Port

COM2Port

AUXPort

PC Port(2nd Parallef Port)

ActivityLights


DescriptionAn 8-bit ISA adapter for recording and playing back sound on a LANtastic network. AMicroChannel version was also manufactured.

Warranty5 years from date of purchaseFeatures

• External handset for recording and listening to messages.• PCM play and record abilities under Windows.• Full duplex operation (record/play).• Dual line in and line out connectors, allowing use of external components

such as a CD-ROM.• Record and play Windows WAVE files or Artisoft MULAW files.• Embed objects into OLE supported applications.• Certified FCC Class B and approved by the FCC for home use.

Current statusThis product is no longer manufactured.

Applications• The board can be used to record voice messages for use with the LANtastic

Mail feature.• Two machines with this adapter and a handset can carry on a phone

conversation using the voice chat feature of LANtastic.• Voice error messages can be recorded and played back in LANtastic versions

5.0 or higher.• Multi-media presentations can be created by embedding sound into OLE

compliant applications.

Specifications• DMA channel 1 - J1• DMA channel 3 - J2• Handset - standard female modular jack (M4P4C)• Digital/Audio conversion using 8-bit sound

Drivers• SOUNDBD.EXE - for playing and recording messages in DOS or Windows.• SOUNDBD.DRV for using the Windows features of the adapter.

Usage Notes• Both DMA channels must be enabled to support full duplex (two way)

communication, such as voice chat. If only one channel is active, you canrecord a message, or play an existing message back, but you cannot voicechat.

• You can convert files between MULAW and WAVE.• This adapter IS NOT Sound Blaster compatible.

Troubleshooting• DMA conflicts are possible, so you must check to make sure that DMA 1 and

3 are available.


• If voice chat does not work, check to see that both DMA channels areenabled.

END OF TRAINING MODULE

DMAJumpers

HandsetJack

RCA In

RCA Out

The Artisoft Sounding Board(Voice Adapter)

Date post:	18-Nov-2014
Category:	Documents
Upload:	mark-scribd
View:	114 times
Download:	3 times

Introduct to Artisoft (LANtastic) hardware training module from 3/23/1996

Documents