Arachne and LAN (Local Area Network)

Introduction to network adapters

Arachne uses something called packet driver interface to get TCP/IP connectivity. In DOS, there are various standarts to communicate with network adapter (eg. Ethernet card). If your card is shipped with ODI driver, you can use freeware utility called ODIPKT.COM. If you are using NDIS interface, try to find some utility to convert NDIS interface to packet driver interface (eg. in Windows 95 DOS, if you have chance to assign second IP address to your PC, try NDIS3PKT driver).

NCSA Telnet compatibility

Arachne will work on every computer in LAN, where NCSA Telnet works. Setup Arachne to use resident packet driver and configure via BOOTP. If you don't want to use graphical setup, the syntax of commands in ARACHNE.CFG is
Connection READY
IP_Address BOOTP
TCP_Config LAN_TCP.CFG
 Note: Arachne package contains copy NCSA Telnet and FTP and their CONFIG.TEL configuration file. If you are already using them on your LAN, the easiest way is to delete the copies from Arachne package).

DOSLYNX/WatTcp compatibility

If you are already running DOSLYNX (or other WatTcp applications) and have working DOSLYNX.CFG, try to put to A HREF="arachne.cfg">ARACHNE.CFG something like this:
Connection READY
IP_Address WATTCP
TCP_Config C:\DOSLYNX\DOSLYNX.CFG (or something like C:\WATTCP\WATTCP.CFG)

Server installation

If you want to install Arachne on server (ie. drive S:), caching is strongly recomended (eg. NWCACHE S+). You need some directory dedicated to each running copy of Arachne. If workstations have some local disk space available (eg. drive C:) and each user has it's own home direcotry (eg. H:), try to setup Arachne options like this:

Cache path C:\CACHE\
Mail path H:
Download path A:\
Cache index C:\CACHE\tohleuz.mam
History file H:tadyjsem.byl
In this case, don't forget to create directory C:\CACHE! You can add creating this directory at the begining of ARACHNE.BAT, as well as command for loading packet driver.

If workstations use different SVGA cards, run Arachne always from local directory (ie. C:\ARACHNE) because Arachne always saves video card information (ARACHNE.PCK) in current directory. But make sure each ARACHNE.PCK uses same history file (ie. C:\ARACHNE\tadyjsem.byl)

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