Tips on Networking in Windows NT Customize All Staff
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Use the NWLink protocol shipped with Windows NT to provide application services to NetWare clients. Install it by going to Control Panel/Network / Add Software. Select NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport from the list, and click Continue. This copies NWLink files. Click Continue. After bindings are run, you'll see the NWLink Configuration dialog box. The defaults should work for most systems. Click OK. You'll need to shut down and restart Windows NT to use NWLink. Applications that use NetBIOS commands to provide low-level I/O will work with NetWare client software when run on an NT server using NWLink. In other respects, NWLink functions like the NetBEUI protocol and can even replace it for communications between NT systems.
Carry Lotsa Cache
Maximize server throughput with a large client-side cache. Microsoft's Windows NT Advanced Server Reviewer's Guide indicates Windows for Workgroups 3.11 clients run against an NT server can double their performance with 4MB dedicated to VCACHE. This is the configuration Microsoft recommends for client-side systems with 12MB or more of RAM.
Freeware Messager - Send WinPopUp Messages in WinNT
Tired of using "NET SEND" or Server Manager to send network PopUp messages? Download Messager, expand the archive, and place the files in \system32. Create a shortcut to messager.exe and place it on your DeskTop or in the Start Menu.
Ghosted Connections
If you want to Ghost/Un-Ghost persistent connections, edit:
If you're running Windows NT servers from a locked closet or server room, you can make them fully bootable. This means they won't require human intervention to carry out initial log-ins and run startup batch files. Run the Windows NT Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE), select the server's
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ WinLogon. Select Edit/Add Value, then enter value name AutoAdminLogon of type REG_SZ and set it to 1. Set the DefaultUserName and DefaultPassword variables to suit the server's log-in and script execution. Because this procedure stores the clear-text user name and password in the Registry, I suggest you create a special account for this purpose that doesn't have administrative permissions.
Give our Machine a Netbios Alias in Windows NT
If you have an machine name that is invalid for SQL Server, Exchange, or just want to be cute, you can change it in Control Panel / Networks, but that could be a lot of work. Create an alias instead, by editing:
To make Windows NT shared resources (files and printers) accessible to WFWG machines (and Windows NT systems that aren't members of the same Windows NT Advanced Server Domain), enable the built-in Guest account. Log on as the administrator, run User Manager (or User Manager for Domains on a Windows NT Advanced Server) and double-click on the account named Guest. By default, the Account Disabled check box is checked. Remove the check to make shared resources available to those without accounts on your system. Now, any shared resource you gave the group "everyone" access to in File Manager is visible and accessible to guests. To keep guests out of certain shares, give "everyone" the No Access permission level and override this by giving Full Access or other permissions to specified user groups.
Hiding a Server From the Browser
To hide a server from the browser, edit:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ LanmanServer \Parameters
Add value Hidden (REG_DWORD). Set it to 1.
Reboot the server. It may take up to ½ hour for the server to disappear from the browse lists.
It's Okay to Be Insecure
If security's not a primary concern, eliminate the Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to Log In, and the need to enter a user name and password each time the system starts by modifying your system configuration. Run REGEDT32, and add two new REG_SZ variables to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft \Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon key. The new variables should be named DefaultPassword (which should be set to the password used by the user name specified by the DefaultUserName variable) and AutoAdminLogon (which should be set to 1). Also check to see that the DefaultDomain variable has a legal value (this should be the local Windows NT Advanced Server domain on Advanced Server networks, or the Machine Name on standalone Windows NT systems). Then exit the Registry and log off. The system will automatically log you on using the specified default user name and password. Note: Because this step stores a clear-text password in the Windows NT registry, it violates C2 security guidelines and should not be used on secure systems.
Managing the Mapped Network Drive Dropdown List
If you want to remove some the connections in the list, edit:
Highlight and delete unwanted entries. Then double click Order and remove the deleted letters. You may rearrange the letters to change the display order.
Want an Inexpensive Groupware Solution?
By placing shortcuts to your team members' desktop folders on your desktop, you can drag documents from Explorer to any of those icons; a copy of the document will appear in that desktop folder and its icon will be displayed on the member's desktop. For Windows NT, the desktop folder is located at %windir% \ profiles \ UserName \ Desktop and for W95 it is Windows \ Desktop.
