Memo: RPI.125

Subject: PC Network

Date: September 1999

Connecting Your Windows 95/98 PC to RCS

(Dynamic IP and Static IP)

Introduction

You can connect to RCS resources from your PC using Windows 95/98. The RCS server called sambasrv allows you to access your RCS home directory, shared areas, and print to RCS network printers. A valid RCS userID and password are required.

Dynamic IP is the preferred method of connecting a machine to the Rensselaer network. Rensselaer and CIS have implemented Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) through most of campus. The configuration is extremely simple and easy to manage. As the computer moves between different locations, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server will reconfigure itself as necessary to accommodate the move. DHCP allows the automatic assignment of IP addresses to reduce the administrative and setup procedures for both the users and the system administrators.

However, there are a few cases when a static IP address is required. For example, any server requires a static IP address as do some office locations. You must request a static IP address by submitting a Static IP Request form available from the Help Desk in the VCC or at

http://www.rpi.edu/Computing/Docs/Forms/forms.html

You will be given the following information that you need prior to installing Microsoft’s TCP/IP stack:

· Host and Domain Name · Subnet Mask

· IP Address · Gateway (router) Address

· DNS Server address (es)

The following steps are explained in this memo:

· Installing and configuring a TCP/IP stack (Dynamic IP and Static IP)

· Connecting to RCS files (Mapping a network drive)

· Connecting to RCS printers (Installing a printer driver)

· Verifying TCP/IP settings

Installing and Configuring a TCP/IP Stack

Dynamic IP and Static IP

You must install and configure Microsoft’s TCP/IP stack, if you wish to use sambasrv for RCS printing and file access from your PC with Windows 95/98.

Step 1

Click the Start button and select Control Panel as shown below.

Step 2

Double-click Network (shown highlighted). You may have to use the scroll bars to find the Network icon.

Step 3

The Network configuration dialog box is displayed showing a list of components already installed. Your list may differ from the one displayed below. If TCP/IP is already installed as shown highlighted below, skip to Step 6, otherwise click Add... to install the new stack.

Step 4

Select Protocol and click Add...

Step 5

Select Microsoft and TCP/IP. Click OK.

Step 6

TCP/IP is now installed. Select TCP/IP and click Properties.

Step 7

Dynamic IP (left): Select Obtain an IP address automatically.

Static IP (right): Select Specify an IP address and enter IP address and Subnet Mask (obtained previously from hostmaster). Skip to Step 9.

Step 8

Dynamic IP Only: Click the WINS Configuration tab and select Use DHCP for WINS Resolution.

Step 9
Dynamic IP: Click the Gateway tab and make sure the box below Installed gateways is empty.

Static IP: Click the Gateway tab, enter New gateway information (obtained previously from hostmaster) and click Add.

Step 10

Dyamic IP (left): Click the DNS Configuration tab. Click Disable DNS. Click OK.

Static IP (right): Click the DNS Configuration tab and select Enable DNS. Enter the Host, Domain, and DNS Server Search Order information supplied by hostmaster. Enter the following two entries: rcs.rpi.edu and rpi.edu under Domain Suffix Search Order. (Click Add after entering each one.) Click OK when done.

Step 11

Click the Identification tab and record Computer name, Workgroup, and Computer Description.

§ The Computer Name should be your RCS userid.

§ The Workgroup setting should be the name of your dorm.

§ The Computer Description can be any descriptive text.

Click OK when done.

Step 12

You will be prompted to restart the computer. Ensure all other programs are closed and select Yes. The computer will restart with the TCP/IP stack installed and configured.

Connecting to RCS Files

(Mapping a Network Drive)

RCS users who have a properly installed and configured Microsoft TCP/IP stack can connect to the RCS server called sambasrv, which will make RCS files and directories appear as an additional drive on your machine. You can choose to map network drives to connect to your own RCS file space, or RCS public directories, or both. A valid RCS user account is required. Follow the instructions below.

Step 1

For RCS to allow access, you must supply your RCS username at the Windows login dialog box displayed at Windows startup, shown below.

The password is user-selectable. However, if you use your RCS userid and password, a password prompt will not be displayed when connecting to RCS resources. Keep in mind, that your RCS resources are only as secure as your password.

Step 2

Select My Computer from the Windows 95/98 Desktop. The window shown below will be displayed. The contents of the window may differ. Selecting the Toolbar and Large Icons options in the View pull down menu will aid in following the remaining instructions.

Step 3

Click the Map Network Drive button on the toolbar.

Step 4

The Map Network Drive dialog box will be displayed prompting for the Drive and Path of the desired disk resource. The drive letter will default to the next available drive but any available drive letter may be used. To connect to your RCS home directory, enter \\sambasrv\rcs-userid for Path, where rcs-userid is your RCS userid. To connect to public space, enter \\sambasrv\public for Path. Ensure the box to the left of Reconnect at logon is not checked or Windows startup performance can be severely affected. Previously successful drive mappings can be selected by clicking the down arrow to the right of the Path specification.

Step 5

You may be prompted to enter your RCS password. For security's sake, do not select Save this password in your password list. Your RCS home directory or RCS public space will now be mapped to the drive specified.

A new window(s) will appear containing folders that represent the directories in either your home directory or public areas, depending on which you chose. These new directories will be listed as additional drives when you select My Computer.

Connecting to RCS Printers

(Installing a Printer Driver)

RCS users who have a properly installed and configured Microsoft TCP/IP stack can connect to RCS resources from their Windows 95/98 PC. This allows access to printing to CIS networked printers. The instructions for connecting to a printer are described below. A valid RCS user account is required. You must first map a network drive (see instructions in the previous section).

Windows 98 Registry Update: (Not necessary for Freshmen laptops provided by Rensselaer)

To allow a Windows 98 machine to transmit a plain-text password, as required by sambasrv, the registry must be updated. To update the registry, download the following file:

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/acs/consult/pc.software/ibm/win98/98_PlainPassword.reg

saving it to the desktop. Then double-click on it.

Before installing a printer driver

Before installing a printer driver, you need to know:

§ the name of the printer, for example, tr2018lw

§ the recommended printer driver for the chosen printer

There are many different printers that can be used on campus. Most RCS printer names follow the convention that the first two characters represent the building, the next four represent the room number and the final two characters represent the printer type. Some examples of printer locations and definitions are:

· VCC South LaserWriter, vcsoutlw · Walker Lab room 6113 LaserWriter, wl6113lw

· JEC room 3207 LaserWriter, ec3207lw · CII room 6208 Phaser 200 color printer, ci6208p2

To find this information, see the list of public printers in RPInfo. (From the ACS homepage, click Printing, then CIS Public Printers, then Sorted by location or Sorted by type.) From the list, you can click on the name of any printer to find out the recommended driver. For almost all the black & white, one-sided printers on campus, we recommend the driver AppleLaserWriter 16/600 PS. (This driver is on the hard drive for the laptops and most other Windows computers.) A few printers have special features: for example, the printer in the VCC Print Room, called vclw, is a QMS 3225 that can print 2-sided and has an option for selecting B-size (11"x17") paper. To take advantage of such special features, you will need to install the printer driver for that particular model printer.

Step 1

For RCS to allow access to public printers, you must have supplied your RCS username at the Windows login dialog box displayed at Windows startup, shown below. The password is user selectable. However if you use your RCS userid and password, a password prompt will not be displayed when connecting to RCS resources. Keep in mind, that your RCS resources are only as secure as your password.

Step 2

Click the Start button. Select Settings, then Printers as shown below.

Step 3

Double-click Add Printer (shown highlighted below).

Step 4

The Add Printer Wizard will start. Select Next >.

Step 5

Select Network Printer if you want to connect to one of the CIS public printers. Select Local Printer if you want to connect to a printer directly connected to your personal computer. Click Next >. (If you selected Local printer, go to step 7.)

.)

Step 6

Type the network address for the printer in the Network path or queue name field. This address is always the server name (\\sambasrv\) followed by the RCS printer name, in this example vcnrthlw, the printer in VCC North. Be sure to type backslashes (\), not forward slashes (/)!

There is a list of public printers on RPInfo. From the ACS homepage, click Printing, then CIS Public Printers, then Sorted by location or Sorted by type. Then click on the name of any printer to find the recommended driver.

Click Next> when the desired printer is entered. (If you get a message that the printer is currently offline, it probably means you typed the name wrong. Click <Back and retype the name exactly as shown.) At this point, Windows 95/98 will attempt to connect to the specified RCS printer.

Step 7

You must select a specific printer driver. To take advantage of a particular printer’s unique features, such as color printing, you must select the specific printer model. Apple (from the Manufacturers list) and Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS (from the Printers list ) is recommended for almost all campus black & white printers.

Select the appropriate manufacturer and then the appropriate printer and then click Next> to continue. If you get the message that this driver is already installed, select Keep existing driver and click Next>.

If the driver you have selected is not on your hard drive, you may be asked to insert a diskette or the Windows 95/98 CD. The files you need should be on your Windows 95/98 diskettes or CD that came with your computer. You may have to browse the CD to find them. They are most likely located in the root of the CD or in the Win95 or Win98 directory.

Step 8

By default, the printer type is used for the name. However, you should change this to the RCS printer name, in this case VCNRTHLW. Since this is a public printer, do not make it your default printer (click No).

Step 9

You will be prompted to print a test page. Make your selection and click Finish.

The printer is now installed and can be selected from within application programs in Windows 95/98.

Verifying TCP/IP Settings in Windows 95/98

To verify TCP/IP settings in Windows 95/98, collect the following IP information. This information includes:

· Host and Domain Name

· IP Address

· Subnet Mask

· Gateway (router) Address

· DNS Server address (es)

To view your IP configuration, Click Start and select Run as shown below.

Enter winipcfg as shown below and click OK.

The IP configuration dialog box is displayed. Click More Info >>.

A window similar to that shown below is displayed showing your configuration. Compare these values with those provided by CIS. If differences exist, refer to the section Installing and Configuring Windows 95/98 TCP/ to properly configure the IP information.

Dynamic IP Static IP