MS-DOS, MS's TCP/IP, and Socket Programming 1

[dilettante]

Hi peoples.

I assume most of you are aware of the Microsoft add-in for DOS that provides native networking. You know, the free download?

I'm working on a new use for old 486s and such: use them as file/print servers. Got one up tonight, slow but I haven't started optimizing memory use and disk caching yet.

I have file and print sharing going over TCP/IP (no NetBEUI or IPX here at all).

My question is...

There is a TCP/IP sockets implementation for DOS as part of this package. Does anybody know how this is used? Anybody have any documentation?

If so, can it be used from QBasic/QuickBasic?

And if so, any links to sites or other breadcrumbs you can toss my way?

Thanks.

 

[edfair]

Had you considered using Lantastic and artisoft netbios. Gives some platform interchange into 486s running msdos as the file and print servers. Cuts down on some overhead.
Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[dilettante]

As soon as Lantastic is free and I want the overhead on all my other boxes, perhaps ;-) Don't bother, I have enough ArcNet cards to last me too, thanks much! ;-)

Lantastic 8 (single user) lists at $119. I'm sure there are discounts around though.

Microsoft Network Client 3.0 for MD-DOS is free.

Hmm, which will I use...?

But you do make a very good point about overhead on an old DOS machine.

Still, I think the advantages of being able to run a single network protocol (TCP/IP), using DHCP for configuration, and NTLM discovery for name services put the moldy old Microsoft offering squarely into the "modern" category. At least for DOS-based stuff.

Now if I could figure a way to get at that socket TSR from my programs...

 

[edfair]

Think I bought the last 5 for $30 each. And the coax cards were $5 to $7 each.
I build them like that for ease of use for customers, but my situation is unusal and wouldn't apply to many others. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Alt255]

I can't vouch for this yet but you might try going to

http://www.programmersheaven.com

and entering "sniffer" in the search box. It should produce a link to a download for "sniffer.zip". (Sounds a bit clumsy, I know, but this was the only way I was able to download the file).

The zip should contain the DOS TSR packet drivers and an elementary packet sniffer written in QB. You might find a way to use the code with your existing driver.

Reading the docs, I realized that "sniffer.zip" probably wouldn't provide an adequate answer to your question but it might provide a starting point. Writing a fully functioning QB program to send and receive network packets could involve a lot more work.

 

[dilettante]

Thanks much!

Any lead beats no lead at all.

 

[MiggyD]

The only thing I can think of, after reading this post, is MSDOS's files INTERLNK.EXE and INTERSVR.EXE that provide for "a sort of network" connectivity through DOS ports.

I've checked my old prgs and have found these in MS-DOS 6.2 and 6.22 (I am very certain it originally came with DOS 4 but cannot confirm as I have long since lost my disks and backups for vers. 3 thru 5.)

--MiggyD


It's better to have two heads to solve a problem from different angles than to have tunnel vision to a dead end.

 

[dilettante]

No, I already have full TCP/IP connectivity in MS-DOS by using Network Client 3.0

The DOS machine can use shares and printers on other MS machines (XP, NT4, Win98), and it can act as a print and file server to those other machines as well.

I was looking for other TCP/IP clients (Telnet, FTP, etc.) that work with this TCP/IP stack as well as documentation on how to write my own.

Hey folks, so far this thing seems rock solid - much better than most of the packet-driver based TCP/IP stacks I've found and as good as the best of them.

Too bad this wasn't publicized more back when people still wanted to use DOS more commonly.

And as I said, it includes NetBEUI and IPX for any retro-netters as well.

 

[Guest_imported]

supercomputer.at/qbasic101 read above and did a search. I think this can help

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q238640

as it refers you to a book, or file on same. hope it help.

 

[dilettante]

Thanks, but I have networking set up. I wanted the old MS-DOS Sockets SDK if possible I think.

My goal was to use the Microsoft TCP/IP stack from my own programs.