(...from article posted to the AppleShare IP discussion forum 4/13/99)

Hello,

I'm (almost) blissfully ignorant about Windows networking. My mission: To boldly connect a group of Windows users in one office (on the East coast) to an AppleShare IP 6.1.1 server on the West coast for file sharing (and mail too, but that part was easy) via TCP/IP.

Here are the results of my journey down the Mac-network person-has-to-learn-how-to-connect-Windows-boxes-to-an-AppleShareIP-server road. (If someone has seen any documentation or instructions regarding this, please share! The list archives, the TIL and the instructions on the installer CD were of little help. Maybe Apple will include something a bit more helpful in future Read Me files or documentation?!?.)

To connect a Windows 95 client to the AppleShare server I followed these steps:
1. I turned on Windows file sharing on the ASIP server. I left all the defaults alone.

2. Find your lmhosts file on your Windows client. It's located on your C drive:Windows folder. If you don't have one you may find a file called lmhosts.sam, which is a sample of a lmhosts file you can use. This file is what links the TCP/IP address of the ASIP server to a name. Here's the first part of the description in the file itself:

"This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to NT computernames
# (NetBIOS) names. Each entry should be kept on an individual line.
# The IP address should be placed in the first column followed by the
# corresponding computername. The address and the comptername
# should be separated by at least one space or tab. The "#" character
# is generally used to denote the start of a comment (see the exceptions
# below)."

You'll need to edit this file such that it has an entry such as this:
123.456.78.90 (space or tab) asipserver

I used the name 'asipserver' but you can use whatever you like. Keep the name one single word (for example asipserver instead of asip server). I don't know if you can use uppercase letters, the example uses all lowercase so I'd stay with that. No punctuation. The TCP/IP address MUST the address of the AppleShare IP server.

NOTE: When you edit the lmhosts file be careful that the text editor on your Windows machine doesn't rename the file lmhosts.txt, lmhosts.doc or somesuch. The file must be called "lmhosts" (that's LMHOSTS without the quote marks, all lowercase). Rename the file to lmhosts if yours was renamed by your text editor when you edited it.

3. Restart your Windows machine. When prompted to 'Enter Network Password' for Microsoft Networking, enter your user name and password for the AppleShare server. These are the same name and password as you would use for AppleShare or FTP access. (If you aren't prompted for a password when you start up your computer, you probably need to install the client for Microsoft Networks in the Network control panel)

NOTE: The user name and password you enter at startup for Microsoft Networking MUST match the user and password on the ASIP server!

4. Choose 'Find Computer...' from the Start menu. Enter the name you entered in your lmhosts file (i.e. asipserver). You should 'see' the Appleshare server at the IP address you entered across the internet via TCP/IP. Double-click on it to see it's contents. You can make a shortcut (a.k.a Alias) of the server to make future connections easier.

Alternate connection method #1 "Map Network Drive":
1. Edit your lmhosts file as in #1 above
2. Right-click the "My Computer" icon
3. Choose 'Map Network Drive'
4. Select an unused drive letter
5. In the Path field enter: \\asipserver\shared_volume_name

Alternate connection method #2 "The NET USE" command from a DOS prompt:
1. Edit your lmhosts file as in #1 above
2. Choose 'Run...' from the Start menu
3. Type: command in the 'Open' field to get to the DOS prompt
4. Type: net use * \\asipserver\shared_volume_name /USER:"fred flintstone"

Directions for Mac Users to connect to a remote ASIP 6.x server across the internet:
1. Select "Chooser" under the Apple menu
2. Click on the AppleShare icon
3. Click the "Server IP Address..." button and enter the IP address or DNS name of the server.

These three methods worked for me, and hopefully will help other confused users who are trying to do the same thing.

Now I'm feeling good about being a 'Windows Networking Rocket Scientist'...Sorry if this is remedial, it sure isn't the intuitive Mac networking interface some of us are used to working with every day.

Kirk van Druten
LANsharks Consulting
510-601-5475 Voice
510-601-5130 Fax
kirk@lansharks.net
www.lansharks.net