Microsoft KB Archive/166321

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Configuring Maximum IPX Packet Size in Windows 95

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Q166321

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 95
 * Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release, versions 1, 2, 2.1

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SYMPTOMS
When you are using the IPX/SPX-compatible protocol that is included in Windows 95 to communicate across an IPX router, some communications may not work if the router requires a smaller packet size than is used by the LAN media (Ethernet or Token Ring, for example).

In some cases, NCP-based communications with NetWare servers may succeed, but operations using other protocols running over IPX, such as SPX or NetBIOS, may not work.

CAUSE
You may be able to work around such routing restrictions by manually limiting the size of IPX packets sent by the communicating systems. However, when you are using the version of the IPX/SPX-compatible protocol that is included in Windows 95 (all versions), it is not possible to manually specify a maximum IPX packet size.

RESOLUTION
An update for Microsoft Windows 95 and OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) to provide this functionality is now available from Microsoft, but has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to computers experiencing this specific problem. To resolve this problem immediately, contact Micros ft Technical Support to obtain the fix.

For a complete list of Microsoft Technical Support phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

"http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp" This update for Windows 95 and OEM Service Release 2 should have the following file attributes (or later):

  File name     Version    Date      Time     Size -  Nwlink.vxd    4.00.1112  4/23/97   11:12am  51,049 bytes

It may be possible to work around this issue by limiting the maximum packet size sent by the network adapter itself. Not all network adapter drivers provide such a feature, and implementing such a feature, if it exists, may vary among network adapter drivers. Contact your network adapter manufacturer for more information about this possible workaround.

It may also be possible to resolve this issue by a configuration change or updated software or firmware on the router itself. Contact your router manufacturer for more information about this possible workaround.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 95 and OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2).

This updated functionality is not included in Microsoft Windows 98.

MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about issues resolved by updates to this component, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q174202 Configuring SPX Watchdog Timers in Windows 95

Q164474 OE Exception in NWLINK Sending Message from Microsoft Exchange

Q159959 Connection Fails Over IPX with Duplicate SPX Connection ID

Q149448 Incorrect Node Address In IPX Header Causes Broadcast Storm

Q145651 Windows Sockets Program Generates Errors In WSIPX

Q138000 Error Connecting to an Attachmate Gateway with a Cisco Router

For additional information about Windows 95 updates, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q161020 Implementing Windows 95 Updates"

For additional information about specifying the maximum IPX packet size for the IPX/SPX-compatible protocol that is included in Windows NT, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q99745 Tuning NWLINK Registry Parameters

Q103002 REG: Network Services Entries, Part 6

For information about how to contact third-party vendors, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

Q60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

Q60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z Additional query words:

Keywords : kbenv osr1 msnets osr2 win95

Issue type :

Technology : kbWin95search kbOPKSearch kbWin95 kbWin95OPKOSR2 kbWin95OPKOSR1 kbWin95OPKOSR210