Networking MS-DOS PC's

They said it couldn't be done

THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED

This page was written when there weren't many alternatives for the average user to get an MS-DOS PC operating on a local network. The KA9Q NOS, all its variants, and WATTCP all apperead too complex to use, and information on installation and configuration was confusing and widely dispersed.

This has all changed with the introduction of EZ-NOS, a self-contained distribution of a KA9Q NOS variant, which allows almost anyone to get an MS-DOS PC networked in minutes. EZ-NOS is faster and more reliable than the combination of the Microsoft Network Client 3.0 and the Jaffa Web Server which is described here, and it is now recommended that you use EZ-NOS if you are looking to network MS-DOS PC's.

Please visit the EZ-NOS page for further information.



You don't need to run Linux to put an old PC on a network to use it as a peer to peer file server or a web server.

MS-DOS will do just fine, and won't take half as long to boot.



Many people have old 286, 386 and 486 based PC's lying around, redundant and gathering dust. With the advent of modern, high-speed processors, these obsolete boxes seem to have very little life left in them.

However, all is not lost.

If you have a home network, there's nothing to stop you bringing these old PC's back to life, by putting them on your network. True, they probably won't run Windows, but they can be networked using nothing more than MS-DOS and some free software from Microsoft.

What sort of life they'll have, and what they'll be used for once networked is beyond me, but there's nothing to stop it being done, and it is fun seeing an old MS-DOS machine living as a true peer-to-peer client and server when almost everyone says it can't be done, or you'd be better of using Linux.

This guide describes how you can set up an old PC to work with your existing Windows TCP/IP network in a true peer-to-peer way; that is, any PC can copy files to and from the MS-DOS PC, and the MS-DOS PC can copy files to and from any other PC.

It will also show you how to set up that PC as an MS-DOS based Web Server.

I'm assuming that you know how to wire up a network, and have some idea as to what you want to do with the PC once it is networked. What I'm going to be concentrating on here is how to make an MS-DOS PC network compatible, and get a web server up and running, everything else beyond that is up to you, as is making sure that your Windows systems are set up correctly for TCP/IP networking.

This is not an 'Idiot's Guide To' nor 'MS-DOS Networking for Dummies' and does not cover every single aspect of configuration. Various stages of configuration can be quite challenging and testing ( such as configuring the network card's address and interrupt line usage, choosing IP addresses and PC naming ), and are not easy to perform as a novice user.

This guide is really an 'aide memoire', to help me remember the stages of setting up a networked MS-DOS PC and assumes some knowledge and experience of PC network configuration and PC configuration generally.

It doesn't cover esoteric things such as DHCP, PPP, SLIP or the use of any protocols other than TCP/IP. If you want to do anything along those lines, get this installation working, then start tinkering, or look somewhere else for the information you need.

It is recommended that you read through the whole of the instructions first, to see if there are any areas which you feel uncomfortable with or have difficulty understanding. It is far better to admit that you don't know what you're doing before you start ( and learn what you are meant to do ) than get halfway through an installation and find that you have a completely unusable PC on your hands, which you don't know how to fix.

If you have configured a PC network before, or have had experience of installing Linux based routers and firewalls, you should be familiar with almost all of the stages presented in this guide. Putting an MS-DOS PC on a network is no more difficult than putting a Linux system on.

YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY

Whilst the installation of Microsoft Network Client 3.0 and the Jaffa Web Server is quite straight forward, there are a myriad of things which can go wrong with the actual installation. This is because every computer and every network is different.

The procedures in this guide worked for me, with the Network Interface Cards I have, with the IP addresses I am using and with my Windows PC's configured as they are.

Whilst simple deviations from my configuration should not cause a problem, it is always likely that something could go wrong. In those cases, I'm afraid you're on your own. I would love to offer support for configuring MS-DOS PC's but I just don't have the time or resources to do this.

My computer configuration

This guide is based upon the configuration I used to get MS-DOS networking running, the configuration is as follows -

Windows PC

  • Windows 98 ( first edition )
  • 10Mbps ethernet NIC installed
  • Microsoft TCP/IP protocol only installed
  • Fixed IP address of 10.0.0.1

MS-DOS PC

  • 80386, 20MHz, 8MB Ram, 100MB H/D
  • 10Mbps DE-220 ethernet NIC installed
  • NIC address of 0x300
  • NIC interrupt line 10
  • Fixed IP address to be 10.0.0.2
  • Protocol to be TCP/IP only

The two PC's are connected by a single Cat-5 crossover cable, no other PC's are on the network during configuration of the MS-DOS PC.

Microsoft resources

README.TXT: Microsoft Network Client version 3.0
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q135/4/65.asp

How to Set Up the Microsoft Network Client Version 3.0 for MS-DOS
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q238/6/40.ASP

No "Advanced" button in Client TCP/IP Configuration Box
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q128/7/51.asp

Troubleshooting MS Network Client 3.0 and DHCP
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q130/8/75.asp

Error Using Microsoft Network Client SOCKETS.EXE
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q129/9/86.asp

Microsoft Network Client - Workgroup Connection
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q108/3/91.asp

Microsoft Network Client and LAN Manager 2.2c Comparison
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q124/1/75.asp

Pre-installation checks

If the PC you are going to network has software or data which you do not wish to lose; backup the PC first. Software and data may be permanently deleted during the installation.

If the PC has a network card installed; run the network card configuration software, Windows or MSD.EXE to try and determine the address and interrupt settings of the card; make a note of these settings for later use.

If you have the network card configuration software installed, make a backup of this software and re-install it on the PC once we have installed a new version of MS-DOS.

Install MS-DOS

You will need to have a version of MS-DOS installed on the PC you wish to network. I have successfully used the native MS-DOS which underlies Windows 98 on PC's down to 80386's, and the rest of this document assumes you are using this version of MS-DOS.

To create a bootable floppy which can be used to install MS-DOS onto the PC, do the following -

  1. On an PC running Windows 98, go into an MS-DOS prompt
  2. Put a floppy in the drive ( we'll assume it's A: )
  3. C:
  4. FORMAT A: /U
  5. SYS A:
  6. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\FDISK.EXE A:
  7. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\FORMAT.COM A:
  8. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\SYS.COM A:
  9. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\XCOPY.EXE A:
  10. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\MEM.EXE A:
  11. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\MORE.COM A:
  12. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\EDIT.COM A:
  13. COPY \WINDOWS\COMMAND\EDIT.HLP A:

Remove the floppy and go to the PC which you're going to network -

  1. Put the floppy in the drive
  2. Re-boot the PC; this will boot MS-DOS from floppy
If the hard disk has not been formatted or contains data which you no longer wish to keep, you may need to prepare the hard disk as follows. Note : Both FDISK and FORMAT will permanently delete all the data on the hard disk. If you wish to keep the current data, you must back it up first.

  1. FDISK if you need to ( you probably won't )
  2. FORMAT C: /U

Once you have prepared your hard disk, you should re-boot from the floppy and install the necessary files to the hard disk as follows -

  1. A:
  2. SYS C:
  3. FOR %F IN (*.*) DO COPY %F C:\

    Ignore the error when it tries to copy COMMAND.COM

  4. MKDIR C:\DOWNLOAD

Remove the floppy and re-boot the PC. You should now have a PC which is running the MS-DOS which underlies Windows 98 - Yes, it is fun to see the Windows 98 splash screen on a decrepid 80x86 isn't it :-)

Install the Network Card

You now need to open your PC's case and install an ethernet Network Interface Card ( NIC ). When installing the NIC, ensure that the PC is disconnected from the mains suppy and observe anti-static precautions.

Once the NIC has been installed, it is necessary to configure the card. If this is a very old card, it should have jumpers on the printed circuit board. Most ISA cards are software configurable and will require the configuration software to be downloaded and run on the PC with the NIC in place. If you have a PCI card NIC, its address and interrupt line will usually be configured by the BIOS when the PC is turned on.

Configuring a NIC is beyond the scope of this article, as there are many varieties of cards available. If possible, choose a card which is well known and has easily obtainable ( downloadable ) configuration software.

You should configure the NIC as required and make a note of its address and its interrupt. In the rest of this guide we shall assume that the NIC is at address 0x300 and uses interrupt line 10 - this is the recommended setting, and the NIC may often be already configured for these settings.

Download the Network software

You need to find a PC which is connected to the internet, and download the following files-

  1. DSK3-1.EXE ( 864,723 bytes )
  2. DSK3-2.EXE ( 288,142 bytes )
  3. WG1049.EXE ( 303,816 bytes )

The files were downloadable from the Microsoft site when this guide was written, however, as is entirely possible given Microsoft's support for 'obsolete software', they may disapper or be unavailable when you wish to obtain them. If that is the case, fire up your favourite search engine and search for "microsoft network client 3.0"; you should be able to find another source of supply for these files.

As Microsoft Network Client 3.0 is currently being supported by Microsoft, I am unwilling to put the associated files on this site. If Microsoft cease to support Network Client 3.0, and remove the files from their site, I may reconsider my position. For the same reason, I am not prepared to e-mail copies of these files to anyone who needs them at the present time.

Install the Network software

Put the floppy disk containing the files downloaded into the floppy drive of the PC you wish to network, and copy them to the hard disk as follows -

  1. A:
  2. FOR %F IN (*.*) DO COPY %F C:\DOWNLOAD
  3. C:

Configure the Network Software

Please refer to the following information whilst this section is under construction ...

Run the Network Software

Please refer to the following information whilst this section is under construction ...

Finding a Web Server

Download the Web Server software

You need to find a PC which is connected to the internet, and download the following files-

  1. Jaffa Web Server ( 41,832 bytes )
  2. DIS_PKT.DOS Packet Driver ( 4,732 bytes )

Either download both files directly, or copy them, to the Windows PC which will be networked to the MS-DOS PC, in a directory called C:\JAFFA.

Run WinZIP or an equivalent and extract the entire contents of C:\JAFFA\www0005.zip into C:\JAFFA.

The C:\JAFFA directory should now contain the following files ...

  • CGIERR.HTM
  • DIS_PKT.DOS
  • INDEX.HTM
  • NAUGHTY.HTM
  • NOTFOUND.HTM
  • NTCPDRV.EXE
  • READ.ME
  • SETIP.BAT
  • WWW.COM
  • WWW0005.ZIP

Install the Web Server software

On the Windows PC, check that the network is running and that the Networked MS-DOS PC is visible ( DIR \\MSDOSBOX\C ) and do the following from an MS-DOS prompt ...

  1. C:
  2. CD \JAFFA
  3. MKDIR \\MSDOSBOX\C\JAFFA
  4. MKDIR \\MSDOSBOX\C\WWW
  5. COPY *.BAT \\MSDOSBOX\C\JAFFA
  6. COPY *.COM \\MSDOSBOX\C\JAFFA
  7. COPY *.DOS \\MSDOSBOX\C\NET
  8. COPY *.HTM \\MSDOSBOX\C\WWW

Configure the Web Server software

On the Networked MS-DOS PC ...

  1. Edit \NET\SYSTEM.INI to include the packet driver, dis_pkt.dos. This will involve adding an additional entry at the end of the transport= line in the [network drivers] section ...

      [network drivers]
      transport=...,dis_pkt.dos

  2. Edit \NET\PROTOCOL.INI and add the following lines at the end of the file ...

      [PKTDRV]
      Drivername=PKTDRV$
      BINDINGS=binding
      INTVEC=0x60

    The binding value should be the name of the network card, which will be found in a similar BINDING= statement elsewhere in the PROTOCOL.INI file and will normally be MS$NE2CLONE, ie ...

      BINDINGS=MS$NE2CLONE

  3. Edit \JAFFA\SETIP.BAT to set the IP address of the web server ...

      set ip=10.0.0.2
      set netmask=255.255.255.0
      set gateway=10.0.0.1
      set dns=10.0.0.1

    The ip= address should be the IP address you wish to use for the MS-DOS PC and this, and the netmask= value, must be the same as those set when configuring the network software earlier.

    Both gateway= and dns= should be set to the IP address of your Windows PC. If the Windows PC uses DHCP, or does not have a fixed IP address, they should be set to an IP address which is not used on the network; and should have the format 10.x.y.z where z is between 1 and 253.

  4. Create a \WWW\INDEX.HTM file with the following contents ...

      <html>
      <body>
      <h1>Look; it works !</h1>
      </body>
      </html>

  5. Re-Boot the PC and check that the Network functions as before.

Run the Web Server software

On the Networked MS-DOS PC ...

  1. CD \JAFFA
  2. SETIP
  3. NTCPDRV
  4. WWW

You should now see the Web Server control screen displayed. You will have lost the ability to transfer files to or from the MS-DOS PC over the network whilst the Web server is running, but you can now access web pages stored on the MS-DOS PC ( in the \WWW directory ) from your Windows PC using your favorite browser.

When you point your browser to http://10.0.0.2/index.htm, you should see the contents of the \WWW\INDEX.HTM file you created on the MS-DOS PC earlier.

To close down the Web server, on the MS-DOS PC ...

  1. Press the ESC key
  2. NTCPDRV -U

The Web Server has now been terminated, and you may once again access the files and directories on the MS-DOS PC over the network from other PC's.

What now ?

So far we've seen how to put an MS-DOS PC on the network and have got a web server running; what more could you really want ?

There are, however, things which should be done to make the PC usable in everyday life. These are all left as projects for you to undertake by your selves ...

  • Tweak CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to make the maximum use of base, 640K, memory.

  • Tweak AUTOEXEC.BAT to make the starting of the network, and the web server ( if required ) automatic, with network sharing, in both directions, being set when booted.

  • Rearrange the directory structure, and set the PATH= environment variable in AUTOEXEC.BAT to give the PC a cleaner directory structure.

  • Run C:\NET\SETUP.EXE to change the computer's name, workgroup, IP address and other protocol settings as required. Note : You will need to edit C:\NET\SYSTEM.INI after each change to re-enable file sharing, as this will be disabled when SETUP is run.

  • Add any necessary directories and set up directory sharing as required.

  • Backup all the files downloaded, or preferable do a complete system backup, to make re-installation easier if anything goes wrong in the future.



Sites to Visit

  Microsoft

  DSK3-1.EXE
  DSK3-2.EXE
  WG1049.EXE

  Jaffa Web Server

  DIS_PKT.DOS


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First published on Thursday the 8th of March, 2001 at 01:32:08
Last upload was on Tuesday the 23rd of September, 2003 at 19:23:04