Update Network Client 3.0 with new Drivers

A DOS-based system can connect to a Windows95 or WindowsNT4 Workstation or a Windows NT server using the "Microsoft Network Client 3.0".

The SETUP-floppy contain the drivers for the most popular Network-boards:



But Microsoft has not updated this list for several years with new network-boards, for example, the list is missing the commonly used "3COM FastEthernet 3C905B" board, which I use here as an example for updating the the setup-floppies (as show in Knowledge base article Q128800):

Look on the driver-floppies of your Network-board for a directory with the NDIS2-drivers for DOS, which has to include the file: OEMSETUP.INF. This file needs to include a section: [netcard] and 2 sections for the specific driver for installation and for initialization.

Look now on the floppy #1 of the "Network Client 3.0" for the file: "WCNET.INF", open this file for editing, because you have now to copy/paste some information from the OEMSETUP.INF of your network-board to this file: 1) copy the section [netcard]

2) copy the NDIS2 driver's installation and initialization section from the
OEMSETUP.INF to the end of this WCNET.INF-file
(the names of these sections are defined in the [netcard]-section) :


3) in the appended section of WCNET.INF, remove (or make them
comment-lines as shown below) the "devDIR" and "device" lines.
Add the line: "ndis2=1:<drivername>"
(for example for the 3C905B: ndis2=1:EL90X.DOS),
then save WCNET.INF.


4) Copy the NDIS2-driver file to the SETUP-floppy#1
(for the 3C905B: EL90X.DOS)


When now running the SETUP of the "Network Client 3.0", you can select
from the list your network-card: