Running Windows 95 with LAN Manager

Either Windows 95 or Windows NT Server can be installed as upgrades for all versions of LAN Manager and IBM OS/2® LAN Server, depending on the role you want that computer to serve on the network. Microsoft recommends that you upgrade these servers, rather than maintain these legacy systems on your network.

A workgroup in Windows 95 is analogous to a LAN Manager domain in that it's a logical grouping of workstations. However, a workgroup in Windows 95 does not share any of the advanced security features offered as part of a LAN Manager domain. Windows 95 does not support using a LAN Manager domain controller as a security provider, so only share-level security can be used for computers running Windows 95 on LAN Manager networks. (User-level security requires a Windows NT domain.)

To ensure computers running Windows 95 can browse for LAN Manager servers, make sure that at least one computer running Client for Microsoft Networks sets its workgroup name to the LAN Manager domain name. After a computer running Windows 95 becomes a member of the LAN Manager domain, it can distribute the names of LAN Manager servers in that domain to other computers running Windows 95 on the network. The configuration must be duplicated for each LAN Manager domain.

To ensure LAN Manager workstations can see and access resources on computers running File and Printer Sharing Services for Microsoft Networks

  1. Make sure that all the computers are using a common protocol.
  2. Make sure that users running LAN Manager clients have been granted access to the resources on the computers running Windows 95.
  3. Set the value of the LM Announce property to Yes on each computer running Windows 95 with File and Printer Sharing services, as described in "Configuring File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" in Chapter 11, "Logon, Browsing, and Resource Sharing."

The LM Announce setting ensures that the computer running Windows 95 peer resource sharing services announces its presence to LAN Manager workstations and servers. By default, the LM Announce property is set to No to reduce broadcast traffic on the network.

Tips for LAN Manager Variations

IBM OS/2 LAN Server supports a domain model and is equivalent to LAN Manager for interoperating with Windows 95. Just as with Windows for Workgroups, the Client for Microsoft Networks in Windows 95 does not support LAN Server aliases.

DEC PATHWORKS is a LAN Manager-compatible network, but it does not support a domain model for browsing servers and shared resources. DEC PATHWORKS servers will appear in Network Neighborhood.

For more information about both of these networks, see Chapter 10, "Windows 95 on Other Networks."