Using Analyzer Software Competently
Network protocol analyzer software is Novell's first entry into the world of DOS-based LANs. Like the other products reviewed, Network Analyzer Software uses DOS 3.x's file and record-locking features to provide data sharing. Unlike the others, Network Analyzer Software uses IPX as its primary data transport. At first glance, Network Analyzer Software $ 99 per node price sounds good, but as you get 10 or more users on your network, Network Analyzer Software becomes expensive.
In comparison to the other reviewed systems, Network Analyzer Software supports the greatest number of the popular network interface cards.In a move aimed at making Network Analyzer Software easy to install and work in most environments, Novell includes drivers for a dozen cards. Also, Network Analyzer Software uses the new ODI driver format, introduced with NetWare, allowing even more connectivity options.
Installing the Network Analyzer Software and network interface card takes about 10 minutes per node. Anyone familiar with the basic concepts of networking will find Network Analyzer Software easy to set up and use.
One major drawback with the installation is its copy-protection scheme, which forces you to install Network Analyzer Software from a different disk for each computer. You can't just carry a single configured floppy disk from PC to PC. If two computers on the network have the same copy of Network Analyzer Software installed, both computers report a "License Violation" periodically on the screen.Copy protection of this nature imposes a long-term management effort, because someone must keep track of the pairing of each installation disk with each computer. Network Analyzer Software consumes about the same amount of RAM as its peers. A clinet PC gives up about 27.5K of RAM, and the serve software takes about 49K. Both can be loaded high with expanded memory managers. Since Network Analyzer Softwares caching is relatively wimpy compared to the competition, you will want to run a cache program, like SMARTDRV.SYS in DOS 5.0 or Super PC-Kwik in any PC setup, as a server. These programs take up anywhere from 22K to 40K of memory. Network Analyzer Software provides both a menu-driven and command-line program called NET to set up the sharing and use of network services. Network Analyzer Software includes the standard file- and print-sharing features needed to handle any small organization's needs. However, it does not provide a provision for grouping users together to better assign them rights and privileges. Network Analyzer Software is a solid entry to the DOS-based LAN market, even though its copy-protection scheme is annoying and will cause network administrators grief. Still, Network Analyzer Software is a complete entry-level LAN, offering a well-implemented set of features and a smooth progression.
Network Testing Software
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