Netware connectivity and C2950

[CHM1]

I upgrade my network from hubs to C2950 switches.
The PCs are Win 9x and use the microsoft network client and the Netware client from Novell.
On some PCs after the upgrade i have no more connectivity for Netware (ie no netware login window); Microsoft Windows is OK and ping is good.
I configured spanning-tree portfast and no spanning-tree on the switches : no matter.
I have to upgrade the netware client from version 3.1 to version 3.3 to get netware connectivity.
Anybody has an idea what's happening ?

 

[IPKONFIG]

Yes, netware sucks! We used to run Novell in the past and had this exact same issue. We had to run the newer client piece and always make sure that portfast is enabled on all client ports. When your Win9X clients boot, novell is loaded first and looks for SAPS. If it doesn't see any it will bypass the novell login screen and it will look like it's not functioning. Portfast is not quick enough to turn up the port on the boot up so you don't get your Novell login. The new novell client will not look for SAPS until the machine has had enough time to get a link from the switch. Hence it sees the SAPS it's looking for.

"I can picture a world without war. A world without hate. A world without fear. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it."
- Jack Handey, Deep Thoughts

 

[vipergg]

On the switch use the "switchport host" command which also turns off trunking and channeling and cause the port to come up faster than even with portfast turned on for all user ports.