================================================================================
                          Network Configuration Manager
              Copyright (C) 2000, John Blumel. All Rights Reserved.
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This Read Me file contains information about the Network Configuration Manager 
utility and instructions for installing it.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
This document contains the following sections:

        - What is the Network Configuration Manager?
        - License for use of the Network Configuration Manager.  
        - Installing the Network Configuration Manager.
        - Using the Network Configuration Manager.
        - Getting Help.



WHAT IS THE NETWORK CONFIGURATION MANAGER 
=========================================

The Network Configuration Manager is a free utility that allows you to save and
manage multiple OS/2 network configurations. It can handle settings for multiple 
protocols and adapters and allows you to quickly switch between them without 
having to change settings in multiple configuration programs like MPTS and the
TCP/IP configuration notebook. It is not, however, intended to replace MPTS and
other OS/2 network configuration utilities but rather to provide a way of 
saving configurations set up with these other tools and quickly switching 
between them as needed. The Network Configuration Manager also DOES NOT maintain
the driver installations in your config.sys.



LICENSE FOR USE OF THE NETWORK CONFIGURATION MANAGER 
====================================================

This software is free software and you may use it in any manner you wish. You
may also redistribute it as you wish as long as this document and license are
distributed with it. 

This software is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, 
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.



INSTALLING THE NETWORK CONFIGURATION MANAGER 
============================================

The .zip archive containing the Network Configuration Manager (NCM) should have
contained the following files:

        NetConfig.exe - the Network Configuration Manager utility
        ReadMe        - this document

Requirements:

        1. OS/2 Warp 4.0
        2. VROBJ.DLL v2.1C or higher. Version 2.1D is available at:

                 ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/dev/rexx/vrobj21d.zip

To install the update:

        1. Create a directory and move unzip the files listed above into it.

        2. Right click on the NetConfig.exe file and select "Create Program
           Object" from the pop-up menu.

        3. Assign the program object a name, select a location and click
           Create.



USING THE NETWORK CONFIGURATION MANAGER 
=======================================

If you haven't already set up your network adapters through MPTS, you should
do this first.

1. Start the MPTS utility. (It's in the System Setup folder or it can be
   started from the Advanced menu of the NCM.)
2. Add and set up all of the adapters and protocols you will be using.
3. Close and exit MPTS saving the adapter information and allowing MPTS to 
   update your config.sys with the driver information
4. OPTIONAL -- Add the line:

        PAUSEONERROR=NO

   to the top of your config.sys file. This is especially useful if you
   use multiple adapters and protocols and not all of them are used in all
   configurations. This addition to your config.sys will allow the boot 
   process to continue without user intervention when the system tries to
   load drivers for devices that are not installed (such as a PC Card network
   adapter) and protocols that are not used in the active configuration.


Now that all of the network adapter and protocol drivers are in your config.sys,
you can start setting up configurations for the NCM to manage.

1. Start the MPTS utility.

2. Set up the adapter and protocol information for the first configuration. If
   there are adapters or protocols already set up that you won't use in this 
   configuration, delete them.

3. Close and exit MPTS saving the changes you have made but DO NOT ALLOW MPTS
   TO UPDATE YOUR CONFIG.SYS. (Otherwise, it may remove drivers that are not
   in use by this configuration.)

4. Open the TCP/IP configuration notebook (System Setup folder or the Advanced 
   menu of the NCM) and configure TCP/IP for this setup. 

   NOTE: The NCM only maintains the information from the Network, Routing &
         Host Names pages of the notebook.

5. Close the TCP/IP configuration notebook and save your changes but do not
   restart your system.
   
6. Start the NCM, if it's not already running and select "Capture active" from
   the Configuration menu.

7. Name the configuration when prompted to do so.


Repeat the above steps for any additional configurations you want to create. 

Once you have captured the configuration information you can modify it as needed
using the NCM. You can select a configuration to work with from the "Connect 
using" drop down list. The Configuration menu options allow you to save, 
activate and duplicate configurations. The Advanced menu allows you to start
OS/2 network configuration utilities or to edit configuration files directly.

NOTE: The "Edit config.sys..." option of the Advanced menu works directly on
      your active config.sys and not on saved copies like the other menu 
      options.

If you make changes to a configuration using MPTS or the TCP/IP configuration
notebook, you can update the NCM configuration by selecting "Update from active"
from the Configuration menu. This will update the currently selected 
configuration from the active configuration files so make sure that you select
the configuration that you really want to update.

NCM configuration information does not become active until you select Activate
from the Configuration menu. If you change configurations or directly edit the
configuration files, you may need to restart your system for the configuration 
changes to take effect. You can, however, change and activate any of the TCP/IP
information that can be edited in the NCM window without restarting your system.

The Restart System option that appears in the System menu and in some dialogs
will only work if you have Boot Manager installed. 



GETTING HELP 
============

If you have questions about or problems with the NCM, you can contact the author
via email at:

        jbumel@acm.org

This is a free utility so support will be on an "as able" basis and subject to
the conditions stated in the License section above.
