Before You Begin

Further, RAS Client/Server operations work only on TCP/IP networks. While RAS will connect to TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, and NetBeui networks, it will only see AspeNet servers running TCP/IP. This guide assumes that TCP/IP is the operative network protocol.

Setting up a workstation as a RAS Server involves telling the RAS Server which IP addresses it can use to carry out IP routing. At face value, this seems simple, and it is, but in assigning IP addresses, there are two network conditions about which you should be aware.

Some IP networks are “closed.” Closed IP networks do not have access to the World Wide Web. Instead, closed networks use TCP/IP to share information across a “hermetically sealed” LAN.

Other IP networks are “open,” that is, they provide access not only to a particular LAN, but also to the World Wide Web.

In closed networks, IP addresses can be anything, provided they adhere to TCP/IP addressing conventions. Open networks, on the other hand, have a finite set of TCP/IP addresses. These addresses have been allocated by an Internet Provider, and the use of allocated addresses must be adhered to rigorously.

Under both of these conditions, you can set up a RAS Server successfully. The principal difference in setup is in acquiring a TCP/IP address. In a closed network, you can make up your TCP/IP addresses. In an open network, you’ll have to pry an address from the rigid fingers of your network administrator.

You should also determine whether your LAN, closed or open, has a router. If you have a point-to-point LAN (AspeNet Server/Workstation), you do not have a router. All other TCP/IP networks are equipped with a router. Before RAS will work correctly, the PROTOCOL TCPIP section of the AspeNet server’s NET.CFG file must specify the router’s address. Router address information is defined using the IP_ROUTER parameter. See your Aspen Systems Networking Guide for more information on the IP_ROUTER parameter.

Currently, RAS Server operations are supported on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT 3.51. All other Windows environments will not support RAS Server operations with AspeNet. Use the following table to identify your server operating system and follow the instructions in the appropriate section: