http://www.netsoft.ie/ CHAPTER 5
The Station Manager
The Station Manager is a menu-driven version of the NET SHARE and NET USE commands. It allows you to share drives, directories, printers and serial ports on the fly. It also allows you to connect to these devices on the fly from within your application software.The Station Manager is accessed through the DOS-NET Main Menu using the network pop-up keys. These are normally CTRL+ALT+Right Shift keys. From the DOS-NET Main Menu select Station Manager. The following is a step by step guide to all the features of the Station Manager. Network Drives Selecting Network Drives from the Station Manager's Main Menu will display the available network drive commands.
Connecting to a network drive To connect to a server's shared drive or directory, select Connect Drives.
Select the drive letter you wish to use as your network drive.
The last drive in the drive list is set by the LASTDRIVE= parameter in the client machine's CONFIG.SYS file.
Select the server machine you wish to connect to from the network server list. You may use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the list if there are more than ten servers.
 Now, select the shared drive you wish to connect to, from the list of available drives shown in your list. After selecting the shared drive, your drive list will display which server, and which drive, directory, or network name you are connected to.
You may now use drive F: as a network drive, from the DOS prompt, or from within your software.
Disconnecting from a network drive To disconnect from a network drive, select that network drive from the Station Manager's drive list, and press Enter. Then select Disconnect from network.
Sharing a drive To share a drive or directory with client users, select Add Network Drive.
If you wish to assign a network name to the shared drive or directory, type the name in the network name box. If you do not wish to assign a network name simply press Enter.
Next, type the directory name that you wish to share.
If you wish to share an entire drive, type the drive and colon, e.g. C: then press the Enter key.
You will then be prompted for a password for the shared drive or directory. If you do not wish to assign a password, simply press Enter.
Next, you must assign the access rights for the drive or directory. All users who connect to the shared device will be limited to the chosen access rights.
The PROTECT.COM program must be loaded on the server, before access rights take effect. Stop sharing a drive To stop sharing a previously shared drive or directory, select Del Network Drive.
 Select the drive or directory entry you wish to stop sharing, then press Enter. That drive will be removed from the share list.
Any clients already connected to that shared drive or directory will remain connected. Viewing shared drives You can view the shared drives and directories by selecting View Shared Drives.
The share list displays a Y in the P column, if a password is required.Also displayed are the access rights.
Network Printers Selecting Network Printers from the Station Manager's Main Menu will display the available network printer commands.

Connecting to a network printerTo connect to a server's shared printer, select Connect Printers.
Select the device you wish to use as your network printer.
Select the server machine you wish to connect to from the network server list. You may use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the list, if there are more than ten servers.
Now, select the shared printer you wish to connect to, from the list of available printers shown.
After selecting the shared printer, your printer list will display the server and printer or network name that you are connected to.

Disconnecting from a network printerTo disconnect from a network printer, select that printer from the Station Manager's printer list, and press Enter. Then select Disconnect from network.
 Sharing a printerTo share a printer with client users, select Add Network Printer.
If you wish to assign a network name to the shared printer device, type the name in the network name box. If you do not wish to assign a network name simply press Enter.
Next, select which printer device you want to share.
You will then be prompted to assign a password to the shared printer. If you do not wish to assign a password, simply press Enter.
Stop sharing a printer To stop sharing a previously shared printer, select Del Network Printer.
Select the printer you want to stop sharing and press Enter. Any clients already connected to that shared printer will remain connected.
Viewing shared printers You can view all shared printers on a server by selecting View Shared Printers.
If you have shared more printers than are shown, you can scroll up and down through the list, using the arrow keys.
Network Serial Ports Selecting Network COM Ports from the Station Manager's Main Menu will display the available serial port commands.
Connecting to a network serial port To connect to a server's shared serial port, select Connect COM Ports.
Select the device you wish to use as your network serial port.
Select the server machine you wish to connect to from the network server list. You may use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through this list if there are more than ten servers.
Now select the shared serial port you wish to connect to from the list of available serial ports on that server.
After selecting the shared serial port, your serial port list will display the server and device or network name that you are connected to.
Disconnecting from a network serial port To disconnect from a network Serial Port, select that network drive from the Station Manager's drive list and press Enter. Then select Disconnect from network.
Sharing a serial port To share a serial port with client users, select Add Network COM port.
If you wish to assign a network name to the serial port, type the network name in the box.
Next, select which serial port device you wish to share.
You will then be prompted to assign a password to the shared serial port. If you do not wish to assign a password, simply press Enter.
Stop sharing a serial port To stop sharing a previously shared serial port, select Del Network COM port.
Select the serial port you wish to stop sharing, and press Enter.
Any clients already connected to the shared serial port will remain connected.
Viewing shared serial ports You can view all shared serial ports on a server by selecting View Shared COM Ports. This will display all shared serial ports on the server.
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