Installing NetBEUI on Windows XP
for Reliable Power Meters' Recorders
 

Please note that some material in this page was copied directly from the Microsoft website. This was done as it has been known for Microsoft to remove help pages - they even warn you about that - and this would leave us in the lurch!

The NetBEUI protocol was developed in 1985. It is used by network operating systems such as Microsoft LAN Manager, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups, Microsoft Windows 95, and Microsoft Windows NT. The NetBEUI protocol implements the OSI LLC2 protocol, and is a non-routable protocol. But it is this last fact that still makes it one of the fastest around, and is why Reliable Power Meters still use it.

Microsoft discontinued support for the NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI) network protocol in Windows XP. However, they understood that migration to another network protocol, such as TCP/IP, could involve significant time in planning and testing (not to say render the operating system defunct for use with older instrumentation!).

If having upgraded from a previous version of Microsoft Windows with NetBEUI installed, or have received a pristine load of WinXP, the protocol is effectively missing from the OS - complete with unavailable "ADD" function from the network properties dialogue.

Therefore, for those who use the Reliable Power Meters products but are planning to (or already did) migrate their system environment to Windows XP will need a means to (re)install NetBEUI so as to be able to communicate with their Power Recorder.

Before we continue, Please Note: I accept no liability for any damages caused either direct or implied through the use of any information on this page

What's Hot, and What's Not

Before continuing to install NetBEUI, the following must be noted. It has been both personally experienced as well as reported to me (let's just say more than once!) that installing the WinXP version of NetBEUI causes system instability. This is most commonly seen after using PAS or Scenario followed by or simultaneously with TCP/IP comms (the "blue-screen" almost always appears on shutdown).

Win2k does not appear to have this restriction and seems to competently run both NetBEUI and TCP/IP network comms (have never personally experienced a Win2k crash). Knowing that WinXP is built on Win2k, and that most Win2k drivers operate without issue on WinXP, research revealed that Win2k's version of NetBEUI can indeed be loaded on WinXP without any apparent problems.

This has been tried on a desk-top and a laptop (both are Dell, naturally!) running WinXP Pro, and neither have showed any signs of instability whatsoever. All communications are unaffected and full access with all computers on the network as well as the Power Recorder is achieved.

Please note that after completing the installation steps, NetBEUI is available for use on the Local Area Network (LAN) connections only and, as RAS connections cannot use NetBEUI, is not available for any Remote Access Service (RAS) connection.

Replacing WinXP NetBEUI with Win2k Version

You can skip this step and go on to the next directly if you have never loaded NetBEUI. But, if you have already installed the WinXP version of NetBEUI, and wish to give the Win2k version a try, you will need to first remove the WinXP version - completely!

This is done as follows:
 

• Close down the computer, disconnect the LAN cable, restart the computer.

  This is a vital step and often ignored. The system does not enjoy having to modify the LAN properties while negotiating a connection to the outside world.

• When the system is fully restarted, Click Start, click Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.

• Right-click on "Local Area Connection" and click Properties (if more than one LAN adapter is installed, right-click on each's properties ensuring the following steps are executed on each).

• On the General tab, click NetBEUI, and click Uninstall.

• Restart your computer only after all NetBEUI modules are 'uninstalled'.

• When fully restarted, click Start, and click Search. Find all copies of nbf.sys on the drive containing WinXP, and delete them (you can do this directly from the search results screen). Note: under the "More Advanced Options" you must check "Search system folders", "Search hidden files and folders", and "Search subfolders".

• Using this same method, search and delete all copies of netnbf.inf

• Using this same method, search and delete all copies of oem?.inf files that contains the text "NetBEUI" Repeat this step using oem??.inf in the event there are more than 10 oem driver lists.

  NOTE: Do not be tempted to use the oem*.inf wildcard designation in place of oem?.inf and oem??.inf. Doing so may cause the wrong files to be deleted!

• Restart the computer again (at least on WinXP this is not a huge bind!).

Obtaining the NetBEUI Drivers

The files necessary for installing the NetBEUI protocol on WinXP are Netnbf.inf and Nbf.sys.

If this is an urgent installation of NetBEUI, and are choosing to install WinXP's own version, then the pair of files needed is available on the full, retail-released version of Windows XP and can be found on the CD-ROM under the Valueadd\MSFT\Net\NetBEUI folder.

The Win2k version is located in the \i386 folder on the Win2k CD, and are compressed files Nbf.sy_ and Netnbf.in_. There are two ways to uncompress them. Win2k includes an extract utility and is invoked by opening a DOS Command window and typing the two lines (do press Enter after each one!):

extract CD:\i386\netnbf.in_  destination\netnbf.inf
extract CD:\i386\nbf.sy_  destination\nbf.sys

where "CD" must be replaced with the letter of your CD drive, and "destination" a temporary folder set up on the harddisk.

OR, those with WinZip should be able to invoke the program, open the Netnbf.in_ file and use the Extract function to extract the file to a preset folder on the harddisk. Do the same for the Nbf.sy_ file (ensuring it is copied to the same folder).

Installing NetBEUI on Windows XP

Using the files obtained in the "Obtaining the Drivers" section, complete the following steps to install NetBEUI:

• Copy nbf.sys to the c:\windows\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS folder.

• Copy netnbf.inf to the c:\windows\INF folder.
  
  NOTE: To make a hidden folder viewable, perform the following steps:

  • Click Start, click Run, type Explorer , and then press ENTER.
  • Click Tools, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
  • Under Advanced Settings, click Show Hidden Files and Folders.

• Close down the computer, disconnect the LAN cable, restart the computer.
  This is a vital step and often ignored. The system does not enjoy having to modify the LAN properties while negotiating a connection to the outside world.

• When the system is fully restarted, Click Start, click Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.

• Right-click on "Local Area Connection" and click Properties (if more than one LAN adapter, right-click on the adapter you want to add NetBEUI to, and click Properties.

• On the General tab, click Install, click Protocol, and click Add.

• Click to select NetBEUI Protocol from the list and then click OK.
  Note, if using the Win2k files there may be a step informing you the drivers are not "digitally signed", simply click on "Continue".

• Restart the computer.

• The NetBEUI protocol should now be installed and working.

Resetting TCP/IP in Windows XP (for very advanced users only).

After installation of the NetBEUI protocol, some systems may benefit from resetting the TCP/IP stack (especially if instability has been experienced from the WinXP version of NetBEUI). Please, only do this if you know how to set up networks as this procedure removes all IP addresses etc.

When viewing the list of components for a network interface, you may notice that the Uninstall button is disabled when Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is selected. In Windows XP, the TCP/IP stack is considered a core component of the operating system; therefore, it is not possible to uninstall TCP/IP in Windows XP.

In extreme cases, reinstalling the Internet Protocol stack may be the most appropriate solution. With the NetShell utility, you can now reset the TCP/IP stack back to a pristine state, to the same state as when the operating system was installed.

The NetShell utility (netsh) is a command-line scripting interface for the configuring and monitoring of Windows XP networking. This tool provides an interactive network shell interface to the user. In Windows XP, a reset command is available in the IP context of the NetShell utility. When this command is executed, it rewrites pertinent registry keys that are used by the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack to achieve the same result as the removal and the reinstallation of the protocol.

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TCPIP\Parameters\
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters\

Command Usage
    netsh int ip reset [log_file_name]

To successfully execute the command, you must specify a log file name where actions taken by netsh will be recorded. The first sample creates the log file in the current directory, while the second sample demonstrates the use of a path where the log will be created. In either case, where the specified log file already exists, the new log will be appended to the end of the existing file.

Command Samples
    netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
    netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt

You will now have to go through the network settings and bring them back to what is required for your installation.

Closing Comment:
If you cannot link to the recorder after doing the above, then please re-read the page exceptionally carefully - especially if you did this in a hurry or late at night (or both!).