Re: NDIS Drivers, Symbolic Names, Ethernet send/receive etc.

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From: Pavel A. (pavel_a_at_NOwritemeNO.com)
Date: 01/19/05 

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:19:02 -0800

"Skybuck Flying" wrote:
> Windows Networking:
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wnet/wnet/windows_networking_functions.asp
>
> How will these functions assist me for sending ethernet packets ?

Sorry but your goal is still not clear to me...
Do you want to send raw ethernet packets? Then (being a Delphi programmer)
just look for a component that does this... there are components for
everything.
If you want to send data over ethernet, consider using winsock (again, there
are Delphi components).

> Why do I need a book for a relatively simple task as sending and receiving
> ethernet packets a technology which has been around for at least 10 years ;)

Because you ask basic questions...

> >
> > > Does windows xp automatically install NDIS drivers for detected network
> > > cards ?
> >
> > Sometimes, yes. Since your computer has XP preinstalled, the netcard
> driver
> > should be already installed and ready to use.
> >
> > > If so how can I use these drivers ? How do I find out their symbolic
> names ?
> > >
> > > If not then the user should install NDIS drivers ?
> > >
> > > Again how do I find out their symbolic names ? Or how do I find these
> > > drivers ? ( so my application can talk to them ).
> > >
> > > Is there anything else I need to do with these NDIS drivers... maybe
> bind
> > > them ? or is that driver specific ?
> >
> > you don't need to do anything with NDIS drivers. Use Windows networking,
> > or sockets or whatever - and they will just work.
>
> Yes the "whatever" part is missing.

But I can't substitute for you all the documentation and books and Google,
especially when you don't explain what exactly you need...
 
> It would be great if windows had a ethernet API unfortunately it does not.

Ok. Once there was such API called "raw sockets". It had been considered a
security risk and removed. So, absence of raw ethernet API is actually a
feature :)
 
> I don't see how the windows networking part can be of assistence and I know
> sockets are limited to tcp/ip and ipx and require a stack to be installed.

Tcp/ip and sockets is part of Windows, one can expect that it is always
installed.
IPX is not.
 
> Apperently windows likes to abstract things.
>
> It has a communication section. With communication resources for
> communicating with serial, parallel ports and modems. Network cards are not
> mentioned however ?! how strange !?

Network card is a shared, system-global resource, you can't open it using
Windows API - just like you can't open the hard disk and write on it. On the
disk, you can open specific files. On the network, you use sockets API or use
Windows networking.
For example when you do CreateFile( '\\server\share\file', ...) and
WriteFile - the data will be sent over network, without ever knowing what is
NDIS.

There are several kits that allow to send raw packets (like winpcap) but
they are not part of Windows.

--PA

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