KB160187 - Packet Burst Protocol

Article ID: 160187

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q160187

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

The packet burst protocol is built on top of Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) and can speed the transfer of multiple packet NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) file reads and writes. Packet bursting speeds the transfer of NCP data between a workstation and a NetWare server by eliminating the need to sequence and acknowledge each packet. In other words, the server or workstation can send a whole set (burst) of packets before requiring an acknowledgment.

Although IPX does not require one-request, one-response type communication, the normal NCP implementation usually does. Burst mode communicates using a multipacket which includes the IPX headers for each packet, the burst headers for each packet and the request or reply, with or without data.

The packets that make up the burst are called fragments. One burst can be up to 64 KB in length. By allowing multiple packets to be acknowledged, the burst protocol can reduce network traffic on most IPX networks.

Additionally, the packet burst protocol monitors dropped packets and retransmits only the missing packets.

MORE INFORMATION

Packet Bursting in Windows NT

Windows NT 3.51 and Windows NT 4.0 have packet bursting enabled automatically and will not need any additional configuring to use packet bursting for Gateway Services for NetWare (GSNW) or Microsoft Client Service for NetWare (CSNW) connectivity to a NetWare server.

To disable Packet bursting in Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 use Registry Editor to do the following:

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NWCWorkstation\Parameters
On the Edit menu, click Add value, and add a parameter value called MaxBurstSize with a type of REG_DWORD and set the value to 0 (zero).
Quit Registry Editor and restart your computer for the above settings to take effect.

Additional query words: GSNW CSNW Packet Burst

Keywords: kb3rdparty kbinfo kbnetwork KB160187