The Mole 37: Technical Answers from Inside Microsoft - VPN Connection, NT and Service Pack Installs, BackTalk

June 19, 2000

Editors Note The questions and answers below are from the Inside Microsoft column that appears regularly on the TechNet Web site at the following location: https://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/insider/default.mspx. To find out how to submit questions of your own, see the end of this article or go to https://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/insider/default.mspx.

The TechNet Mole provides expert answers from deep within Microsoft to questions from IT professionals. This installment focuses on these issues:

• VPN Connection is Just Not Fast Enough!

• Install NT and Service Pack in one Fell Swoop?

• BackTalk: MAPI Client

On This Page

VPN Connection is Just Not Fast Enough!

Backtalk

Credits

VPN Connection is Just Not Fast Enough!

Hi, Mole

I set up an NT server with VPN. I installed the Routing and RAS update and everything works great except the speed.

I am using a U.S. Robotics 56K. V.Everything modem on the server and can only get 9,600bps through VPN. How can I increase the speed? Is it even possible?

Al Budrewicz, Executive Computer Systems

Hi Al,

Mole thinks he can help, you, but geez-- 9600 baud max? That sounds a lot like the default setting for a COM port. And you're right, it's not very fast, especially when you have a modem capable of transmitting at 56 K, which is SIX times as fast.

Here is Mole's suggestion. Open up Control Panel and double-click the "Ports" applet. You should see something like the following:

Double-click the "Settings" button. The following dialog box is displayed:

Click the "Baud Rate" drop down box and scroll down to "57600" and select it. Click OK, and then Close. There. You're done. Now try the VPN connection to see if it's transmitting at the new speed. Note that the maximum transmit speed you will experience will depend on the quality of the phone line that you're using. In other words, "Your results may vary." Before Mole got DSL installed in his burrow, he too connected using VPN over a 56K dial-up line and averaged around 46K. Maybe your local phone company has better lines than Mole's. Hope so—but doubt it.

Regards,

Mole

Install NT and Service Pack in one Fell Swoop?

Hey Mole,

Is it possible to do a fresh install of Windows NT 4 Workstation with all (or at least SP3) incorporated? I would like to do a new install of NT4W and the updated video driver requires SP3 or higher to be installed first. Is there a way to do this? Darin Cross

Hey Darin,

Good question! When Mole goes through his mountains of correspondence, he reads each letter carefully, looking for any missing information that would have helped develop a more useful answer. And as Mole has said on one or two occasions before, "More information is better than not enough." Now, in your case, Darin, one thing that isn't 100 percent clear is whether you are planning to do this installation on lots of new machines (i.e., the budget was finally approved), or whether this is a one-time shot. Mole is always thinking of efficiency–of both time and money (Mole knows time is money–many readers will know that it was Benjamin Franklin that came up with that little tidbit.) Why this little detour down the efficiency path? Well, because if your question is a result of a need to perform this change on just one machine, then Mole's answer would be quite straightforward: Do the fresh installation of NT, boot using the default VGA configuration, apply the Service Pack, reboot, log on, and then right-click on the desktop, select Properties, "Settings" tab, "Display Type" button. This will display the following window:

(Mole's machine has already had this configuration changed, that's why the graphic says S3.) Next, you would click the "Change" button, which displays the "Change Display" window:

In the "Manufacturers" dialog, scroll down to the manufacturer of your video card and click on it. That will place the manufacturer in the "Display" window. Then click "Have Disk." Stick the disk containing the Windows NT 4.0 compatible drivers in your floppy drive (or wherever) and click OK. Then, after the drivers are installed and the reboot process is running, choose the non-Standard VGA setting. You're good to go.

Now--on the other hand--if you're going to be setting up a whole bunch of new machines of the same configuration, then what follows is for you. Darin, Mole's guess is that you need to perform this video upgrade on just one of your machines, but if that's not true, then continue reading. The following information should be of value to any IT Pro who needs to set up a truckload of new machines.

Yes, there's a way to perform an NT and Service Pack installation at the same time–or at least serially. Starting with NT 4.0 Service Pack 1, the specification for quiet/unattended installation was added to the program that actually runs the Service Pack installation (UPDATE.EXE). Using this new capability, you can use the RUNONCE command, which is supported on NT 4.0.

There are about three things that you need:

1. Knowledge Base article **168814:**Installing Windows NT 4.0 Service Packs During Unattended Installation

2. The Service Pack files that you will install from MS Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a (SP6a)

3. Automating Windows NT Setup Deployment Guide Supplement

Here's Mole's suggested plan of attack:

Obtain the Knowledge Base article. Print, read, and study. Then study it one more time, just to make sure. In the article, there are three installation options presented. Mole thinks that option # 2, "Using RUNONCE" would be the best one for you. Briefly, this option has you use the RUNONCE command (which is executed only upon the first logon to the system) to execute the Service Pack UPDATE command (using the silent install switch) to actually apply the Service Pack. There are some things that you need to get set up first, like downloading and expanding the appropriate service pack onto the machine you're going to set up. It's all explained in the Knowledge Base article and the Setup Deployment Guide, referenced earlier.

Hope this helps you, Darin, and those that need to set up a lot of machines. All that Mole asks is that you read the Deployment Guide, Knowledge Base article and the Service Pack readme file.

Backtalk

Months ago, Mole offered advice on how to set the default MAPI client for Outlook/Outlook Express. Now, IT Pro Rob Gregory drops Mole a line

Mole,

Love your column!

The links to the SQL7 whitepapers were great.

There are also two other ways to change the default MAPI Client. Specifically, they are other ways to get to the Internet Options:

1. Select Internet Options in the Control Panel <Programs tab, Email text box, choose what default MAPI client that you desire – Mole>

2. Assuming you haven't removed the Internet Explorer icon from the Desktop, Right-click it & choose Properties, Programs tab, Email text box.

Rob,

Thanks very much, Rob, for taking a few moments out of your day to stroke Mole's fur. He appreciates the feedback, and your additional suggestions even more!

Mole

Credits

Muchas gracias once again to Lon Collins.