NDIS Intermediate (IM) Driver
Frequently Asked Questions

The information on this page is intended primarily for network software developers who are working on NDIS Intermediate device drivers for Windows 98 and Windows NT.

This FAQ, like most others, is always under construction...

Although PCAUSA has an interest in NDIS Intermediate drivers, PCAUSA does NOT pretend to be an expert in this area. There are others much more thoroughly versed in the area.

However, as a small company, PCAUSA has the flexibility to setup this FAQ in the hope that it will be useful to other developers.

If you have useful information or corrected/improved links that you think should be added to the NDIS IM FAQ, please let us know at ndisimfaq@pcausa.com.

Thanks!!!

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NDIS Intermediate Driver Questions

NDIS Intermediate Driver Questions

What platforms support NDIS Intermediate Drivers?

NDIS Intermediate drivers are supported on Microsoft platforms that provide NDIS 4.0 and higher. These are:

Be sure that you are actually testing on a platform that has NDIS 4.0 or higher support. Some developers have gotten stuck testing on NT 4.0 without SP3 or SP4.

NDIS IM support on Windows 98 and Windows Me is "spotty". Not all NDIS IM functionality is properly exported across these platforms. In addition, Microsoft has never documented how to install NDIS IM drivers on these platforms. However, some developers have has some success in adapting the ATMLANE .INF to install their NDIS IM drivers.

Where can I find a NDIS 4 intermediate driver sample?

Microsoft has provided two different NDIS Intermediate driver samples, including:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/ddk_hardware/ntddk/NTsamples/#Network Device Driver Samples

\DDK\Src\Network\NDIS\passthru

Both of these samples are useful.

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PCAUSA NDIS Intermediate Driver Samples

PCAUSA offers NDIS Intermediate (IM) driver samples for the Windows NT 4.0 platform. [More Information...]

PCAUSA offers samples of an alternate technology called NDIS Pseudo-Intermediate (PIM) driver that provides the same logical functionality as NDIS IM drivers, but is easier to install and supports all Windows 9X platforms. [More Information...]

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NDIS IM Drivers and NDISWAN/RAS

Working with NDISWAN/RAS and NDIS IM drivers has proven to be a difficult task. Here are some notes from developers that have worked on this problem and have decided to share their findings.

How to make an IM driver that works with NDISWAN over TCP/IP

May 17, 1999 - Scott Meeuwsen <scottm@highlevel.com> has contributed a paper that describes changes you can make to a working Ethernet IM driver that will allow it to function with NDISWAN adapters over TCP/IP. Click the link below to view Mr. Meeuwsen's paper.

How to make an IM driver that works with NDISWAN over TCP/IP

Note: The approach described below by Andrew Zabolotny didn't work for Scott...

Implementing An Intermediate Driver that works with RAS under NT

January 6, 1999 - Andrew Zabolotny <bit@eltech.ru> has contributed a paper that includes his instructions on how to adapt a intermediate driver that works with network cards to make it work with RAS. Click the link below to view Mr. Zabolotny's paper.

Implementing An IM Driver That Works With RAS Under NT

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Q&A on Windows 2000 NDISWAN and NDIS Intermediate Drivers  

December 17, 1999 - Robert Schlabbach <robert@powerstation.isdn.cs.TU-Berlin.DE> has taken the time to compile information concerning several Windows 2000 NDIS Intermediate driver issues. This information should help struggling Windows 2000 NDIS IM driver developers tremendously.

Q&A on Windows 2000 NDISWAN and NDIS Intermediate Drivers

How Can I Test My NDIS Intermediate Driver

September 1, 2000 - Microsoft has introduced a new WHQL NDIS Intermediate Driver Full-Test Program for Windows 2000. 

You can now obtain a digital signature for your NDIS intermediate drivers (IM) submitted for Windows® 2000 Service Pack 1, NDIS 5.0 drivers only. This full-test program applies to software-only NDIS intermediate drivers that are not tied to a hardware-oriented mini port. The test procedures and test tools are available on the WHQL network test kits page.

February 1, 1999 - At it's upper edge an NDIS Intermediate Driver should function like an ordinary NDIS Miniport driver. This means that the Hardware Compatibility Test (HCT) tools used to test ordinary NDIS Miniport drivers can be used to test NDIS Intermediate Drivers.

NDIS Miniport drivers can be tested with the NDIS Tester, which is available from the Microsoft WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs). The general WHQL web site (for all kinds of devices) is:

http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest

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Last modified: November 10, 2000