🚀 go-pugleaf

Is "LMHOSTS" the win95 equivalent to "/etc/hosts"?  Is there
a resolv.conf for Win95 that says "look at your local hosts
file first before consulting DNS"?

Bare with me... this problem has many twists to it.

Of course, I need DNS for internet applications, but two 
applications: the "Client for Microsoft Networks" and Pegasus
mail for windows (but only when the "Client for Microsoft Networks"
is installed) generate DNS packets (leading to costly ISP dialup)
for no good reason.

In a nutshell: WINS is turned off, DNS is
turned on, and the name server is my ISP.  I have a local LMHOSTS
file in my /windows directory that should resolve all local
IP addresses.  Without a "Client for Microsoft Networks" running,
DNS packets only occur (as they should) when running some sort of 
internet client such as Netscape, ftp, etc.  But, I need the "MSN Client" 
in order to be served from unix machines running SAMBA.

What's the "MSN Client" looking for?  After sending a few DNS packets,
and recieving a few DNS replies, there is no further non-DNS TCP/IP
traffic between the PC and anything else.  The DNS packets occur when 
the system boots, and every few minutes after that if Pegasus Mail is 
running (in a non SMTP/POP mode, MHS only!).  I could deal with the
boot-time DNS packet... but not every few minutes.

My local network runs TCP/IP and IPX protocols.  No slip/ppp;
everything is running on the LAN.  The internet gateway is a local unix box
that dials up in response to outgoing packets, hence the problem:
the "MSN Client" keeps causing costly dial-outs for no good reason.

On the Win95 PC, I'm served files by Novell 3.x and various Unix
servers running SAMBA.

Without Win95's "MSN Client" DNS behaves rationally, but I can't access
SAMBA servers without the "MSN Client".

Note that I run Pmail with the "Advanced setting": Never
load winsock.dll.  With this setting, Pmail only sees the Novell server's
MHS, has no SMTP/POP options, but it still pops out a DNS packet
every time it goes to look for new mail.  If the "MSN Client" is not being
used (but the TCP/IP protocol is used), then Pmail does not emit DNS packets.
Whether or not the "MSN Client" is being used, Pmail works fine (it just
emits the additional DNS packet if the "MSN Client" is running).

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Chris

-- 
  When I die, please cast my ashes upon Bill Gates
   --for once, let him clean up after me!