Choosing a WAN Driver Model (NDIS 5.1)

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Note   NDIS 5. x has been deprecated and is superseded by NDIS 6. x. For new NDIS driver development, see Network Drivers Starting with Windows Vista. For information about porting NDIS 5. x drivers to NDIS 6. x, see Porting NDIS 5.x Drivers to NDIS 6.0.

Microsoft Windows 2000 and later operating systems support two WAN driver models: NDIS WAN and CoNDIS WAN.

NDIS WAN miniport drivers are built on the NDIS model for connectionless miniport drivers.

NDIS WAN miniport drivers can:

  • Call most of the NDIS functions that non-WAN connectionless miniport drivers call.

  • Export most of the MiniportXxx functions that non-WAN connectionless miniport drivers export.

  • Call WAN-specific versions of some NDIS functions.

  • Support some WAN-specific OIDs and WAN-specific status indications.

  • Provide additional WAN-specific capabilities.

For more information about connectionless miniport drivers, see Miniport Drivers.

CoNDIS WAN drivers are built on the connection-oriented NDIS (CoNDIS) driver model.

CoNDIS WAN miniport drivers and MCMs can:

  • Call the same NDIS functions that non-WAN connection-oriented miniport drivers call.

  • Export the same set of MiniportXxx functions that non-WAN connection-oriented miniport drivers export.

  • Provide additional WAN-specific capabilities.

For more information about CoNDIS drivers, see Connection-Oriented NDIS.

If you are writing a new WAN driver, Microsoft recommends that you use the CoNDIS WAN model.

Microsoft will continue to support NDIS WAN miniport drivers. Independent hardware vendors (IHVs) are not required to write CoNDIS drivers for old hardware.

The following topics describe the primary advantages of using the CoNDIS WAN model:

CoNDIS WAN Is More Flexible

CoNDIS WAN Is Less Complex

Other Benefits of CoNDIS WAN

Other NDIS Features Available to CoNDIS WAN Drivers

 

 

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