Hiding LAN Manager 2.1 RPL Workstation Logon Prompt (87705)

SUMMARY

When you perform a remote boot on a Microsoft LAN Manager version 2.1 workstation, a logon prompt is presented on the computer screen. This logon prompt is a security measure that requires you to know the password assigned to the computer in order for you to perform a remote boot on it.

However, you may decide that this added level of security is not required. If this is the case, you can eliminate the need for a password when the logon prompt is initiated. To do this, leave the password field blank in the workstation properties section of RPLMGR.

When this is done, the logon prompt is displayed, and you can either press the ENTER key at the password prompt or wait 5 seconds for the logon procedure to continue without a password. For LAN Manager 2.1, you can also completely hide the logon prompt. This is useful in situations where you logged in with a username and the double logon prompts become confusing. See below for more information on how to do this.

MORE INFORMATION

To remote boot a workstation without displaying the computer logon prompt, do the following:

Install and configure a LAN Manager Remote Program Load (RPL) server as required.
Default boot an RPL client.
Using RPLMGR, add the client to a profile. If necessary, create the profile first. The client MUST be added with a blank password.
Exit RPLMGR.
Using a text editor, edit the <LANROOT>\RPL\RPL.MAP file. The workstation you added in step 3 will be near the bottom of the file. (Field 2 of the workstation record field is the workstation name. Field 1 is the adapter ID.) Field 3 is the one that needs to be modified. (On a workstation with no password, the default in this field is N.) To hide the logon prompt, set this field to D.

The possible values for field 3 are:
D - Default boot. No password prompt.

N - Blank password. If the enter key is not pressed within 5 seconds, the prompt will disappear. If a key other than the ENTER key is pressed, the machine will wait indefinitely for a password.

P - Nonblank password. Logon prompting will occur, and the machine will wait indefinitely for a password.
Repeat steps 1-5 for any additional RPL clients.
Save the modified RPL.MAP file, and exit the text editor.

Note: You may need to periodically re-edit RPL.MAP after future invocations of RPLMGR. RPLMGR may reset field 3 because it expects to find an N or a P for defined workstations. Should prompting start occurring after RPLMGR is run, you will have to repeat steps 5 and 6.