Need Help with ODBC,TNSPING Po7 on NT40

I have read through a lot of messages on this forum. Seems like there is a lot of difficulty using ODBC with Po7 - including me.

I am using NT4.0 and personal Oracle 7.2 - 32 bit ODBC drivers from oracle.
I would like to make Paradox 7.0 query an Oracle database. But, I can't even get to that point.

I am able to open po7 and view the sample tables that came with po7. I am able to open an sql plus3.3 session and perform an sql.

I used sql*net easy configuration and setup a database alias

   called aloracle using tcp-ip protocol with ORCL as sid.

I downloaded the Oracle ODBC Support tool off their web site. I used the 32 Bit administrator that came with po7 and set up new dns

   with a setup string of aloracle (the database alias)

Note: When I used connect strings like 2:aloracle or t:aloracle I get errors that refer to an OCI error. I think what is happening - is that this kind of setup string "tricks" oracle into thinking you want to use sql*net v1 even though you have sql*net v2 installed. Anybody agree?

By using, the connect string of "aloracle" - the support tool is happy that I am using the proper sql*net version and I get a different error message
from the odbc support tool: TNS Error.

So, I clicked on the MS Dos prompt and dropped to a dos prompt. I typed in path and verified that C:\ORANT\BIN was in my path. I then typed in tnsping aloracle and got an error : No listener I then typed in a command in an attempt to start listener and   got an error: 32 bit windows error.

So, tnsping did not work - but, I can view tables with po7 and query from sqlplus.

How do I tell if a listener service is working? How do I start one?

Under control panel,settings,services, there is a listener service that is

 marked manual.(not automatic,not disabled) I tried to start it - no good.

In some of the .ora files there is references to my computer name "wiltcow"
This is the name I gave my computer when I installed NT. Does oracle need the IP address instead of a computer name? Do I need to use the "localhost" somewhere? Do I need a hosts file? If so, where do I put it?

Does anybody have po7 version 7.2 hooked up with odbc? Do I need to upgrade to version 7.3?
If you have odbc working with personal oracle would you share the content of the three .ora files with me?  (change the names to protect the innocent of course)

Robert Wiltshire rwiltshi_at_aol.com
914-334-4187 daytime and I will call you back or reply here Received on Tue May 06 1997 - 00:00:00 CDT