(NDIS) A {Microsoft Windows device driver} programming interface allowing multiple {protocols} to share the same {network} {hardware}. E.g. {TCP/IP} and {IPX} on the same {NIC}.  NDIS can also be used by some ISDN adapters. A protocol manager accepts requests from the {transport layer} and passes them to the {data link layer} (routed to the correct network interface if there is more than one). NDIS was developed by {Microsoft} and {3COM}.  {Novell} offers a similar device driver for NetWare called Open Data-Link Interface (ODI). The NDIS 2.0 specification was 5000 lines. Current version: NDIS 5.0, as of 2000-10-30. {Home (http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/devdes/ndis5.htm)}. {cdrom.com NDIS archive (ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/os2/network/ndis/)}. ["3TECH, The 3COM Technical Journal", Winter 1991]. (2000-10-30)