Nice hint, but I have to ask a question. Why wouldn't you use Native File Access Protocol for AFP instead of NFAP for SMB? It comes with Netware 6 and newer. under 6.5 and newer it runs very well. I think the server command is
load afptcp
After that you can use Connect to server or script it, etc. You may need to add the contexts via \\server\sys\etc\ctxs.cfg. If you don't add the contexts to this you may need to add them to the end of the username at login. Example: mflender needs to be mflender.coe.facstaff to successfully login. But if youstart AFP on the Novell server and add the contexts, your Mac users will love you. If your Novell admin can't help with this, they don't know Novell or they are intentionally making your life hard. Either way, it's inexcusable.

I'm an end user, not in the IT dept, but they tell me AFP is running on the servers and the contexts are there. Neither AFP nor SMB "Connect to Server" works on Macs running 10.4--both work on Macs running 10.3.

Both Novell and Apple have been contacted and, while neither can say what the problem is, both point the finger at the other. If one or the other can offer a fix, great. In the meantime, this workaround script is fairly painless.