Abstract: Accordingly, the preferred embodiment includes an improved computer-implemented method and apparatus for interfacing a STREAMS processing path of a local machine to a network communications protocol of a network having at least one remote machine connected thereon. The method includes the addition of information to the primitives defined for the NPI as well as the steps of examining the primitives received from an application and processing them according to their information. If the primitive is a bind primitive, the method determines if the primitive contains a TRANSPAC option. If the TRANSPAC option is set, the method stores this information in the NPI context or data structure. If the primitive contains a PVC option, the method sets a PVC option in the context. The method then builds an X.25 listen primitive and sends it to the network to establish a listen for a connection.