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1998-12-18
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3Com (R) Corporation
EtherDisk (R) Diskette for the
3C90X Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NIC Family
Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions
The EtherDisk XL diskettes support 3Com's family of bus mastering PCI
network NICs with a common driver set. Products included in this
family are the Fast EtherLink XL 10/100-BASE TX, EtherLink XL PCI TPO/
COMBO/TPC, Fast EtherLink XL 100-Base FX, EtherLink XL 10-Base FL NICs.
Key product features include:
- Parallel Tasking II (R) architecture for highest performance
- Bus mastering for low CPU utilization and optimal overall system
performance
- Ease of installation with AutoLink (TM), and Auto Select Media Type for
EtherLink XL Bus Master NICs and Auto Select Link Speed for Fast
EtherLink XL NICs
- Broad driver support, including NetWare, NDIS 2.01, NDIS 3.0, NDIS 4.0
and others
- SNMP manageability
- Lifetime limited warranty
- Full duplex enabled for switched 10/100 MBPS environments
>>> Frequently Asked Questions and Release Notes
This file contains the release notes and answers to some frequently asked
questions about the PCI environment to help you obtain maximum performance
from your 3Com Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NICs. This
information is updated regularly on 3Com's CompuServe forum (3ComForum),
3Com BBS (bulletin board service), and 3Com's World Wide Web site
(http://www.3Com.com).
>>> Release Notes
>>> Potential problem when sharing interrupts under Windows 95
If you install two or more PCI NICs (one of them being
EtherLink XL) in your Windows 95 system using the same interrupt,
your system may exhibit strange behavior. 3Com has found that
sharing the interrupt can cause a blue screen error or continuous
system reboots, that are caused by disabling or enabling your NIC
by using the Device Manager or the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program.
This problem has been found on multiple different systems and with
other manufacturer's PCI network cards. The solution is to stop
sharing the interrupt between the NICs and assign a different PCI
interrupt number to each of the NICs. Changing the PCI interrupt
assigned to a NIC is a function of the BIOS or a utility provided
by the PC Manufacturer. For more details refer to the
documentation provided with your computer or consult with the
manufacturer.
>>> Spurious Hardware Interrupts on the Compaq Proliant 5000
When running a server on the Compaq Proliant 5000 numerous Spurious
interrupts warning messages may appear. 3Com has found that these
warnings should be ignored and have no effect with normal
operation. 3Com has noticed that these warnings also happen with
NICs from other manufacturing companies.
>>> Performance Hint for the Fast EtherLink XL NICs on HP NetServers
During testing of HP NetServers and the Fast EtherLink XL NIC,
3Com has observed that the performance can be maximized by
customizing the NetServer's BIOS. Within the BIOS of the NetServer,
access the Advanced Chipset Setup and set the DRAM Buffer Write to
0 and the Snoop Ahead to 1.
NOTE: This was tested on an HP NetServer 466 LF and a 466 LC, but
could apply to other models of the NetServer family.
>>> Warm Booting with the DOS based Drivers Running
3Com has found that some systems do not reset the PCI Bus when the
<CTRL><ALT><DEL> key combination is used to restart the system.
If the system does not reset the PCI Bus when a "warm boot" occurs
the 3C90X Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NIC Family stay
in a running state that can cause problems if there is any network
activity before the driver is reloaded. This problem can be avoided
by pressing the reset button if your system has one or by turning
the system completely off before restarting.
>>> Unable to Use Network Connections After Running Diagnostics
When using the Etherlink XL 3C900-Combo NIC, 3Com has found that
running the diagnostic test included in the Windows based 3Com
NIC Diagnostics may cause you to lose your network connections
and make it unable to create any new connections. This can be
corrected by rebooting the system.
>>> Windows NT and S3 Video Driver
During testing, 3Com has observed a problem that occurs with Windows
NT involving S3 video drivers and PCI memory mapped I/O devices
installed on the secondary PCI bus. The symptoms include system
lock-up upon initialization of Windows NT.
The problem has been observed with the Dell OptiPlex GXPro 6/180
using the 3C905B with Windows NT 4.0 and Service Pack 3 installed.
Updating the video driver for the S3 Trio64V+ (765DRV - version
2.00.18) resolved the issue. This problem can also be resolved by
installing the 3C905B in the primary PCI bus or by uninstalling
Service Pack 3.
The S3 driver included with the Service Pack 3 for NT has a problem
where it makes several writes to unclaimed memory space in the PCI
bridge chip causing NT to become unstable and freeze.
>>> NetServer LS2 5/166 and 3C90XB NICs running Windows NT4.0 with
>>> Service Pack 3
3Com has noticed that when the 3C90XB NIC is installed in the
secondary PCI bus of this particular machine, the machine may hang
intermittently. The possible symptoms could be a locked mouse
pointer, steady hourglass, or the inability to execute any programs.
However, Windows NT 4.0 runs flawlessly if the NIC is installed in
the primary PCI bus. This is observed only in this model of the
NetServer and not on other machines of the NetServer line. 3Com is
currently working with HP to resolve this issue.
>>> Using a SNI machine with the 82440LX chip set running Netware
>>> 4.1, causes the server to abend with a stack overflow error.
If the SNI machine, with the 440LX chip set, is running Netware with
an Adaptec SCSI card and the 3C90XB NIC installed and a stack
overflow occurs, please contact Adaptec or SNI for an updated SCSI
driver for the machine.
>>> HP Vectra VL 5200
3Com has observed during testing that the 3C905B NIC using the
NDIS 4 driver under Windows 95 OSR 2 (version b) causes the PC to
boot in Safe Mode. There is no known workaround at this time. 3Com
is working with HP on a resolution.
>>> ASUS P2B motherboard
3Com has observed that the 3C905B-TX NIC may not work properly in
the ASUS P2B motherboard. Symptoms may include RWU or BIOS not
identifying the NIC correctly. This issue is fixed by ASUS with P2B
BIOS Ver. 1005. 08/01/98. You can download the new bios, or the latest
available BIOS at the ASUS website, http://www.asus.com
>>> DOS diagnostics incompatibility with 3C905B and Gateway E-3000
During testing 3Com encountered incompatibilities with our 3C905B
NIC and the Gateway E-3000 series PC when loading our DOS
diagnostics program. 3Com suggests using our Windows based
diagnostics if you encounter this problem. The Windows diagnostics
have been shown to work without error.
This happens if PnP OS is enabled in the BIOS settings, because DOS
is not a PnP OS.
>>> 3C905 (B) family of NIC's not supported in the NEC PowerMate
>>> P2200: P5 200MHz PC.
3Com has observed incompatibilities with the 3C905 (B) family of
NIC's and the NEC PowerMate P2200: P5 200MHz PC. Intermittent
network connection errors were observed during testing and no known
workarounds are available at this time. 3Com suggests not using the
3C905 or 3C905 B family of NIC's in this particular PC.
>>> Micron Powerdign Xsu with 300Mhz Pentium II
3Com has observed that the Micron Powerdign Xsu with 300Mhz
Pentium II may occasionally hang or loose network connection
when a 3C90X NIC is installed in the 64 bit slot of this system.
For this particular PC the 64 bit slot is not supported and
3Com suggests using any available PCI slot other than the 64 bit
slot in this system.
>>> 3Com PCI NIC Installation Hints
>>> Installing a PCI NIC in a PCI slot
1. Install the NIC in the computer. Refer to your computer
documentation for complete installation instructions.
2. Start the computer. In most cases, the PCI computer will
automatically configure the NIC. If this does not
happen, you may need to configure the computer to work
with the NIC. See the next section for further
details.
>>> Troubleshooting Installation Problems
3Com has found that some PCI computers require additional
configuration steps in order to install a PCI NIC. 3Com
recommends these steps:
1. Determine whether you have the latest BIOS version for your
computer. Contact your computer's manufacturer to make
sure you are using the latest BIOS.
2. Make sure the BIOS is set up correctly. In some PCI
computers, you may need to enable the PCI slot using the
BIOS Setup program. This is especially common in PCI
computers with a Phoenix BIOS.
After installing the NIC, turn on the computer and
enter the Setup program during system initialization
(usually by pressing [F1], [F2], or [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[S]).
The correct key to press is usually shown on the screen.
Once in the Setup program, find the entry for PCI slots
(it may be in the main menu, or sometimes in advanced
system configuration) and set these parameters to:
BIOS System Setting
Parameter
PCI Slot Number Slot where the 3Com PCI NIC is
installed (1-3)
Master ENABLED
Slave ENABLED
Latency Timer 40
Interrupt Choose any one of several available
interrupts that Setup provides.
Edge or Level Level Triggered Interrupt
NOTE: The exact wording of each of the parameters will
vary from computer to computer. Save the changes,
exit the Setup program, and continue with the
installation.
>>> Echo Exchange Test Does Not Support Crossover Cable
Because the Echo Exchange test verifies the NIC's ability to
transmit and receive data while on the network, both the echo
server and the echo client must be connected to a network. An
EtherLink XL NIC uses link beats to determine whether it is
connected to a network when the Media Type is selected. A constant
link beat is needed for the Echo Exchange test when the Media Type
is selected. Before starting the Echo Exchange test, connect the
echo server and the echo client together through a hub or a switch
that generates a constant link beat. Using crossover cable to
connect the echo server and the echo client directly does not work.
>>> Running the DOS ODI Driver with a Non-Novell Protocol in DOS
Please add the keyword NO_PIPELINE to your NET.CFG file when
running the DOS ODI driver with a non-Novell protocol in a DOS
environment. To add the keyword NO_PIPELINE to your NET.CFG file,
proceed as follows:
1. Access the C:\NWCLIENT directory and open the NET.CFG file.
Type:
EDIT NET.CFG [Enter]
2. Scroll through the file to the LINK DRIVER 3C90X section and
locate the following line:
LINK DRIVER 3C90X
3. Add NO_PIPELINE after LINK DRIVER 3C90X. Your file should
now look like this:
LINK DRIVER 3C90X
NO_PIPELINE {<- make sure this is indented a few spaces }
>>> Windows 95 & Windows 98 Installation Notes
This information applies to the Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating
systems.
When installing an EtherLink XL or Fast EtherLink XL NIC under
Windows 95, the operating system automatically detects the presence
of the NIC and asks for the diskette containing the driver
software for the NIC (the EtherDisk 1 diskette). At this point,
you can choose to cancel the installation of driver software
and install it later. Even though the driver installation has been
canceled, the fact that the NIC is installed is recorded in the
System Registry.
Later, when you install the driver software using the Network
applet in the Control Panel, the operating system assumes that you
are installing another instance of a NIC, not installing
software for the already recorded instance. This results in two
instances of a NIC being recorded in the System Registry.
The Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC will not operate correctly
under these circumstances.
To fix this problem, open the System applet in the Control Panel.
In the Device Manager dialog box, under Network NICs, the two
instances of the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC are shown.
Remove the one that is marked disabled, and restart your computer.
The remaining entry for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC
in the same dialog box should show that the NIC is operating
correctly.
>>> Error: " Invalid PCI interrupt Level, probable Hardware
>>> Incompatibility" while executing DOS diagnostics.
3Com has observed that some PC's may display the above error message
when the DOS diagnostics is launched. In order to avoid this problem
the "Plug & Play O/S " option should be disabled in the system BIOS.
Consult your PC's documentation for the proper steps to turn this option
off.
>>> DOS diagnostics and Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 unable to recognize
>>> 3C90X NIC's.
3Com has observed that the DOS diagnostics will occasionally not
recognize the 3C90X NIC's when running under Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0.
In order to avoid this problem boot your PC with a bootable DOS
diskette and then launch the DOS diagnostics program.
>>> When running the DOS diagnostics 3C90XCFG.EXE on a NIC with an
>>> MBA ROM installed, the N-WAY Auto Select option sometimes disappears
>>> from the list. Re-running the diagnostics without rebooting will
>>> restore all available settings.
This situation was observed intermittently on multiple machines but does
noT have any impact whatsoever on the performance of the NIC.
>>> When running the DOS diagnostics 3C90XCFG.EXE the diagnostics takes
>>> the NIC off-line and forces the link to 10Mbits Half Duplex. Running
>>> the Group1 test forces a link renegotiation and the correct speed
>>> will be set. Link renegotiation can also be forced by disconnecting
>>> and reconnecting the cables. These change of states can be observed
>>> on the NIC link lights and the switch port status.
This scenario was observed only when the NIC is set to NWAY - Auto and
connected to a LinkSwitch 3000 port which is also set to auto negotiate.
This situation however does not have any impact on the performance of
the NIC.
>>> Error when running the DOS Diagnostics, 3C90XCFG.EXE, from a DOS
>>> window under Windows 98.
3Com suggests booting from a bootable DOS floppy disk when running the
DOS diagnostics program 3C90XCFG.EXE to avoid possible errors.
Alternatively the DOS Diagnostic can be run by rebooting your PC in
"Safe Mode - Command Prompt Only".
>>> Combo NIC's require a reboot to reestablish network connectivity
>>> when switching between ports on the NIC.
When changing from one port to another on the Combo NIC you must reboot
your PC in order to establish a network connection. This includes any
change from AUI or BNC to TP, TP to BNC or AUI and any changes between
BNC and AUI.
>>> Windows NT and 3Com Windows diagnostics program.
Due to security features in the Windows NT operating system the 3Com
Windows Diagnostics will only function for users with Administrator
privileges. The user that only has User privileges should use the Dos
diagnostics if required.
>>> Intermittent LED behavior on 3C905/3C905B NICs'
3Com has observed that your PC must be power cycled after you have
changed speed settings from 10Mbps to 100Mbps. The reboot will allow
the LED's to indicate the correct speed settings.
>>> Client 32 installations in Windows 98
3Com does not recommend using the ODI LAN driver for Client 32
installations under Windows 98. The Windows NDIS driver should be
used instead.
>>> Packet Driver
The Packet driver supplied on EtherDisk 4.0 does not support the
3C900B-FL, 3C905B-FX or 3C905B-COMBO NIC's. Packet driver support
for these products is expected in the 2nd quarter of 1999.
>>> Frequently Asked Questions
(Note that Remote Wake Up specific FAQ's are found in the wakefaq.txt
file located in the HELP directory of disk 3.)
Q: How do I remove the software that comes with my Fast EtherLink
XL/EtherLink XL NIC from my system if I have a compatibility
problem.
A: You may remove the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program from your system at
any time by running the uninstaller in the Add/Remove Programs
Control Panel. This will remove the diagnostics program and the
3Com tray Icon. If you remove all the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink
XL NICs from the control panel the uninstall program will be run
automatically.
Q: Which PCI slot is best for my 3Com PCI NIC?
A: 3Com PCI NICs are designed to work in any PCI slot, including
"slave-only" slots. The NICs perform best in those slots that
support bus mastering data transfers. Refer to your owner's manual
for information on which slots support bus mastering data transfers.
Q: Which PCI slot(s) are "bus mastering" in my PCI machine?
A: Generally, if you have three PCI slots in a system, one slot will
be designated as a "slave-only" slot (that is, it does not support
bus mastering data transfers). Slots are not always marked clearly
to distinguish between slave-only and bus mastering slots. It is
best to refer to your owner's manual or contact your computer
manufacturer for this information. Also, make sure that you have
the latest version of your system's BIOS.
Q. Does my PCI NIC support shared interrupts?
A. The drivers for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master
NICs support shared interrupts. However, because there is no
industry-standard way to support shared interrupts, other NICs
may support them differently, or not at all. If you have another
PCI NIC that does not support shared interrupts (for example,
a SCSI host NIC), either contact the manufacturer for a shared
interrupt driver or try running the system setup program to assign
it a different interrupt. We have found that OS/2 version 1.3 does
not support shared interrupts, but it is only a problem if you are
using the OS/2 NDIS 2.01 driver in LAN Manager version 2.2. 3Com
has also found some problems with sharing interrupts under
Windows 95, more details are available in the release note section
earlier in this document. If this is a problem, try using the DOS
configuration utility to give each NIC a different IRQ, and change
the BIOS on your system to match.
Q: What interrupt should I avoid using with my 3Com PCI NIC?
A: You should avoid using any interrupts used by ISA/EISA boards that
do not properly support shared interrupts (level-triggered). If
you do not know or are unsure whether your NIC supports shared
interrupts, then avoid using them. In addition, try to avoid
using the same interrupt as that of your local hard drive
(normally IRQ 14 for IDE drives and IRQ 11 for most SCSI host
NICs), since not all hard drives support shared interrupts at
this time. For Novell NetWare servers, you should also avoid
using IRQ 7 or 15. These IRQs only support nonshared devices and
may cause problems if they are shared between two devices.
Q: Are my Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master ODI drivers Novell
certified?
A: Yes. 3Com's Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master ODI drivers
are Novell tested and approved.
Q: I've purchased an HP Pavilion machine and I want to connect it to
my network, are there any issues?
A: The HP Pavilion PCs are designed for home use and as a standalone
multimedia machine. HP doesn't recommend using this as a network
PC. Issues including: no available resources, PCI bus errors, PCI
device detection problems could arise when installing a PCI network
NIC in these PCs. 3Com and HP are working together to resolve this.
Q: After installing Novell Client 32 for Windows 95, I get an error
"Your driver could not be disabled." when I try to run the 3Com
Windows diagnostics, why?
A: If the PC is configured with Novell Client 32 using the 32-bit ODI
driver, the 3Com Windows Diagnostics utility doesn't support driver
suspension. In order to run the diagnostics, either boot the
machine in MS-DOS mode and execute 3C90XCFG.EXE from EtherDisk #3
or reconfigure Novell Client 32 to use an NDIS driver. For exact
directions, please refer to your Client 32 instructions. If you do
experience the above message when you attempt to run the 3Com
Windows diagnostics, verify that the hardware device is enabled
before rebooting the machine. Perform these steps:
1) Right click on My Computer at the desktop. Left click on
Properties.
2) Double click on Network adapters to expand its entries.
3) Double click on the 3Com Fast Etherlink XL/ Etherlink XL NIC.
4) Look at the Device Usage box and make sure the Current
Configuration is checked. If you have only one hardware
profile, it will appear as "Original Configuration (Current).
If you have multiple hardware profiles, check the box where the
NIC should be enabled.
5) Click OK once and then again OK to save settings.
Q: How do I update my 3C90X drivers in Windows 95 OSR2?
A: You can perform an update on your existing 3C90X driver set by
performing the following:
1) Right click on 'My Computer.'
2) Left click on 'Properties.'
3) When the System Properties screen appears, click on the 'Device
Manager' tab.
4) Double click on the 'Network Adapter' icon and double click on
the 3Com Fast Etherlink/ Etherlink XL NIC icon.
5) Click on the 'Drivers' tab and then click the 'Update Driver...'
button.
6) When the Update Driver Wizard appears, do not select the option
which lets Windows 95 search for the driver. Instead, select
'No. Select Driver from list' option. Click the 'Next>' button.
7) The description for the NIC should now appear. Click on the
'Have Disk....' button and path to the location of the EtherDisk
and click OK.
8) Windows 95 will then start copying the files and updating the
registry.
Q: Which NetWare server driver should I use?
A: The Hardware Suppport Module (HSM) standard for NetWare 4.11 is
called HSM v3.3. NetWare 4.11 requires an HSM v3.3 compliant LAN
driver. An HSM v3.3 compliant driver is located in the \NWSERVER
directory on EtherDisk Diskette #3. An HSM v3.3 compliant driver
can also be used for NetWare versions 3.12 and 4.10. See Novell
for the correct NLMs and support files for this environment. Other
versions of NetWare are no longer supported on this Etherdisk
release.
Q: Where can I find out more information on Dynamic Access software?
A: For detailed information about Dynamic Access go to the 3Com World
Wide Web site at http://www.3com.com/dynamicaccess
Q: Where can I find information about Banyan VINES Client Installations?
A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.
Q: Where can I find MS LAN Manager Installation Notes?
A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.
Q: Where can I find IBM LAN Server DOS and OS/2 Client installation
notes?
A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.
Q: Where can I find Artisoft LANtastic Installation Notes?
A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.
Q: Where can I find information about Installing a NIC in a NetWare
OS/2 ODI Client?
A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.
Q: Where can I find DEC PATHWORKS for DOS/Windows v4.1 and v5.1
Installation Notes?
A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.
>>> 3Com Technical Support
Please refer to your PCI user guide for technical support information.
In addition, this information is also available in the
\HELP\SUPPORT.TXT file on the EtherDisk 3 diskette.
3Com, EtherLink, and EtherDisk are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.
(%VER README.TXT - Release Notes v4.0.9)