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    Netport(R) I & II Print Server: Operating in Mixed Protocol Environment

    Contents:

    • NETPORT(R) II AND MIXED ETHERNET PROTOCOLS
    • ORIGINAL NETPORT(R) AND MIXED ETHERNET FRAME TYPES
    
    

    NETPORT(R) II AND MIXED ETHERNET PROTOCOLS

    
       The Ethernet version of Netport(R) II has 2 DIP switches to set the
    
       Netport II Ethernet frame type (IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet Type II).  Once
    
       the DIP switch is set (default IEEE 802.3), Netport II can only
    
       communicate with servers using that frame type.
    
    
    
       These switches are recessed on the back panel of the Netport II.  To
    
       switch between IEEE 802.3 packets and Ethernet Type II (8137) frame
    
       type, use a pen to reach inside the back panel.  (Do not use a pencil as
    
       the graphite crumbs act as conductors and may cause a short)
    
    
    
       Set both switches UP for IEEE 802.3
    
       Set both switches DOWN for Ethernet Type II
    
    
    
    

    ORIGINAL NETPORT(R) AND MIXED ETHERNET FRAME TYPES

    
       Several of our customers have reported a problem that appears only in
    
       networks that simultaneously run both the IEEE 802.3 and the Ethernet
    
       Type II NetWare frame types.  The remainder of this document explains
    
       the cause and cure for this problem.
    
    
    
       Cause of the problem:
    
       While the IEEE 802.3 and Ethernet Type II frame types coexist nicely on
    
       the same network wire, devices of one type can't communicate with
    
       devices of the other type.  For example, a workstation using IEEE 802.3
    
       can't communicate with a server using Ethernet Type II.  Because this
    
       limitation is built into the frame type, it also applies to Netport(R). 
    
       Netport must decide which of the two frame types to use.
    
    
    
       How does NetPort choose a frame type?
    
       By default, NetPort first looks for the nearest NetWare IEEE 802.3
    
       server.  If it can't find one, it looks for a NetWare Ethernet Type II
    
       server.  In networks with just one frame type, NetPort always chooses
    
       the correct frame type protocol.  However, in mixed networks, NetPort
    
       always chooses the NetWare IEEE 802.3 frame type since it finds it
    
       first.  So, by default, NetPort will work fine in a mixed frame type
    
       environment (IEEE 802.3 & Ethernet type II) as long as the file server
    
       and workstation you are running the NetPort utilities on are IEEE 802.3.
    
        NetPort will not respond or even show up if the utilities are run on a
    
       Ethernet type II workstation.
    
    
    
       Note: If your NetPort is not showing up on the network and you have not
    
       upgraded it to version 2.53 or above which introduces the SERVERNAME=
    
       command, you may not be having a mixed frame type protocol problem. 
    
       NetPort may be out searching the network and possibly getting lost.  If
    
       your network is large, this process can take up to an hour or longer.
    
    
    
       Possible solutions:
    
       If your network uses both frame types and you want to run NetPort
    
       utilities from a Ethernet type II workstation, you'll need to configure
    
       NetPort to be Ethernet type II.  This can be done a couple of ways:
    
    
    
         1. Go to a workstation that is configured for IEEE 802.3.  NetPort
    
            should show up under NPLIST.  Execute the following command which
    
    
    
            will bind NetPort to Ethernet type II only:
    
    
    
            NP2CON NPxxxxxx ENETMODE=ENET,8137
    
    
    
            NP2CON NPxxxxxx RESET
    
    
    
            NetPort is now bound to Ethernet type II only and will only look
    
            for and respond to Ethernet type II workstations and file server,
    
            even in a mixed frame type network.  You will have to go back to
    
            you Ethernet type II work station to see NetPort on the network.
    
    
    
         2. If you have a NetWare 3.11 server, you can bind both frame types,
    
            IEEE 802.3 and Ethernet type II, to the same stack.  This means you
    
            have both Ethernet type II and IEEE 802.3 running on the same file
    
            server adapter card.  This allows NetPort to be accessed from both
    
            types of workstations.  The following explains how to add IEEE
    
            802.3 to an adapter card that is already running Ethernet type II.
    
    
    
       Note: Refer to the file server AUTOEXEC.NCF to see how your adapter card
    
       is already configured.
    
    
    
            A.   Look at the file server's AUTOEXEC.NCF and write down the LOAD
    
                 and the BIND statement for the adapter card you want to bind
    
                 IEEE 802.3 to. (At the file server colon prompt type LOAD
    
                 INSTALL)
    
    
    
            B.   At the file server's colon prompt type:
    
    
    
               LOAD driver_name INT=interrupt FRAME=ETHERNET_802.3
    
               NAME=board_name
    
               BIND IPX TO board_name NET=address_number
    
    
    
            Where:
    
    
    
            *    driver_name & interrupt, are the same ones used in the LOAD
    
                 statement you wrote down.
    
    
    
            *    board_name & address_name, are unique, arbitrary names that
    
                 are different than the ones used in the LOAD and BIND
    
                 statement you wrote down.
    
    
    
            Example using and EtherExpress 16 adapter card.
    
    
    
            LOAD exp16 INT=a FRAME=ethernet_802.3 name=lan_b
    
            BIND IPX to lan_b  NET=123
    
    
    
            The file server should report that the IEEE 802.3 frame type was
    
            successfully bound.  Typing CONFIG at the file server console will
    
            also report whether or not the IEEE 802.3 was bound successfully.
    
    
    
           C.  Reset the NetPort, NP2CON NPxxxxxx RESET
    
    
    
           D.  Run NPLIST and see that NetPort displays itself.
    
    
    
           E.  Now that NetPort shows up under NPLIST, issue the following
    
              command:
    
    
    
               NP2CON NPxxxxxx ENETMODE=ENET,8137
    
    
    
               NP2CON NPxxxxxx reset
    
    
    
               This sets the NetPort to the Ethernet Type II 8137 frame type
    
              protocol only.
    
    
    
         3. To fix the problem, you can upload a new version of the firmware
    
            into NetPort's Flash memory.  Usually you can upload the software
    
            over the network.  However, since the NetPort can't communicate
    
            with Ethernet Type II workstations in this network environment,
    
            you'll need to upload through the NetPort's serial port.  You'll
    
            need three things before you can upload:
    
    
    
           *   The new .UPD files and the update utilities and are available
    
              through Intel's online services.
    
    
    
                 NetPort II Ethernet             NPE434.EXE
    
                 NetPort II Token Ring           NPT534.EXE
    
                 Original Ethernet NetPort       NP1EUP.EXE
    
                 Original Token Ring NetPort     NP1TUP.EXE
    
    
    
           *   A DOS workstation with a serial port (you must use COM1).
    
    
    
           *   A custom null modem type serial cable to connect the
    
              workstation's COM1 port to the NetPort. The instructions for
    
              building your serial cable are found at the end of this document.
    
    
    
       About the workstation
    
       The workstation can be any PC running DOS and having a COM1 port.  It
    
       can be running Ethernet Type II, or IEEE 802.3.  After you identified
    
       the workstation you want to use for the uploading, make sure its COM1
    
       port matches the connector on your serial cable.  (Refer to the figures
    
       at the end of this document.)  If it doesn't, you'll need a different
    
       workstation or a different serial cable.
    
    
    
       Uploading the firmware
    
       Read all the following steps before starting the procedure.  (Pay
    
       special attention to the speed needed in step 8.)  After you've read
    
       them, follow these steps carefully:
    
    
    
         1. Disconnect the NetPort first from the power cord, the printer(s)
    
            and the network cable.
    
    
    
         2. Turn off the power on the workstation.  Then attach the serial
    
            cable to the workstation's COM1 port and to the NetPort's serial
    
            port.
    
    
    
         3. Turn on the workstation, and go to the DOS prompt.
    
    
    
         4. Login as supervisor. (you must be Supervisor or equivalent)
    
    
    
         5. Plug the NetPort power supply into the wall first and then into
    
            NetPort.
    
    
    
         6. Go to the directory where the latest NetPort utilities reside.
    
    
    
       Note: Don't run the update utilities from a floppy disk or from a
    
       Windows shell.  The update utilities must be run from either a network
    
       or local hard disk, and from DOS.
    
    
    
         7. Execute the appropriate command to update your NetPort's Flash
    
            memory:
    
    
    
            ORIGINAL ETHERNET NETPORT
    
    
    
           *   Update NetPort from v2.10 or below, to v2.57:
    
    
    
                 CONVERT NPxxxxxx ECONVERT.UPD SERIAL
    
                 CONVERT NPxxxxxx ECNVRTEN.UPD SERIAL (Ethernet Type II)
    
    
    
           *   Update from v2.53 to v2.57 or above:
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP257.UPD SERIAL
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP257EN2.UPD SERIAL (Ethernet Type II)
    
    
    
           *   Update back to v2.10 from v2.53 or above:
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP210.UPD SERIAL
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP210EN2.UPD SERIAL  (Ethernet Type II)
    
    
    
            ORIGINAL TOKEN RING NETPORT
    
    
    
           *   Update from v3.08 to v3.45 or above:
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx TCONVERT.UPD SERIAL
    
    
    
           *   Update from v3.40 or 3.43 to v3.45 or above:
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP345.UPD SERIAL
    
    
    
           *   Update back to v3.08 from v3.40 or above:
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP308.UPD SERIAL
    
    
    
            NETPORT II ETHERNET AND TOKEN RING
    
    
    
           *   The following syntax work for all NetPort II whether go up to a
    
              new version or back down to an existing version:
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP4xx.UPD SERIAL (Ethernet)
    
    
    
                  NP2UPDAT NPxxxxxx NP5xx.UPD SERIAL (Token Ring)
    
    
    
         8. When the screen asks you to reboot the NetPort, move quickly. 
    
            Unplug the power cord from the NetPort for no more than 5 seconds
    
            and then plug it in again. If you leave it unplugged for too long,
    
            or if you don't unplug it soon enough, your screen will display a
    
            time-out message.  If this happens, just go back to step 7.  Keep
    
            an eye on the screen.  The update utility will tell you what it's
    
            doing as it uploads the firmware.  When it says the update is
    
    
    
            successful, it's ready to install.
    
    
    
         9. Re-install the NetPort on your network as described in the NetPort
    
            Installation Guide.  NPLIST VER, NPSTAT or NPAdmin will display the
    
            new version number of the Flash firmware.
    
    
    
       Making your own null-moden type serial update cable
    
       If you have the means to make your own serial cable, We've provided the
    
       pin-out diagrams and specifications for an  AT cable (Figure 1) and a
    
       PS/2 cable (Figure 2).
    
    
    
          NetPort                 IBM AT or compatible
    
          serial                         serial
    
           port                           port
    
        -----------                   -----------
    
       | o o o o o |                 | o o o o o |
    
        | o o o o |                   | o o o o |
    
         ---------                     ---------
    
    
    
       RXD    2 ----------------------------- 3 TXD
    
       TXD    3 ----------------------------- 2 RXD
    
       GND    5 ----------------------------- 5 GND
    
       RTS    7 ----------------------------- 8 CTS
    
       CTS    8 ----------------------------- 7 RTS
    
    
    
       Figure 1 - Serial cable pin-out for IBM AT and compatible computers.
    
    
    
          NetPort                  IBM PS/2 or compatible
    
          serial                            serial
    
           port                              port
    
        -----------               ---------------------------
    
       | o o o o o |             | o o o o o o o o o o o o o |
    
        | o o o o |               | o o o o o o o o o o o o |
    
         ---------                 -------------------------
    
    
    
       RXD   2 ----------------------------- 2 TXD
    
       TXD   3 ----------------------------- 3 RXD
    
       GND   5 ----------------------------- 7 GND
    
       RTS   7 ----------------------------- 5 CTS
    
       CTS   8 ----------------------------- 4 RTS
    
    
    
       Figure 2 - Serial cable pin-out for IBM PS/2 and compatible computers.
    
    

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