Priority Packet
Priority Packet
===============
Priority Packet is an Intel program that adds Traffic Class
Expediting features to Intel PRO/100+ adapters. Traffic Class
Expediting (IEEE standard 802.1P/802.1D) is a method of assigning
different levels of priority to data packets based on user defined
filters. This allows the user to grant a greater share of available
network bandwidth to critical applications.
To realize any gain from this feature, your interconnecting network
hardware (hubs, switches, etc.) must also support Traffic Class
Expediting.
Priorities can be assigned to packets by the user based on network
layer properties, such as the Node address of the destination
computer or the Ethernet type, or by various properties of the
TCP/IP and IPX protocols. See "Configuration" below for details on
setting up packet filters.
System Requirements
===================
This software program can be installed in Windows NT 4.0 or Windows
98.
It can also be installed in Windows 95 if it is service release 2
(SR2) or higher. If you are not sure what release of Windows 95 you
are using, open the Control Panel and check the release number on
the General tab. If the release number is 4.00.950 or 4.00.950A
Priority Packet will not work. If it is 4.00.950B or higher you can
install Priority Packet.
Installation
=============
To install, click Start, then Run. Enter the path to the Packet
Express setup program in the PKTXPRSS directory on your CD (example;
D:\PKTXPRSS\SETUP.EXE where D: is the drive letter for your CD-ROM
drive). Click on OK and follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the install. A Priority Packet icon will be added to the
Windows Control Panel.
Configuration
=============
There are two ways to launch the Priority Packet configuration
program.
- Open the Control Panel and double click the Priority Packet icon
- From PROSet, click the Priority Packet button.
When you run the Priority Packet configuration program, you will be
presented with a dialog box with 2 tabs. One tab is titled Filters,
and the other is titled Statistics. The Filters tab is where you
will add, remove and examine the properties of the various filters
you define. The Statistics tab is where you will examine and control
the activity of your filters.
Adding a filter
Click Add. This will start the Filter Wizard. You will be presented
with 2 options; Pre-Defined Packet Filter and Custom Packet Filter.
Select Pre-
Defined Packet Filter to select from a list of filters that have
already been defined. Select Custom Packet Filter to define your own
custom filter.
Defining a Custom Filter
If you select Custom Filter, you will be presented with a choice of
3 basic types of filters;
- Node Address /EtherType Filter
- TCP/IP Filter
- IPX Filter
A Node Address / EtherType filter assigns priority based on network
"layer two" properties. These include the destination node address
and the Ethernet packet type definition.
A TCP/IP filter assigns priority based on TCP/IP protocol
properties. These properties include the TCP/IP address and subnet
and specific protocols within the TCP/IP protocol suite.
An IPX filter assigns priority based on IPX protocol properties.
These properties include the network number, destination node
address and IPX socket.
Defining a Node Address / EtherType Filter
If you select Node Address / EtherType Filter, you will be given the
choice of specifying a destination Node Address. By specifying a
node address for a filter, you limit the packet prioritization for
that filter to a specific computer on the network.
If you select Specify Node Address, you must enter the node address
of the destination computer. The term Node Address refers to the 12
digit MAC address (a.k.a. Ethernet ID) burned into the LAN interface
adapter or, if locally administered addressing is being used, the
local address assigned to the adapter in that computer. When
finished with this screen, click Next.
In the next step, you will have the option of specifying an
EtherType. If you specified a Node Address in the previous step but
do not specify an EtherType, all traffic going to the specified node
address will be given the priority you specify for this filter. You
can select an EtherType from the list, specify your own or specify
none. Click Next when you are finished.
In the next screen, enter the following information;
- Name - Enter a unique name for your custom filter.
- Tagging Method - Currently IEEE 802.1p is the only tagging method
supported.
- Priority level - 7 is the highest priority, 0 is the lowest.
Click Next when you are finished. The next screen will give you a
summary of your new filter's properties. Click Finish when you are
done, then click Apply to activate the new filter.
Defining a TCP/IP filter
If you select TCP/IP Filter, you will be given the choice of
specifying a Destination IP address and subnet mask. If you skip
this step, you must specify a protocol or port on the next screen.
If you specify a Destination IP address and subnet mask, then this
filter will affect only packets sent to that address. If you enter a
destination IP address and select Do Not Specify a Protocol on the
next screen, then all IP traffic to that destination address will be
sent with the specified priority.
In the next screen, either select Do Not Specify a Protocol or Port,
or enter the following information;
- Specify Protocol (from list)
or
- Specify Protocol (other)
If you specify TCP or UDP as the protocol, you must enter a specific
port number.
In the next screen, enter the following information;
- Name - Enter a unique name for your custom filter.
- Tagging Method - Currently IEEE 802.1p is the only tagging method
supported.
- Priority level - 7 is the highest priority, 0 is the lowest.
Click Next when you are finished. The next screen will give you a
summary of your new filter's properties. Click Finish when you are
done, then click Apply to activate the new filter.
Defining an IPX filter
If you select IPX filter, you will be given the choice of specifying
a Destination Network number, Destination Host number or Destination
Socket. You can assign any combination of these parameters.
- Destination Network Number
This is the Net number assigned to a specific segment and
frame type.
- Destination Host Number
This is the Node address of a specific LAN adapter
- Destination Socket
This is an IPX socket number. Only static IPX sockets can be
entered.
In the next screen, enter the following information;
- Name - Enter a unique name for your custom filter.
- Tagging Method - Currently IEEE 802.1p is the only tagging method
supported.
- Priority level - 7 is the highest priority, 0 is the lowest.
Click Next when you are finished. The next screen will give you a
summary of your new filter's properties. Click Finish when you are
done, then click Apply to activate the new filter.
* Brand, name, or trademark owned by another company.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.