HP Package Revision: Q3C5020a / 3COM ED5.02 Date : 18th of june, 1999 3C905C Fast EtherLink XL Bus Master Network Interface Card Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions for Vectra PCs Installation tips in Hewlett Packard Brio, Vectra and Kayak PCs --------------------------------------------------------------- The EtherDisk diskettes support the 3Com family of EtherLink 10/100 PCI bus-mastering network interface cards (NICs) with a common driver set. Key product features include: - Parallel Tasking II (R) architecture for high performance - Bus mastering for low CPU utilization and optimal overall system performance - Ease of installation with AutoLink (TM) software - Automatic selection of media type for EtherLink 10 Mbps NICs - Automatic selection of link speed for EtherLink 10/100 Mbps NICs - Broad driver support, including NetWare, NDIS 2.01, NDIS 3.0, NDIS 4.0, NDIS 5.0, and others - SNMP manageability - Lifetime limited warranty - Full duplex enabled for switched 10/100 Mbps environments Driver installation: - Help.exe program on Disk3 contains software installation instructions. Win95, Win98 installation : - Make sure Bios setup PnP OS field is set to Yes for Win95 SR2.x, Win98 For Win95 RTM and Win95 SR1, set Bios setup PnP OS field to No. - During NIC installation, Win9x may prompt for Win95 master disks. When using HP preloaded Win9x, they're located on C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS - If the 3Com 3C905x NIC is added after a fresh installation of Win95 OSR 2.5, the NDIS 3 driver might be installed. This driver will be the default network driver if there was no previous installations of networking nor dial-up components in the system. Although the NDIS 4 driver is the recommended driver, there is no significant performance degradation nor limitations in using the NDIS 3 driver. If the user choose to use the NDIS 4 driver instead of the NDIS 3, there is a simple work around that will configure the OS to do so. Step 1: Right click on Network Neighborhood and select Properties. Step 2: Click the OK button. The next time the OS reboots, it will use the NDIS 4 driver. - Update from a PC pre-installed with an older driver version. For unattended installation purposes, older driver files may have been copied into C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS and C:\WINDOWS\INF folders. When upgrading to ED5.02 driver, Windows install Diagnostics from older driver which may not support 3C905C adapter. This results in a Windows 3COM diagnostic failure. To prevent this, please delete tcaatdi.inf and tcaitdi.inf files in C:\WINDOWS\INF and C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS folders before starting installation with ED5.02 driver disks. NT installation: - Make sure Bios setup PnP OS field is set to No - During NIC installation, NT4 may prompt for NT4 master disks. When using HP preloaded NT4, they're located on C:\I386 - After any network installation (NIC, protocols, clients, etc...), always re-apply latest NT Service Pack. Some errors may be encountered before Service Pack re-application, they should be ignored. Please notice that on some PCs, some drivers must be re-installed after Service Pack application. When using HP preloaded NT4, latest supported Service Pack is located on C:\I386\SPx (x stands for Service Pack revision) - If you want to install drivers on NT4 from hard disk (i.e. diskettes copied on hard disk): * create a folder on hard disk, example: C:\LANDRV * copy DISK1 content on C:\LANDRV * copy DISK2 content on C:\LANDRV, when NT4 prompt for a confirmation to overwrite PARTNO file, answer Yes. * Proceed with installation as specified in Help.exe program (Disk3). When prompted for LAN driver path, enter C:\LANDRV Win3.11 installation: - With HP PCs released with Phoenix Bios, please add following line in DEVICE.SYS file before starting installation if EMM386.EXE program is used: * c:\dos\EMM386.exe NOEMS X=E800-FFFF Network Remote Boot: - Before using Network Remote Boot, make sure Network Remote Boot is enabled in Bios setup. Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions -------------------------------------------- This file contains release notes and answers to some frequently asked questions to help you obtain maximum performance from your 3Com EtherLink NIC. Release Notes ------------- >>> 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows not available in Windows 95 (Retail) If the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows is not available in the Windows Start menu (under Programs, 3Com NIC Utilities, 3Com NIC Doctor), manually run the program: 1. Open the Windows Start menu and select Run. 2. Type TCAUDIAG, and then click OK. 3. Select the Show Icon in System Tray check box to enable the 3Com icon to appear in the Windows system tray. You can then double-click the icon to start the 3Com NIC Diagnostic program. >>> Potential problem when sharing interrupts under Windows 95 If you install two or more PCI NICs (one of them being an EtherLink 10 Mbps NIC) in your Windows 95 system that use the same interrupt, your system may exhibit strange behavior. 3Com has found that sharing interrupts can cause a blue screen error or continuous system reboots, which are caused by disabling or enabling the NIC using the Windows Device Manager or the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program. This problem has been found on multiple systems and with other manufacturer's PCI network interface 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 that is assigned to a NIC is a function of the BIOS. For more details, refer to the documentation provided with your PC or contact HP support services. >>> Warm booting with the DOS-based drivers running 3Com Adapters require an hardware PCI reset when the <CTRL>+<ALT>+<DEL> key combination (a "warm boot") is used to restart the PC. Please check that the Bios setup "PCI reset" field is set to "Long". >>> Configuration settings are not saved when using 3Com >>> Windows based configuration utility It is recommended that you reboot your PC to properly save any configuration changes made using the 3Com Windows based or DOS based configuration utility. This includes, but is not limited to, changes to media type, duplex settings, and speed settings. >>> Echo Exchange Test does not support crossover cable Because the Echo Exchange test verifies the ability of the NIC 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 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 a 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 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: 1. Access the C: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 and Windows 98 installation notes This information applies to the Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating systems. When installing an EtherLink NIC under Windows 95/98, the operating system automatically detects the presence of the NIC and asks for the diskette containing the driver software for the NIC (EtherDisk diskette 1). 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 icon in the Windows 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 the NIC being recorded in the System Registry. The EtherLink NIC does not operate correctly under these circumstances. To fix this problem, open the System icon in the Windows Control Panel. In the Device Manager, under Network adapters, the two instances of the EtherLink NIC are shown. Remove the one that is marked disabled, and restart your computer. The entry for the remaining EtherLink NIC in the same dialog box should show that the NIC is operating correctly. >>> Win95 OSR 2.5 installs the NDIS 3 driver If the 3Com 3C905x NIC is added after a fresh installation of Win95 OSR 2.5, the NDIS 3 driver might be installed. This driver will be the default network driver if there was no previous installations of networking nor dial-up components in the system. Although the NDIS 4 driver is the recommended driver, there is no performance degradation nor limitations in using the NDIS 3 driver. If the user choose to use the NDIS 4 driver instead of the NDIS 3, there is a simple work around that will configure the OS to do so. Step 1: Right click on Network Neighborhood and select Properties. Step 2: Click the OK button. The next time the OS reboots, it will use the NDIS 4 driver. >>> Error when running the DOS Diagnostics program (3C90XCFG.EXE) from >>> a DOS window under Windows 98 To avoid possible errors, 3Com suggests booting from a DOS-bootable diskette when running the DOS diagnostics program (3C90XCFG.EXE). Alternatively, the DOS diagnostics program can be run by rebooting your PC in "Safe Mode - Command Prompt Only." >>> Windows NT and 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows Because of security features in the Windows NT operating system, the 3Com Diagnostics program for Windows functions only for users with Administrator privileges. If you have User privileges only, use the 3Com Configuration and Diagnostics program for DOS. >>> 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. Frequently Asked Questions -------------------------- Q: How do I remove the software that comes with my EtherLink 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. If you remove all of the EtherLink NICs from the Control Panel, the uninstall program will be run automatically. Q: Which PCI slot is best for my 3Com EtherLink 10/100 PCI NIC? A: 3Com PCI NICs are designed to work in any PCI slot. Q. Does my PCI NIC support shared interrupts? A. The drivers for the EtherLink 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. Q: Are the EtherLink ODI drivers Novell-certified? A: Yes, 3Com EtherLink ODI drivers are Novell tested and approved. Q: After installing Novell Client 32 for Windows 95, the error message "Your driver could not be disabled" appears when I try to run the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows. Why? A: If the PC is configured with Novell Client 32 using the 32-bit ODI driver, the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program will not support driver suspension. To run the diagnostics program, either boot the machine in MS-DOS mode and execute 3C90XCFG.EXE from EtherDisk diskette 3, or reconfigure Novell Client 32 to use an NDIS driver. For exact directions, refer to your Client 32 instructions. If you experience the above message when you attempt to run the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows, verify that the hardware device is enabled before rebooting the machine. Perform these steps: 1) Right-click on the My Computer icon, and then click Properties. 2) Double-click Network adapters. 3) Double-click the 3Com Etherlink NIC. 4) Make sure that the Current Configuration is checked on the Device Usage box. If you have only one hardware profile, it appears as "Original Configuration (Current)." If you have multiple hardware profiles, check the box where the NIC should be enabled. 5) Click OK, and then OK again to save settings. Q: How do I update my 3C90x drivers in Windows 95 (OSR2)? A: You can update your existing 3C90x driver set by performing the steps below: 1) Right click on the My Computer icon. 2) Click Properties. 3) When the System Properties screen appears, click the Device Manager tab. 4) Double-click Network Adapters, and then double-click the 3Com Etherlink NIC. 5) Click the Drivers tab, and then click Update Driver. 6) When the Update Driver Wizard appears, do not select the option that lets Windows 95 search for the driver. Instead, select the 'No. Select Driver from list' option, and then click Next. 7) Click Have Disk, and then click OK. 8) Windows 95 starts copying the files and updating the registry. Q: Where can I find out more information on DynamicAccess software? A: For detailed information about DynamicAccess software, go to the 3Com World Wide Web site: http://www.3com.com/dynamicaccess Q: Where can I find MS LAN Manager Installation Notes? A: For installation instructions, go to the 3Com World Wide Web site: 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: 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: http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm Brio, Vectra, Kayak are registred trademarks of HP Corposration. 3Com, EtherLink, and EtherDisk are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. (%VER HPREADME.TXT - Release Notes v5.0.3.HP)Download Driver Pack
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