3Com (R) Corporation
EtherCD (R) Compact Disc for the
3C90X Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NIC Family
Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions
The EtherCD XL compact disc supports 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 warranty limited
- 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
>>> Special notes for our Japanese customers
1. The DOS Diagnostic program is not supported under DOS/V.
2. If you have a version of EMM386 earlier than v4.49, please
update it to v4.49. (Old versions of EMM386 were packaged with
Windows 3.x, MS DOS 6.2 or earlier version, or PC DOS 7.0 or earlier
version.) To update your version of EMM386, download the NEWEMM.EXE
file that is available from 3Com's web site. A Japanese-language
file, NEWEMM.TXT, explains how to use NEWEMM.EXE.
>>> Potential problem when sharing interrupts under Windows95
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.
>>> Windows NT 4.0 Incompatibility with Miniport Drivers
3Com has observed occasional system shutdowns on some
multiprocessor servers (servers with more than one CPU)
that use Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 running miniport drivers,
including the 3Com EL90Xnd3.SYS/EL90Xnd4.sys miniport
driver. This situation is not unique to the EL90X.SYS
miniport driver and may occur with other miniport
architecture drivers used with Windows NT 4.0. A new SRV.SYS
driver from Microsoft fixes this problem. This driver is
included in the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack #1,
and can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site.
>>> 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.
>>> Copying the EtherCD files to your hard drive
The Diskette creation utility is for the creation of
diskettes only. If you wish to put the driver installation
files on a hard drive just copy all of the files in the root
of the CD to a directory on your hard drive.
>>> Canceling the Diskette creation utility
The Diskette creation utility does not respond right away
to cancel requests, because it is writing files.
>>> If you are using the first Windows 95 release on your
PC (commonly known as the "Retail version") and Netscape
is your browser, you will not be able to access the
DynamicAccess or the product registration links in the
CD navigator interface on the EtherCD that shipped with the
3Com NIC.
The problem is that this version of Windows 95 cannot
designate a default browser, although the registry
indicates that Internet Explorer is the default browser
(even though Internet Explorer is not installed).
Because of this peculiarity when you install Netscape,
it cannot be set as the default browser. And when you
attempt to access the above-mentioned links, nothing
happens because Netscape does not run.
When only Internet Explorer is installed, it is the
default browser and this problem does not occur.
The following two web sites give directions for how
to make Netscape the default browser:
http://help.netscape.com/kb/client/971009-21.html
"How can I make Netscape 4.xx or Communicator the default browser?"
http://www.ufaq.org/commonly/userprefs.html
"Advanced Communicator Preferences"
>>> Stopping the driver in a Windows NT System
3Com has found that if you stop the driver while there are
no protocols installed in your system it will crash with a
blue screen error. When this error occurs the system is
frozen and must be rebooted. Microsoft has admitted that
there is a problem in Windows NT and it will be fixed in
Service Pack 2.0 and later versions. To avoid this problem
simply keep at least one protocol loaded and Windows NT will
not let you stop the driver.
>>> 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.
>>> Compaq Prolinea 575 Computer Notification
3Com has observed issues with a particular system BIOS
revision for the Compaq Prolinea 575 computer. If the system
BIOS version is dated 11/18/97, it should be updated to a
later revision. The Compaq Prolinea 575 Configuration and
Diagnostics utility should be used to verify the revision
date of the system BIOS (system ROM). Consult the manual for
the Compaq Prolinea for instructions on verifying and
updating the system ROM version and on obtaining updated
system ROM software, or contact Compaq for assistance.
>>> 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.
>>> Installation Issues in OS/2 Warp
3Com has noticed that during the install of early releases
of OS/2 Warp 3.0 that the LAPS may incorrectly install the
3C90X NIC. If this does occur, the user will see the
following message when the machine is rebooted:
LT00042: The EL90XIO2_nif MAC was not able to bind.
Return code = 0x22
PR00025: An error occurred when the program tried to
bind LANDD to EL90XIO2_nif
To work around this issue, edit the PROTOCOL.INI file and
locate the following section:
[EL90XIO2_nif]
Next, change the line
DriverName = EL9X$ to DriverName = EL90X$
NOTE: This problem only occurs to earlier release of OS/2
Warp 3.0 and not later releases.
>>> 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 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. 3Com is
working with ASUS on these issues.
>>> 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.
>>> 3C905B-TX-NM and Zenith Z STATION-VP Incompatibility
3Com has observed that the 3C905B-TX-NM NIC is not properly
recognized by the Zenith Z STATION-VP, equipped with a
Pentium 75 processor and AMI BIOS 1994 v4.06. At this time,
there is no known workaround for this problem. 3Com suggests
using a 3C905B-TX NIC in this particular PC.
>>> NEC Mate NX
If you use the NEC Mate NX, uninstall the NIC device drivers
before reinstalling the operating system. See the user guide
for instructions on how to uninstall the NIC device drivers. After
the operating system has been reinstalled, then reinstall the NIC
device drivers, following the directions in the user guide.
>>> 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.
>>> Performance on Some Early Pentium Pro Models
During testing, 3Com has observed that some early Pentium
Pro models using Intel's (54x?) PCI chip sets do not fully
support the full bandwidth throughput of the PCI bus.
Symptoms can include an abnormal number of dropped packets
or performance below what the wire can support. This problem
can may be resolved by upgrading the BIOS from your system
vendor. Contact your vendor to see if such an upgrade is
available.
>>> 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 Installation Notes
This information applies to the Windows 95 operating system.
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. 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.
>>> Windows 95 OSR2 Installation Notes
If the Windows 95 OSR2 PC is pre-installed with an Etherlink XL
or Fast Etherlink XL NIC, a previous version of the 3C90X driver
and installation files may be installed. If this is the case,
the machine may lockup, exhibit Windows Protection Error, or
experience software installation problems when the second NIC is
installed. To avoid these problems, perform the following:
1) Before installing the second NIC, right click on Network
Neighborhood and select Properties with the left button.
2) Highlight the 3Com Fast EtherLink XL/ EtherLink XL NIC.
3) Click the Remove button.
4) Select OK to save changes but don't reboot the PC.
5) Click on the Start button and click on Find. Click on
Find Files or Folders.
6) Left click on the Advanced tab and have Win95 search for
all files containing the text "VEN_10b78" and "DEV_9050".
Delete all of these files. These are the previous
versions of the installation files.
7) Power off the PC and install the second NIC.
8) After installing the second NIC, power the PC back on
and let Windows 95 detect both NICs.
9) When Windows 95 prompts for the driver, insert the 3C905B
EtherCD. This will install the driver sets for both
NICs.
10) Configure the desired protocols and services according
to the type of network the machine is attached to.
>>> Frequently Asked Questions
(Note that Remote Wake Up specific FAQ's are found in the
wakefaq.txt file located in the HELP directory of EtherCD.)
Q: How do I stop the 3Com tray icon from appearing in my system
tray?
A: You can stop the 3Com tray icon from appearing by double
clicking on the icon to start the diagnostic program. On the
main page of the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program there is a
check box titled "Enable Tray Control". Click on the check
box to remove the check mark and stop the 3Com tray icon
from appearing upon reboot. If for some reason this does not
stop the 3Com tray icon from appearing on reboot you can
right click on the icon choose Disable 3Com TaskBar Icon and
then delete the file COMSMD.EXE from your system directory.
Your NIC will not be harmed in any way by deleting that
file.
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. (Windows NT 3.5/3.51 users
will have to run the program UN3C90X.EXE in the system32
directory). 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: Is my 3Com PCI NIC a 3.3 V or 5 V NIC?
A: The 3Com NIC currently being shipped is a 5 V NIC. It will
not fit in a 3.3 V slot.
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: When I attempt to run the DOS configuration utility for the
3C905-XL and 3C595-TX NIC, the following error appears:
"!!! Error !!! Incorrect configuration is set by the
BIOS. Get an updated BIOS from the PC manufacturer or try to
install the NIC in another slot."
A: This error occurs in the Micron Millenia (M55HI) computer
with BIOS version 3, and only in slots 1, 2, and 3. The
solution is to install the NIC in slot 4, or if slot 4 is
unavailable, disable Plug and Play in your system's BIOS.
This eliminates the error in all four slots. Enable Plug and
Play after you have exited the DOS configuration utility.
Q: When I am installing the 3Com NIC in Windows NT 3.51, why
does my machine hang when I click on the Continue button on
the "3Com NIC diagnostics v.1.0" message screen?
A: 3Com has noticed that there is a small percentage of PCs
which may exhibit this problem. To avoid this, run the 3Com
Diagnostics Program after the driver is installed. The NIC
will function normally in either instances.
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: When I install a second NIC (3C90XB) in my Windows 95 OSR 2
with an existing 3C905-TX NIC, my machine hangs, why?
A: If you have an existing 3C905 NIC installed in a machine
and want to add a second NIC, follow these steps:
1) Right click on Network Neighborhood and select Properties
with the left button.
2) Highlight the 3Com Fast EtherLink XL/ EtherLink XL NIC.
3) Click the Remove button.
4) Select OK to save changes and reboot the PC.
5) Power off the PC and install the second NIC.
6) After the installation of the second NIC, power the PC
back on and let Windows 95 detect both NICs.
7) Use the 3C905B EtherCD to install the driver sets for
both NICs.
8) Configure the desire protocol and services according to
the type of network the machine is attached to.
By removing the pre-existing driver prior to the
installation of the second NIC, the OS is ensured to use
the most current drivers for both NICs for optimal
performance.
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 EtherCD 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 EtherCD and click OK.
8) Windows 95 will then start copying the files and updating
the registry.
Q: Where can I get a Packet driver?
A: A packet driver for the 3C905B family will be available
through 3Com's CompuServe forum (3ComForum), 3Com BBS
(bulletin board service), and 3Com's World Wide Web site
(http://www.3Com.com) in Q3 of 98. The packet driver for the
3C900 and 3C905 is available now.
Q: Where can I get a DEC Alpha driver.
A: A DEC Alpha driver for the 3C905B family will be available
through 3Com's CompuServe forum (3ComForum), 3Com BBS
(bulletin board service), and 3Com's World Wide Web site
(http://www.3Com.com) in Q3 of 98. The DEC Alpha driver for
the 3C900 and 3C905 is available now.
Q: The EtherCD 3.0 contains an el90xnd3.sy_ and el90xnd4.sy_
file. What are these files and their differences?
A: The el90xnd3.sy_ is the NDIS 3 driver. The el90xnd4.sy_ is
the NDIS 4 driver.
Q: Which OS supports NDIS 3? NDIS 4?
A: NDIS 3 supports all versions of Windows 95 and Windows NT.
NDIS 4 is used by Windows 95 OSR2 (version b) and Windows
NT4.0. During installation, the OS is informed which driver
to load.
Q: What should I do if the OS does not correctly install the
driver automatically?
A: Use the detailed instructions in Chapter 3 in the user guide
to install the driver for your OS.
Q: Which NetWare server driver should I use?
A: The Hardware Support 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 EtherCD compact disc.
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 EtherCD release.
>>> 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 EtherCD compact disc.
3Com, EtherLink, and EtherCD are registered trademarks of 3Com
Corporation.
(%VER README.TXT - Release Notes v4.01.3)
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.