3Com (R) Corporation
EtherDisk (R) Diskette for the
OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet NIC (3CSOHO100-TX)
Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions
The 3Com OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet PCI Network Interface Card (NIC)
is the ideal networking solution for small office networks. It is a
reliable, fast, easy-to-install NIC from the leader in networking--3Com.
It is a member of the OfficeConnect family of products, which are
specifically designed for small business and small office environments.
Simply connect the NIC to an OfficeConnect hub or switch using a
Category 5 cable for easy and quick network access.
Key product features of the OfficeConnect NIC are:
-Supports Fast Ethernet, which delivers 10-times the speed of traditional
Ethernet.
-Includes an RJ-45 network interface for connecting to 100BASE-TX or
10BASE-T networks.
-Designed for industry-leading performance in Windows 95, Windows 98,
and Windows NT environments.
-Compatible with Windows 95 Plug and Play.
-Includes easy-to-read LED indicators for help with network troubleshooting.
-Includes comprehensive documentation with step-by-step installation
instructions.
-Includes the OfficeConnect Network Assistant CD, a guide to easy
network set-up and troubleshooting.
-Comes with a lifetime warranty and free, high-quality technical support.
Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions
--------------------------------------------------
This file contains product release notes and answers to some frequently
asked questions about the PCI environment to help you obtain maximum
performance from your OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet NIC. This information
is updated regularly on 3Com's CompuServe forum (3ComForum), the 3Com BBS
(bulletin board service), and 3Com's World Wide Web site (http://www.3com.com).
Release Notes
-------------
>>>OfficeConnect NIC Installation Hints
>>>Installing the NIC in a PCI slot
1. Install the OfficeConnect NIC in the PC. See the user guide or
your PC documentation for instructions.
2. Start the PC. In most cases, the PC automatically configures
the NIC. If this does not occur, you may need to configure
the PC to work with the NIC. See the next section,
"Troubleshooting Installation Problems," for more information.
>>>Troubleshooting Installation Problems
Some PCI computers require additional configuration steps in order
to install a PCI NIC (such as the OfficeConnect NIC). 3Com recommends
the following steps:
1. Determine if you have the latest BIOS version for your PC.
Contact your PC's manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the latest BIOS.
2. Make sure that 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 that have a Phoenix BIOS.
3. After installing the NIC, turn on the power to the PC and
enter the BIOS setup program during system initialization
(usually by pressing [F1], [F2], or [Ctrl]+[ALT]+[S]).
The correct key to press is usually displayed on the screen.
After you are 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 Parameter Setting
--------------------- -------
PCI Slot Number Slot where the OfficeConnect
NIC is installed
Master ENABLED
SLAVE ENABLED
Latency Timer 40
Interrupt Choose any one of several
available interrupts
Edge or Level Level Triggered Interrupt
NOTE: The exact wording of each setting varies.
4. Save the changes, exit the program, and continue with the
installation.
>>>Windows 95/98 Installation Notes
When installing an OfficeConnect NIC in a PC running Windows 95 or
Windows 98, the operating system automatically detects the presence
of the NIC and asks for the diskette containing the driver software
(the EtherDisk diskette).
At this point, do NOT cancel the installation of the driver software.
If you cancel the installation, the NIC is still recorded in the
System Registry.
If you attempt to install the driver software after canceling the
installation, the operating system assumes that you are installing
another instance of the NIC. This results in two instances of the
NIC being recorded in the System Registry. The OfficeConnect NIC
does not operate correctly under these circumstances.
To correct this problem:
1. Double-click the System icon in the Control Panel.
2. Select the Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click Network adapters. Two instances of the OfficeConnect
NIC appear.
4. Remove the OfficeConnect NIC that is marked as disabled.
5. Restart your PC. The remaining entry for the OfficeConnect NIC
in the same dialog box shows that the NIC is operating correctly.
>>>Potential Problem When Sharing Interrupts Under Windows 95/98
If you install two or more PCI NICs (one of them being an OfficeConnect
NIC) in your Windows 95/98 PC that use the same interrupt, your PC may
exhibit strange behavior. 3Com has found that sharing the interrupts
can cause blue screen errors or continuous system reboots when you
enable or disable the NIC using the 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.
To solve this problem, assign a different PCI interrupt number to each
NIC. To change the PCI interrupt number, access the PC's BIOS or use a
utility provided by the PC manufacturer, if one is available. For more
information, see the documentation provided with your PC or consult with
the PC manufacturer.
>>>Unable to Connect to the Network After Running the Diagnostics Program
Running the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program in Windows may cause you to lose
your network connection. To solve this problem, reboot your PC after exiting
the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program.
>>>Installing an OfficeConnect NIC and a 3Com EtherLink XL NIC
in the Same PC
You cannot install an OfficeConnect NIC and an EtherLink/Fast EtherLink XL
NIC in the same PC. The two NICs do not function when installed in the
same PC. The 3Com EtherLink XL and Fast EtherLink XL NICs were designed
for large enterprise customers, whereas the OfficeConnect NIC was
specifically designed for small office and home office customers.
If you need two or more NICs installed in your PC, use two OfficeConnect
NICs.
>>>Running the Echo Exchange Test
Because the Echo test in the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program verifies the NIC's
ability to transmit and receive data while on the network, two PCs must be
connected to the network for the test to run. (The first PC is known as the
sending PC. The second PC is known as the responding PC.)
The OfficeConnect NIC uses link beats to determine whether it is connected
to a network when the 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX Media Type is selected.
A constant link beat is needed to run the Echo test. Before starting the
Echo test, connect the two PCs together through a hub or a switch that
generates a constant link beat.
>>>Performance on Some Early Pentium Pro Models
3Com has observed during testing that some early Pentium Pro PCs that use
Intel's (54x?) PCI chip sets do not fully support the bandwidth throughput
of the PCI bus. Symptoms include an abnormal number of dropped packets
or performance below what the wire can support. This problem can sometimes
be solved by upgrading your PC's BIOS. Contact your PC manufacturer to
see if a BIOS upgrade is available.
>>>Windows NT and S3 Video Driver
During testing, 3Com observed a problem that occurs with Windows NT
involving S3 video drivers and PCI memory mapped I/O devices installed
in the secondary PCI bus. A symptom of the problem includes the system
hanging when Windows NT starts.
This problem has been observed with the Dell OptiPlex GXPro 6/180 using the
OfficeConnect NIC and Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 3).
To solve this problem: Update the video driver for the S3 Trio64V+
(765DRV - version 2.00.18); or, install the OfficeConnect NIC in the primary
PCI bus; or, uninstall Service Pack 3.
>>>HP Vectra VL 5200 PCs
3Com has observed during testing that the OfficeConnect NIC, when used with
the NDIS 4 driver in Windows 95 (version B), causes the PC to boot in safe
mode. Currently, there is no solution for this problem. 3Com is
working with HP on a resolution.
>>>ASUS P2B Motherboards
3Com has observed during testing that the OfficeConnect NIC may not work
properly in the ASUS P2B motherboard (for example, the BIOS may not
identify the NIC correctly). To solve this problem, contact ASUS to obtain
the latest BIOS update.
>>>Zenith Z Station-VP PCs
3Com has observed during testing that the OfficeConnect NIC is not properly
recognized by a Zenith Station-VP PC that is equipped with a Pentium 75
processor and AMI BIOS 1994 v4.06. Currently, there is no solution
for this problem. 3Com suggests not using an OfficeConnect NIC in this
particular PC.
>>>NEC PowerMate P2200 P5 200MHz PCs
3Com has observed during testing some incompatibilities with the
OfficeConnect NIC and the NEC PowerMate P2200 P5 200MHz PC; including,
intermittent network connection errors. Currently, there is no
solution for this problem. 3Com suggests not using the OfficeConnect
NIC in this particular PC.
>>>Micron Powerdign Xsu (with 300MHz Pentium II) PCs
3Com has observed during testing that a Micron Powerdign Xsu PC with a
300MHz Pentium II processor may occasionally hang or lose its
network connection when an OfficeConnect NIC is installed in the
64-bit slot. For this particular PC, the 64-bit slot is not supported.
3Com suggests installing the OfficeConnect NIC in any available PCI slot
except the 64-bit slot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I stop the 3Com icon from appearing in my Windows system tray?
A. Double-click the 3Com icon in the Windows system tray to start the 3Com
NIC Diagnostics program. On the General screen, click the Enable Tray
Control check box to remove the check mark. Exit the 3Com NIC
Diagnostics program.
Q. Which PCI slot should I use for my OfficeConnect NIC?
A. 3Com PCI NICs, such as the OfficeConnect NIC, are designed to work in
any bus-mastering PCI slot, preferably slot 1. Normally, slot 1 is
marked on the PC motherboard and is located closest to the PC's
power supply.
Avoid any PCI slot next to an ISA slot. This is often a shared slot
and does not support bus mastering. The NICs perform best in those
slots that support bus-mastering data transfers.
Most PCs have three types of expansion slots: PCI, ISA, and EISA.
PCI slots are usually white and shorter than the other expansion
slots. ISA slots are usually black. EISA slots are usually brown,
and are as long as ISA slots. If you're not sure what type of
expansion slots your PC has, see your PC documentation for details.
Also refer to your PC manual for information on which slots support
bus-mastering data transfers.
Q. Does my PCI NIC support shared interrupts?
A. The drivers for the OfficeConnect NIC 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 device that does not support shared interrupts
(for example, a SCSI adapter host), either contact the manufacturer
for a shared interrupt driver or try running the system setup program
to assign it a different interrupt.
3Com has found some problems with sharing interrupts under Windows 95
and Windows 98. More details are available in the Release Note section
in this file. If this is a problem, try using the DOS Configuration and
Diagnostic program to give each NIC a different IRQ. Also, change the
BIOS on your PC to match the new IRQ.
Q. What interrupts should I avoid using with the OfficeConnect 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 adapters), since not all
hard drives support shared interrupts at this time.
Q. Is the OfficeConnect NIC a 3.3-volt or a 5-volt NIC?
A. The OfficeConnect NIC is a 5-volt NIC. It does not fit in a 3.3-volt
slot.
Q. When I am installing the OfficeConnect NIC in a PC running Windows NT,
why does my PC hang when I click on the Continue button on the
"3Com NIC Diagnostics" message screen?
A. A small percentage of PCs may exhibit this problem. To avoid this,
click Close when this message screen appears during the installation.
Run the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program after the driver is installed.
The NIC functions normally in either instance.
Q. When I install a second OfficeConnect NIC in my Windows 95 (version B)
PC with an existing OfficeConnect NIC, my PC hangs, why?
A. If you have an existing OfficeConnect NIC installed in a PC and want to
install a second OfficeConnect NIC, follow these steps:
1. Right click on the Network Neighborhood icon and select Properties.
2. Highlight the name of the installed NIC.
3. Click Remove.
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 on the PC and let
Windows 95 detect both NICs.
7. Use the EtherDisk diskette to install the driver sets for both NICs.
8. Configure the desired protocol and services according to the type of
network the PC is attached to.
By removing the pre-existing driver prior to the installation of the
second NIC, the operating system is ensured to use the most current
drivers for both NICs for optimal performance.
Q. If I download an updated OfficeConnect NIC driver from 3Com's World Wide
Web site, how do I install it?
A. To update your OfficeConnect NIC driver in a PC running Windows 95
(version B), follow these steps:
1. Double-click the My Computer icon, then the Control Panel icon,
and then the System icon.
2. Select the Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click Network adapters.
4. Double-click the 3Com OfficeConnect 10/100 Fast Ethernet NIC
(3CSOHO100-TX).
5. Click the Drivers tab, and then click Update Driver.
6. When the Update Driver Wizard appears, do not select the option
which lets Windows 95 search for the driver. Instead, select No.
7. Select Select Driver from List, and then click Next.
The description of the NIC appears.
8. Insert the EtherDisk diskette.
9. Click on Have Disk and, if required, enter A: as the path to
the EtherDisk diskette.
10. Click OK.
Windows 95 starts copying the files and updates the registry.
11. Reboot your PC.
The driver is updated.
To update your OfficeConnect NIC driver in a PC running Windows NT,
remove the old driver and then install the new driver. See the
OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet 10/100 NIC User Guide for instructions
on removing and installing the driver software.
3Com Technical Support
----------------------
Please refer to the OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet NIC User Guide for technical
support information. This information is also available in the SUPPORT.TXT
file located in the HELP directory on the EtherDisk diskette.
3Com, EtherDisk, and OfficeConnect are registered trademarks of 3Com
Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
(%VER README.TXT - Release Notes v1.0a)
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.