3Com (R) Corporation
EtherCD (R) for the
3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B)
Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions
This file contains the release notes and answers to some frequently
asked questions to help you obtain maximum performance from your
3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B-TX-M or 3C990BSVR).
This information is updated regularly on the 3Com World Wide Web
site (http://www.3Com.com).
Table of Contents
-----------------
Release Notes 1
Compaq Deskpro EN Series SFF 1
DynamicAccess Technology 2
Advanced Feature Set (Broadcast Limiting) 2
Webest Technology International Inc. Tower Computer (*.Sys) 2
Toshiba Equium 7100s 2
Dell PowerEdge 2300/350 system 2
NetWare 4.11 Server 2
Installing the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC on a Multiprocesser System 3
Upgrading the DMI Software 3
TCP Segmentation offloads 3
802.1p Windows 2000 Advanced Tab Offloads 3
WinDiag Re-install when Upgrading to Windows 2000 3
Frequently Asked Questions 3
3Com Technical Support 5
Release Notes
=============
Compaq Deskpro EN Series SFF
----------------------------
3Com has observed during testing that the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC
w/3XP (3C990B) may not work reliably if it is installed in the
upper PCI slot. If this situation occurs, 3Com recommends that
you install the card in an alternate PCI slot.
DynamicAccess Technology
------------------------
3Com has observed during testing that DynamicAccess Technology
must be installed after installation of the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC
w/3XP (3C990B-TX-M). Problems may occur if the DynamicAccess
Technology is installed before the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP
(3C990B) is installed.
3Com has observed the following behavior during testing with
the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B-TX-M) and DynamicAccess
Technology version 1.8. When using multiple NICs to create a
group under DA1.8 and using only the IPX/SPX protocol. It has
been noted in some cases that after reboot there is no network
connectivity. It has also been noted that upon reopening the
DynamicAccess Properties several components are unchecked
resulting the lack of network connectivity. To resolve this
issue and regain network connectivity, re-check the components
that are unchecked in the DynamicAccess properties.
Advanced Feature Set (Broadcast Limiting)
-----------------------------------------
The Broadcast Limiting feature which allows a user to help
limit broadcast storms by enabling a limiting threshold has
not been enabled in this version of the product.
Webest Technology International Inc. Tower Computer (*.Sys)
-----------------------------------------------------------
3Com has observed during testing that installing the 3Com 10/100
PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B)in the extended PCI slot may cause mouse
operation to drop out. If this situation occurs, 3Com recommends
that you install the NIC in a different PCI slot.
Toshiba Equium 7100s
--------------------
3Com has observed problems during testing and recommends that
the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B) not be installed
in a Toshiba Equium 7100s that is running Windows 98.
Dell PowerEdge 2300/350 system
------------------------------
3Com has observed that this system is unable to power up when
a 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B) is installed on a primary
bus PCI slot. 3Com recommends that you move the NIC to a
secondary bus PCI slot for this system.
NetWare 4.11 Server
-------------------
To successfully install the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B)
in a NetWare 4.11 Server, you must ensure that the server is
loaded with Support Pack version 6 or later. In addition, you
must use the MSM.NLM, ETHERTSM.NLM, and NBI.NLM files included
in this release of the EtherCD or obtain the latest NLM's from
Novell and copy them to the directory on your hard disk where
other NLM files are located. This directory is typically the
sys:system directory. You need a NetWare client system to copy
the NLM files to the server.
Installing the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B) on a
------------------------------------------------------
Multiprocessor System
---------------------
3Com has observed that the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B)
may not install on a multiprocessor system that has been
populated only with one processor. This problem has been
observed on Windows 2000 only and the build was (2072) Release
Candidate 1. If the problem occurs, please consult Microsoft.
Upgrading the DMI Software
-----------------------------
1. Go to directory <windows system directory>\3Com_DMI.
2. Delete all files with .MIF extensions.
3. Copy ka_1.gro, event_1.gro and mba_1.gro from CD directory
\English\DMIAgent to <windows system directory>\3Com_DMI.
4. Reboot the system or restart 3CDMINIC.EXE.
TCP Segmentation Offloads
-------------------------
Although the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP (3C990B) can process
large send offloads (LSO) from the Windows 2000 operating
system(s), this feature is disabled by default in the
released version(s) of Windows 2000.
802.1p Windows 2000 Advanced Tab Offloads
-----------------------------------------
802.1p traffic prioritization offloads are possible from the
Windows 2000 operating system and can be turned on/off for the
3C990B NIC. However, setting traffic priority for applications
in Windows 2000 must be done through Windows 2000.
WinDiag Re-install when Upgrading to Windows 2000
-------------------------------------------------
After performing an upgrade to Windows 2000 from either Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0, the 3C990B NIC Windows diagnostics
utility must be reinstalled. You can reinstall the diagnostics
utility by using the installation utility located on the EtherCD.
Frequently Asked Questions
==========================
Q: How do I create installation diskettes?
A: The following procedure is recommended for installation
diskette creation:
1. Insert the EtherCD (that shipped with this product)
in your CD-ROM drive. The EtherCD Welcome screen
appears.
2. Click "NIC Software."
3. Click "Create Installation Diskettes."
The EtherCD Diskette Creation Utility will be
invoked and will guide you through the steps
for creating diskettes.
Q: Which PCI slot is best for my 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC w/3XP
(3C990B)?
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 owners 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 machine, one
slot is 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. Refer to your owners manual or contact
your computer manufacturer for this information. Also,
make sure that you have the latest version of your system
BIOS.
Q. Does my PCI NIC support shared interrupts?
A. The drivers for the 3C990B 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: What interrupts should I avoid using with my 3Com 3C990B
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), because 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 non-shared devices and may cause
problems if they are shared between two devices.
Q: Are the 3C990B ODI drivers Novell-certified?
A: Yes, 3Com 3C990B ODI drivers are Novell tested
and approved.
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 PC is designed for home use, as a
stand-alone multimedia machine. HP does not recommend
using this PC as a network PC. The following issues could
arise when installing a PCI NIC in these PCs:
- Unavailable resources
- PCI bus errors
- PCI device detection problems
3Com and HP are working together to resolve this problem.
Q: Which version of emm386.exe should I use with the NDIS 2
driver?
A: 3Com recommends that the emm386.exe that is supplied with
the installed operating system be used. The emm386.exe
supplied with LAN Manager may be incompatible.
3Com Technical Support
======================
Access the latest networking information on the 3Com World Wide Web
site by entering the following URL into your Internet browser:
http://www.3com./com/
Please refer to the NIC user guide for complete technical support
information. This information is also available in the SUPPORT.TXT file
located on the EtherCD.
3Com and EtherCD are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.
(%VER README.TXT - Release Notes v1.0.16)
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.