3Com (R) Corporation
EtherDisk (R) Diskette for
The EtherLink III NIC Family
Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
This file contains the release notes and answers to some frequently asked
questions about the 3C509B to help you get the most out of your EtherLink
III Network Interface Card (NIC). This information is updated regularly on
3com's world wide web site (www.3com.com).
Release Notes
-------------
EtherDisk 6.0 has been substantially revised and split into two diskettes.
EtherDisk #1 contains all the files necessary to install the EtherLink III
in Windows 95 or Windows NT. This includes a Windows based GUI installer
and a post installation configuration and diagnostic tool, accessible from
a system tray icon. Both NDIS 3 and NDIS 4 miniport drivers are included and
appropriately installed in Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0.
EtherDisk #2 contains the software that was on EtherDisk 5.1, except for
Windows 95 and Windows NT. This includes installation for NetWare versions
3.X and 4.X, various DOS based network operating systems, IBM OS/2, and the
packet driver.
Full duplex support for the 3C509B has been added to the NetWare server and
Windows NT/95 drivers. Control of the full duplex feature is provided in
the configuration and diagnostic program. Full duplex operation improves
overall network throughput on twisted pair (TP) networks.
A boot ROM for the EtherLink III ISA product family is available from your
network supplier. The 3C5-TriROM supports NetWare boot, RPL, and BootP
network boot protocols.
Important
---------
Not all NICS and hardware product features are supported with this EtherDisk.
The 3C509 and 3C509B in both classic and Plug n Play modes are fully supported.
The 3C509 and 3C509B in EISA mode are not supported.
The 3C579 EISA NICs are not supported.
The 3C529 MicroChannel NICs are partially supported. In Windows 95 and
Windows NT, the NIC driver can be installed and removed, but the windows
diagnostic program and tray icon are not loaded. To make configuration
changes or test a 3C529, use the DOS diagnotic on diskette #2.
The Windows '95 and Windows NT full port drivers have been combined into a
single miniport driver. It is important to use this driver if you use
3Com's DRMON network management software. This driver will give better
performance when the DRMON client agent is used. When converting from past
drivers to this driver, or installing this driver for the first time,
several things must be considered.
Windows NT
Older drivers may be updated directly to the miniport driver. However, if
this driver will be used in a multiprocessor Windows NT 4.0 system, then
you must update to service pack 3 or newer. Failure to update to service
pack 3 may cause your system to crash.
If you are installing more than one EtherLink III in a Windows NT 4.0 system,
you need to follow the instructions in the manual or the WIndows NT
installation notes (WINNT.TXT). Failure to do so could result in having to
reinstall Windows NT 4.0.
Windows '95
Install Windows '95 before installing the EtherLink III NIC. After
installing Windows '95, run PREINSTL on EtherDisk #2 and follow the
instructions.
Older, full port drivers (ELNK3.VXD) cannot be updated directly to the
miniport driver due to the driver name change. To update your older
driver you must follow the update procedure in W95NDIS3.TXT.
Frequently Asked Questions
--------------------------
Q: I installed an EtherLink III 3C509B ISA NIC in my computer, but
neither the diagnostic and configuration program nor the driver can find the
NIC. What's wrong?
A: Your computer's BIOS is issuing a series of I/O instructions that causes
the 3C509B to think it's going to be activated as a Plug 'N Play (PnP)
device. Unfortunately, the NIC waits for the PnP series to complete and
ignores the "classic" or "legacy" method for discovering an EtherLink III ISA
NIC.
The fix for this problem is very simple. Follow the steps below:
1 - Boot a minimal DOS setup, making sure that no EtherLink III drivers are
loaded.
2 - Put this EtherDisk in the diskette drive and type A: at the DOS prompt.
3 - Enter PNPDSABL at the DOS prompt. The configuration and diagnostic
program will execute twice. The first time it executes, the configuration
and diagnostic program "kicks" the EtherLink III out of its PnP wait.
During the second execution, it disables Plug 'n Play. The final message
displayed will be:
"The 3C5X9 adapter, adapter number 1, was successfully configured"
4 - Finally, remove the EtherDisk from the diskette drive, and turn the
computer power off, then on.
It is also possible that your computer contains a device that uses I/O
address 0x110. If possible, move the device at I/O address 0x110 to some
other non-conflicting address. All 3Com drivers and the diagnostic software
use I/O address 0x110 as the default. If the conflicting device cannot be
moved away from address 0x110, then the driver (or diagnostic) can be made
to use another I/O address for discovery. Look at the documentation for
each driver for details.
Q: My system does not recognize the 3COM 3C509B NIC. What do I do?
A: If your computer has a PnP BIOS, and it doesn't find the 3C509B NIC,
either the NIC has the PnP feature disabled or the BIOS is unable to
find the NIC due to the problem described in the previous FAQ. Boot the
computer to a minimum DOS configuration. Put this EtherDisk in the diskette
driver and type A: at the DOS prompt. Enter 3C5X9CFG at the next DOS prompt.
If the diagnostic program emits an error saying that no EtherLink III
adapters were found, follow the instructions in the answer to the previous
FAQ. If the diagnostic finds the NIC, enter the configuration menu and
examine the state of the Plug 'n Play function. If PnP is set to disabled,
change it to enabled, and save the configuration by clicking the OK button.
Q: Can a 3C509B NIC be installed in an 8 bit slot?
A: Yes. The 3C509B NIC can be installed in any 8-bit slot. However, the
3c509B will only work in a computer with a 286 or higher processor.
Q: What do I need to do to exclude within EMM386 for the 3C5X9 NIC?
A: EMM386 does not need an exclusion for the 3C509 NIC because the card does
not use shared memory.
Q: I installed the 3C509 in an ISA slot but I get an error that states the
NIC is configured for EISA mode. How do I fix this problem?
A: Insert the 3C509 NIC in an EISA slot and use the 3Com configuration
utility to reconfigure the NIC's I/O address mode from EISA to non-EISA.
Save the setting for the NIC and exit. This will return the NIC to the
default mode, which is ISA.
Q: Where do I get the latest drivers?
A: The latest 3Com drivers can be found on any of these three online
locations:
3Com's CompuServe forum (go NetForum)
3Com bulletin board service (BBS)
3Coms World Wide Web site (http://www.3Com.com).
Q: My system has PCI slots and ISA slots. When I install the NIC, I get an
error stating there is an interrupt conflict or, the system crashes when the
NIC driver loads or the diagnostic executes the interrupt test. How do I
fix this problem?
A: Make sure that the PCI configuration, usually found in the BIOS setup of
the computer, is not allocating the interrupt request level (IRQ) for use by
the PCI bus. You must either not allow the IRQ to be used for a PCI slot
or move the IRQ for the 3C509 ISA NIC to a level that won't conflict.
Q: I am getting a conflict message when loading a packet driver. How do I
fix this problem?
A: When loading the packet driver, the software interrupt may need to be
changed to avoid conflict. Packet drivers information is found in the
\HELP\PACKET.TXT file on EtherDisk #2.
Q: I am using VLMs for NetWare and Windows/ WFW. How do I configure my
Windows environment to support VLMs?
A: If your NetWare shell version within Windows doesn't support VLMs, you
will need to download the NetWare Client Kit for Windows/ DOS from Novell's
Netwire. This utility will update your Window's support for NetWare by
installing the latest windows files.
Q: I am using Microsoft drivers and having trouble connecting the NIC in WFW.
A: Use the 3Com drivers instead of Microsoft drivers. There are help files
to assist with these installations, and the install program allows updating
these drivers.
Q: My NetWare workstation will not connect to the file server. How can I fix
this problem?
A: The most common problem is the client and server are using different
NetWare frame types. The default frame type for NetWare 4.x and 3.12 is
802.2, where NetWare 3.11 used 802.3 as the default frame type. To verify
this problem,
1 - Verify the frame type of the file server. This information is in the
AUTOEXEC.NCF file on the server. Check to see which frame types are
supported by the server.
2 - Edit the NET.CFG file to set the proper frame type. All the valid
frame types are shown below:
Link Driver 3C5X9
Frame Ethernet_802.2
Frame Ethernet_802.3
Frame Ethernet_II
Frame Ethernet_Snap
Q: I have Award BIOS 4.50PG and I can not get into the 3Com configuration
program.
A: With the Award 4.50pg BIOS, you could either update the BIOS to a more
current version or execute PNPDSABL.BAT to disable the PnP of the NIC.
Q: Are there any command line functions or options for the 3Com diagnostics
program?
A: Yes. The INSTRUCT.TXT file located in the \HELP sub-directory on
EtherDisk #2 explains in detail the possible options and functions of the
diagnostics program.
Q: Are there MSL drivers for the 3Com 3C5X9 NIC family?
A: No, the 3C5X9 NIC cannot be used as a MSL with Novell.
Q: Where can I get additional tech tips?
A: To keep up with support of newer platforms, look to the 3Com Web site
or the 3Com Fax Back system (408-727-7021) for additional tech tips.
Request document 9999 for a list of documents available.
%VER - 3C5X9 Release Notes and FAQ V6.0d
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.