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3Com (R) Corporation EtherDisk (R) Diskette for the 3C90X Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NIC Family Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions The EtherDisk XL diskettes support 3Com's family of bus mastering PCI network NICs with a common driver set. Products included in this family are the Fast EtherLink XL 10/100BASE-TX and EtherLink XL PCI TPO/ COMBO NICs. Key product features include: - Parallel Tasking (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, and others - SNMP manageability - Lifetime warranty - 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 ------------- 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 3C90X.SYS miniport driver. This situation is not unique to the 3C90X.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 lot of Spurious interrupts warning messages may appear. 3Com has found that these warnings should not be worried about and have no effect on normal operation. 3Com has noticed that these warnings also happen with NICs from other manufacturing companies. 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 dead and must be rebooted. Microsoft has admitted that there is a problem in Windows NT and will be fixed in Service Pack 2.0, which is not available yet. 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. 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 7/26/95, 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. 3Com PCI NIC Installation Hints ----------------------------------- Installing a PCI NIC in a PCI slot -------------------------------------- 1. Put the NIC in the computer. Refer to your computer documentation. 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. Here are the phone numbers for some PCI system manufacturers: Company Phone Notes/Web site ALR* (800) 257-1230 www.alr.com/service/support /support.hml Ambra* (800) 465-2227 Not available AST* (800) 727-1278 www.ast.com/americas/files.html AT&T* (800) 543-9935 www.ncr.com/support/pc/pcdesc (800) 531-2222 /machines.html Compaq* (800) 652-6672 www.compaq.com/support/files (800) 345-1518 /compaq.html NOTE: Compaq DeskPRO XL should have a BIOS dated Oct. 1994 or later for best performance. Dell* (800) 626-4308 www.dell.com/ (800) 624-9896 Digital (800) 354-9000 www.dec.com/ Equipment* Gateway* (800) 846-2070 www.gateway2000.com/ (800) 846-2301 Hewlett- (800) 322-HPPC www.hp.com/cposupport Packard* (800) 752-0900 /cpoindex.html IBM* (800) IBM-3333 www.pcco.ibm.com/ Micron* (800) 438-3343 www.mei.micron.com/services/bbs /techbbs.htm Packard (800) 733-4411 www.packardbell.com/gfx/support Bell* /support.html Unisys* (800) 328-0440 www.pc.unisys.com/ Zenith* (800) 227-3360 www.zds.com/htdocs/zds/htm /files.htm ZEOS* (800) 554-7172 www.mei.micron.com/Services (800) 228-5390 /zeosbbs.htm In addition, here are the phone numbers and on-line addresses of several popular OEM motherboard manufacturers: Company Phone On-line address Intel* (503) 264-7999 ftp://ftp.intel.com\pub\bios Micronics (510) 651-6837 www.micronics.com/support/ ASUS (408) 956-9084 http://asustek.asus.com.tw * Third-party trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 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. 3Com Diagnostic and Configuration Program Runs in DOS Mode Only -------------------------------------------------------------- If you are running Windows 95 or windows NT, please use 3Doctor.exe, which is installed in your SYSTEM directory from the EtherDisk 2 diskette when you install the NIC. 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 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, or 100BASE-T4 Media Type is selected. A constant link beat is needed for the Echo Exchange test when the 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, or 100BASE-T4 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 sometimes be fixed by getting a more recent BIOS from your system vendor. Contact your vendor to see if such an upgrade is available. Resource Conflicts in Intel-Based Computers Running Windows NT -------------------------------------------------------------- This information applies to Intel (x86)-based computers running one of the following operating systems: 1. Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51 2. Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51 On these computers, adding an EtherLink XL or Fast EtherLink XL NIC is usually trouble-free. However, in some situations, adding one or more of these NICs can cause a PCI resource conflict. When the resource conflict occurs, the system stops responding (hangs), or one or more of the PCI devices fail to operate. These resource conflicts occur because the Windows NT Hardware Abstraction Layer sometimes assigns overlapping I/O port addresses for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC(s) and other PCI devices. When a resource conflict occurs, one of the following procedures should provide a workaround. Swap Slots ---------- If the conflict is with another plug-in PCI device, then swapping the PCI slots of the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC and the conflicting device may resolve the problem. Swapping the slots may cause the system BIOS to swap the I/O port addresses assigned to the two devices, which will eliminate the conflict that occurs later when Windows NT boots. Swap Slot Numbers in the Registry --------------------------------- If the conflict is between two Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NICs, then swapping the PCI slots of the two NICs does not resolve the problem. In this case, you must edit the System Registry using the Registry Editor. The Registry Editor can be found in the \WINNT35\SYSTEM32\REGEDT32.EXE file. In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services tree of the Registry are keys for the two Fast EtherLink XL/ EtherLink XL NICs, EL90X1 and EL90X2. In the Parameters subkey of each of these keys are two values, Slot and SlotNumber, which are the same. Swap the slot values for EL90X1 with the slot values for EL90X2. Make sure to swap both the Slot and the SlotNumber values. Changing these values causes the driver to register and activate the two NICs in a different order, which eliminates the conflict. Change the Load Order of Drivers -------------------------------- If neither of the above procedures works, change the load order of the drivers for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC and the conflicting device. In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\Services tree of the Registry Editor, you should find the driver keys for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC (EL90X) and the conflicting device. For the key that comes first in the tree, add a value with the name DependOnService and a string value that is the key of the driver for the other device. For example, if the conflict is between an EtherLink XL and an EtherLink III PCI NIC, then the two driver keys are EL90X and EL59X. EL59X is first in the tree, so you would add the "DependOnService: EL90X" value to the EL59X key. This forces the EtherLink XL NIC driver to load first, instead of the EtherLink III PCI NIC driver. 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 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 (the EtherDisk 1 diskette). 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. Frequently Asked Questions -------------------------- Q: Do I have to configure my 3Com PCI NIC for my computer? A: PCI is a self-configuring bus architecture. Most of the time you will only need to install the board in your system; PCI then does the rest. However, on some PCI computers (mostly with combination PCI/ISA or PCI/EISA buses in the same machine), you may be required to configure the computer's BIOS manually after installing your PCI NIC. If you need to configure your system manually, refer to the owner's guide for your computer. 3Com testing has shown, for example, that the AST Premmia GX P90 seems to require you to run the EISA configuration utility once you install the board to make sure that the I/O base address of the device does not conflict with other devices in the system. 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: Is your Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC compliant with PCI Spec 2.1? A: Yes. 3Com's Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NICs comply with PCI Spec 2.1. For further details, please see the product data sheet. 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. Phone numbers for leading PCI system manufacturers are included earlier in this document. Q: Which interrupt should I use with my 3Com PCI NIC? A: Unless your system is a PCI-ISA/EISA combination computer that requires manual configuration, you should not have to worry about setting interrupts. However, if your computer is not self- configuring, you will need to set your PCI NIC's interrupts manually. To do this, you may need to set a jumper on your motherboard or set the interrupt in the system's BIOS. In either case, you will need to assign the PCI interrupt (INTA) to any available interrupt not being used by an ISA or EISA add-in board already in your computer. Keep in mind that the interrupt configuration on your computer's motherboard and in your BIOS must match. Since PCI supports shared interrupts, multiple 3Com PCI NICs can use the same PCI interrupt (except as noted below). 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. 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: My 3Com PCI NIC driver will not load when EMM386.EXE is loaded. Why? A: Microsoft's EMM386.EXE versions 4.48 and earlier may conflict with some PCI systems' ROM BIOS. If you are using EMM386 version 4.48 or earlier, make sure you run A:\MSUPDATE\MSUPDATE.EXE, which will replace your current EMM386 with an updated version. Unless you are running a version of DOS earlier than version 6.0. In that case you will have to update your version of DOS to version 6.22 or higher to fix the problem Q: The NIC works fine in DOS, but I can't execute programs loaded over the net when Windows is running. What's wrong? A: If the EMM386.EXE memory manager is not loaded by your CONFIG.SYS file, Windows loads an equivalent driver when Windows is started. The problem is that the EMM386 Windows emulator that ships with Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 is not compatible with PCI computers. To solve this problem, put the following statement in your CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS immediately following the line DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS Make sure you are running version 4.49 or newer. If you are not sure which version of EMM386 you have, run EMM386UP.BAT on the EtherDisk 1 diskette. This program will update EMM386 if the update is needed. Unless you are running a version of DOS earlier than version 6.0. In that case you will have to update your version of DOS to version 6.22 or higher to fix the problem. Q: Two EtherLink XL NICs cannot be loaded in my NetWare 3.11 server. When the second one loads, it generates the message, "Attempt to reinitialize re-entrant module FAILED. LAN driver <name> is not loaded." A: The default NetWare 3.11 Packet Receive Buffer is not large enough for the 3C90X NIC. Set the Minimum Packet Receive Buffer to 50 or more to resolve the problem. Consult Novell documentation for detailed instructions. Q: My ACERPOWER system indicates that I have a ROM installed, but one is not present. Why? A: The ACERPOWER BIOS (BIOS version V2.0 486/DX2 66 MHz) PCI system incorrectly indicates (through PCI information) that there is a ROM on the PCI NIC. Contact ACER to get an updated BIOS to correct this problem. 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. 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 EtherDisk 1 diskette. 3Com, EtherLink, and EtherDisk are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. (%VER README.TXT - Release Notes v1.0l)