Copyright: © 3Com, 1998


Notes for Tcaum589

•	Converted HDK to RoboHELP by simply opening the Help files in RoboHELP.

•	We had several problems with the converted Help files, such as browse buttons appearing in secondary windows even though no browse buttons were specified. We determined that the only way to get clean RoboHELP files and a project that ran correctly, was to create a new RoboHELP project for each Help file. This removed much of the HDK weirdness.

•	We updated the topic IDs. In RoboHELP, the topics ID’s usually use the topic name and replace blank spaces with the underscore character. But in HDK, the topic ID’s were all given hexadecimal strings instead. It was decided to replace the HDK hexadecimal strings with the standard RoboHELP topic IDs. This will make updating future versions of the Help much easier.

After replacing the topic IDs with standard RoboHELP English names, we discovered that the mini-buttons in the jumps still had the hex strings buried in them. In order to get the mini-buttons and the jump text to both be hot, we had to redo all the jumps in the main topics:

•	Release Notes

•	Errors

•	Knowledge Base

•	Faq

•	We also discovered that the mini-buttons and related jump text used the “Jump Hash” macro instead of the standard “JumpID” macro. This was another good reason to redo the mini-button jumps and bring them up to standard RoboHELP code.

•	Simplified the table of contents. The books and pages were often very redundant.

•	Some jumps went to popups, some to secondary windows. We made all the jump topics appear in the same secondary window.

•	Removed the Error window. Used only one secondary window.

•	Increased the font size for better readability.

•	There was something wrong the tcaum.h file that is used for context-sensitive Help. Importing the file into RoboHELP did bring the topic ID’s into the project. After some serious debugging I discovered that there were two problems with the file:

1.	The comment marks that were supposed to separate the topic ID’s and numbers from the comments were not entered correctly. Therefore, RoboHELP could not tell what a comment was and what the context-sensitive items were. By entering correct comment marks (//*) and (*//) that problem was fixed.

2.	After fixing the comments, the topic IDs still did not appear in the project. I then had to cut and paste the text from the original file into a new file and then voila!, the topic IDs appeared in the project. It seems that in addition to the comment marks being wrong, the file itself was corrupted.

Issues

1.	Should  all references to 509 in all text be changed to 589?


Release Notes - popup

The Release Notes button opens a library of information about the LAN PC Card.

Select one of the following categories for more information:

  Release Notes

  Frequently Asked Questions

  KnowledgeBase Topics


Release Notes

  Configuring LAN Support with the ODI drivers

  Driver cannot find the PC Card

  Exclude within EMM386?

  How do I configure to support VLMs?

  PC Card not recognized by notebook

  Where can I get additional tech tips?

  Where do I get the latest drivers?

  What are the PC Card DOS Diagnostics?


Driver cannot find the PC Card

I installed a 3Com Megahertz LAN  PC Card in my notebook, but neither the diagnostic and configuration program nor the driver can find the PC Card. What's wrong?

Your notebook may have a plug and play BIOS and it does not find the LAN PC Card, or the notebook may have unsupported chipsets, the notebook hardware is damaged, or the drivers are not loading properly.

Try the LAN PC Card in another slot.

If the PC Card still cannot be found, try these steps:

 1   Boot a minimal DOS configuration setup, making sure that no drivers are loaded.

 2   Put this LAN Installation Disk in the diskette drive and type A: at the DOS prompt.

3	Enter install.exe at the DOS prompt.

The configuration and diagnostic program executes twice.

The first time it executes, the program "kicks" the PC Card out of its PnP wait state.

During the second execution, it disables Plug and Play.

The final message displayed will be: "The 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card, adapter number 1, was successfully configured."

If this does not work, try Card and Socket Services or check the 3Com website  (3Com.com) for a later driver.

4	Remove the LAN Installation Disk from the diskette drive; power the notebook off and then on.

If your notebook is a CardBus notebook, make sure that you have the latest BIOS and make sure it is in PCIC mode. Check with your notebook manufacturer to determine if DOS is supported on your notebook.

If the PC Card is not recognized in Windows 98, Windows 95 environments, check PCMCIA services in the Device Manager. For Windows NT notebooks, check PCMCIA in the Event Viewer.


PC Card not recognized by notebook

My notebook does not recognize the 3COM LAN PC Card. What do I do?

If your notebook has a PnP BIOS and it doesn't find the LAN PC Card, either the PC Card has the PnP feature disabled or the BIOS is unable to find the PC.

1   Boot the notebook to a minimum DOS configuration.

2   Put the LAN Installation Disk in the diskette drive and type A: at the DOS prompt.

3   Enter INSTALL at the next DOS prompt.

If the diagnostic program emits an error saying that no adapters were found, follow the instructions in the answer to the previous tip. If the diagnostic finds the PC Card, enter the configuration menu and examine the state of the Plug and Play function.

If PnP is set to disabled, change it to enabled, and save the configuration by clicking the OK button.


Exclude within EMM38?
Exclude within EMM386?

What do I need to do to exclude within EMM386 for the LAN PC Card?

EMM386 does not need an exclusion for the 3C5x9 PC Card because the card does not use shared memory.


Where do I get the latest drivers?

Where do I get the latest drivers?

The latest 3Com drivers can be found on these online locations:

 3Com bulletin board service (BBS) 1-847-262-6000

3Com World Wide Web site (http://www.3Com.com).

3Com FTP site: (ftp://ftp.3com.com)


How do I configure to support VLMs?

I am using VLMs for NetWare and Windows/ WFW. How do I configure my Windows environment to support VLMs?

If your NetWare shell version within Windows doesn't support VLMs, 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.

1. Download the self-extracting NWDLL.EXE and WINDR2.EXE files from Novell’s NetWire CompuServe library.

2. Extract WINDRE.EXE and review the installation text files in the \READMES directory.

3. After updating the appropriate Windows files, select the correct NetWare shell version.

3a. For Windows 3.1, to select the proper shell:

Select Windows Setup.

Select Options.

Select Change Settings.

Select Novell NetWare (version 4).

3b. For Windows for Workgroups, to select the proper shell:

Select Network.

Select Network Setup.

Select Networks.

Select Other to install additional network shells.

Select Novell NetWare (workstation Shell 4.0 and above).

       The Workstation Shell 3.26 and higher refers to netx.


Where can I get additional tech tips?

Where can I get additional tech tips?

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.


What are the 3Com PC Card DOS Diagnostic Tests?

There are three DOS diagnostics tests for 3Com PC Cards:

Group 1 verifies the circuitry, physical components, and connectors on the PC Card. The test requires that the PC Card be installed in the PC.

Group 2, which includes Group 1, verifies that the PC Card can send out a packet via the internal transceiver. The test requires that the PC Card is connected to the network with the appropriate cabling, either thin Ethernet or twisted pair. CAUTION: Running Group 2 tests while connected to an active network can cause intermittent failures.

Group 3, which includes Groups 1 and 2, verifies that the PC Card can receive packets from the network. The test requires a second PC with any 3Com PC Card in it and a cable connection between the two PCs.

To run the Group 3 test, follow these steps:

1   Set up the second PC for diagnostics as described above, using LAN Installation Disk 2.

2   Type install.exe, select Diagnostics, and select the option to set up the second notebook as an "echo server."

3	At the first notebook, select the diagnostics option to run the echo server test.

Why Run the Tests?

Is it necessary to run all three tests? By doing all three tests, you can rule out a hardware failure on the PC Card. If the PC Card passes all of the tests, you can move on to look at cabling, software, and other issues that affect functionality of the network. However, sometimes a second PC with a 3Com PC Card is not available. If you run both Group 1 and Group 2 tests successfully, it is a good bet that the problem is not with the PC Card. Note: For more information specific to your PC Card, consult your manual.


Configuring LAN support with the ODI drivers

The following information shows how to configure the LAN PC Card to use LAN Support Program and IPX to communicate simultaneously with NetWare and AS/400 servers. The most common problem seen in this setup is when you  run NDIS MAC drivers with the Novell LANSUP.COM file and you can get to the AS400 but not to the NetWare servers.

Load the LANSUP.COM file in LSB (least significant bit) MODE.

The CONFIG files follow:

CONFIG.SYS File
-----------------------
DEVICE=C:\TEST\PROTMAN.DOS /I:C:\TEST
DEVICE=C:\TEST\ELPC3.DOS
DEVICE=C:\TEST\DXMA0MOD.SYS 001
DEVICE=C:\TEST\DXME0MOD.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT
-------------
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
CD\TEST
NETBIND
LSL
LANSUP
IPXODI
NETX

NET.CFG File
------------------
LINK SUPPORT
    BUFFERS 8 1500
    MEMPOOL 4096
LINK DRIVER LANSUP
    FRAME TOKEN-RING LSB (LSB - "Least Significant Bit", default is MSB - "Most Significant Bit")

PROTOCOL.INI File
--------------------------
[PROTMAN]
  DRIVERNAME = PROTMAN$
[LAN SUPPORT]
  DRIVERNAME = DXME0$
  BINDINGS = ELPC3_NIF
[ELPC3_NIF]
  DRIVERNAME = ELPC3$


Exclude within EMM386?

What do I need to do to exclude within EMM386 for the LAN PC Card?

In DOS notebooks, exclude at least 8 K to make sure that the CIS can load properly. This allows the driver to initialize the PC Card.

Here is an example:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS X=DE00-DFFF


KnowledgeBase

KnowledgeBase topics provide solutions for specific problems. Please review these topics to determine if they can resolve your problem before calling 3Com technical support.

Click a topic for more information:

  NDIS configuration parameters

  Command line

  Command line settings

  Changing network address under NT 3.5

  Loading the driver with NetWare frame type of Ethernet_802.3

  How to adjust the FIFO buffer size

  Installation/Configuration

  Installing DOS NDIS client drivers in a VINES network

  LAN support - ODI - Ethernet PC Card


NDIS configuration parameters

NDIS configuration parameters for the LAN PC Card

DRIVERNAME = <device driver name>

device driver name = ELPC3$, ELPC3$, etc.

MAXTRANSMITS = <value>

value = number of transmit buffers allocated. Heavy transmitters need more buffers. 6 is the default and the minimum, 50 is the maximum. Each buffer consumes about 128 bytes.

IOADDRESS = <hex value>

hex value = I/O address for which this PC Card is configured. Use only when there are multiple PC Cards in the notebook.

NETADDRESS = <hex value>

hex value = desired node address to use in place of the on-board 3Com address. Some protocols require a particular MAC-level address; this keyword forces the driver to use the one specified here. Ex. NETADDRESS = 0x02608C010203


Command line

Diagnostics - Command line options

  Command Syntax:

INSTALL CONFIGURE [/AUTO | /CONFIGFILE:filename] [/ADAPTERNUM:N | /SLOT:S]

or

INSTALL CONFIGURE [ /INT:N /IOBASE:N /PORT:N /BSIZE:N /BADDRESS:N /MODEM:N /XCVR:N /TR:N /OPTIMIZE:N /LINKBEAT:N /CONFIGPORT:N /PNP:N /SYNCREADY:N ]

CONFIGURE

This keyword configures the specified PC Card either automatically using the /AUTO parameter or with a custom configuration.

/AUTO

Configures the PC Card automatically based on the software's best estimate using interpreted system information.

/CONFIGFILE:filename

Selects a configuration file to be used to configure the specified PC Card. The filename can be a fully qualified DOS filename.

/ADAPTERNUM:N

Specifies which PC Card will be configured. The value for N is obtained using the LIST command.


Command line settings

Command Line Configuration Parameter Settings:

/INT

Configure the Interrupt Level.

/IOBASE or /PORT

Configure the I/O Base Address.

/BSIZE

Configure the Boot PROM Size, or Disable/Enable the PROM.

/BADDRESS

Configure the Boot PROM Address, if the PROM is Enabled.

/MODEM

Configure the Modem Speed (Interrupt DisableTime), only when serial performance tuning is needed.

/TR or /XCVR

Configure the Transceiver.

/OPTIMIZE

Configure the Network Driver Optimization setting, for maximum performance.

/LINKBEAT

Disable/Enable the Linkbeat setting, only when Pre-10BASE-T Standard Hub compatibility is required.

/CONFIGPORT

Use only if you experience a problem running this Program in your machine. Valid settings are 100-1E0, in increments of 10.

/PNP

Disable/Enable the Plug and Play capability.

/SYNCREADY

Use only if you experience a problem using the PC Card in a computer with high-speed I/O bus. Enabling SYNCREADY will assert I/OCHRDY on every I/O access. Performance will be slowed but your PC Card might function properly.


Changing network address under NT 3.5

What is the procedure for changing the network address of the LAN PC Card under Windows NT 3.5?

1	Create an Emergency Repair Disk, a standard option under NT, before attempting to modify the Registry.

2	Add the "NETWORKADDRESS" string keyword to the Registry and set the address you want.

The Registry path for the PC Card parameters is found under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ELPC3\Parameters

3	Add the value NETWORKADDRESS to this sub-key.

The registry editor can be found in the Windows NT Diagnostics under the Tools menu.


Loading the driver with NetWare frame type of Ethernet_802.3

My ODI driver keeps loading with the frame type of Ethernet_802.2. How can I get the driver to load with the NetWare frame type of Ethernet_802.3?

EDIT the NET.CFG (usually in the NWCLIENT directory). Change the "frame ethernet_802.2" to "frame ethernet_802.3"

Note: The LINK DRIVER section should match the driver name NO EXTENSIONS:

LINK DRIVER 3C589 or

LINK DRIVER 3C503 or

LINK DRIVER 3C589 or

LINK DRIVER 3CELPC


How to adjust the FIFO buffer size

How do I adjust FIFO buffer size?

The "Network Driver Optimization" parameter in the diagnostic program adjusts the FIFO buffer size as follows.

Optimization Setting	FIFO Receive/Transmit  Size
DOS Client	5K/3K
WIN or OS/2	5K/3K
Server	4K/4K


Installation/Configuration

How to install NDIS with FTP PC/TCP version 2.05 and above under DOS. Supporting drivers for NDIS are located on "Unsupported Disk A" in the \NDIS directory which comes with the FTP software.

The following instructions apply only to the NDIS portion of the installation.

1	Create a \lanman directory and edit the CONFIG.SYS file to include the following device drivers:

protman.sys	Protocol Manager, which must be first
ndis-driver.dos	NDIS driver from the LAN Installation Disk
ndis_pkt.gup	NDIS-to-Packet Driver Converter
Sample CONFIG.SYS:

    DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\PROTMAN.SYS /I:C:\LANMAN

    DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\ELPC3.DOS

    DEVICE=C:\PCTCP\DIS_PKT.DOS

2	Copy the NDIS driver from the LAN Installation Disk and the required files from "Unsupported Disk A" into the \lanman directory.

The NDIS driver is located in \lanman.dos\drivers\ethernet\elpc3, where X is the PC Card model on the LAN Installation Disk. NDIS drivers may also be located in an \NDIS directory if one exists.

3	Create a PROTOCOL.INI file in the \lanman directory.

Sample PROTOCOL.INI parameters are listed in the PROTOCOL.INI file on the LAN Installation Disk. For the PC/TCP protocol stack, add the following section to the PROTOCOL.INI:

    [PKTDRV]

       DRIVERNAME= PKTDRV$

       BINDINGS= YOUR NDIS DRIVER   (For "Your NDIS Driver" insert the appropriate driver name, such as ELPC3)

       INTVEC = 0X65

       CHAINVEC= 0X66

Sample PROTOCOL.INI:

    [ELPC3]

       DRIVERNAME=ELPC3$

    [PKTDRV]

       DRIVERNAME=PKTDRV$

       BINDINGS=ELPC3

       INTVEC=0X65

       CHAINVEC=0X66

4	 Edit AUTOEXEC.BAT to load NETBIND.EXE before running the ETHDRV kernel.  Make sure that the two required files, PRO.MSG and PROH.MSG, are in the same directory as NETBIND.EXE.

Sample AUTOEXEC.BAT:

    SET PCTCP=C:\PCTCP\PCTCP.INI

    NETBIND

    ETHDRV


Installing DOS NDIS client drivers in a VINES network

The following instructions show how to install DOS NDIS client drivers in a VINES 5.00 network. These instructions should also work for version 4.11 of VINES, although the referenced diskettes may have different labels. Consult your VINES documentation as needed. Banyan VINES allows you to configure a DOS client using NDIS drivers, so that you can install PC Cards that may not have native Banyan drivers into the VINES environment.

Any PC Card that has an NDIS driver available should work by following these instructions:

1 	Create a LANMAN subdirectory off the root of your boot disk:

    MD \LANMAN

2	 Build a PROTOCOL.INI file in the LANMAN subdirectory. The protocol manager, PROTMAN.DOS, looks for the PROTOCOL.INI file in the LANMAN subdirectory by default.

Note: PROTOCOL.INI contains information about the Protocol Manager driver, Banyan's NDIS shim driver, and your network PC Card. Here is a sample: PROTOCOL.INI file. Substitute the information pertinent to your particular PC Card for the text "YOUR MAC MODULE" and "YOUR ADAPTER's NDIS DRIVERNAME."

[PROTOCOL MANAGER]

DRIVERNAME = PROTMAN$

    [VINES_XIF]

       DRIVERNAME = NDISBAN$

       BINDINGS = YOUR MAC MODULE

    [YOUR MAC MODULE]

       DRIVERNAME = YOUR ADAPTER'S NDIS DRIVERNAME

       INTERRUPT = (insert the interrupt setting for your PC Card, if needed)

       IOADDRESS = (insert your PC Card's I/O address, if needed)

3	Create a VINES subdirectory off the root of your boot disk:

    MD \VINES

4 	Copy all the files from your VINES LAN S/W (DOS) diskette to the VINES subdirectory.

5 	Copy all the files from the \NDIS subdirectory on the VINES LAN S/W (DOS) No. 2 of 2 diskettes on the VINES subdirectory.

6	Copy the DOS NDIS driver for your particular PC Card into the VINES subdirectory. On 3Com LAN Installation Disks, this file can be found in the subdirectory:

    \MSLANMAN.DOS\DRIVERS\ETHERNET\ELPC

7 	Add the following lines to CONFIG.SYS (located in the root directory of your boot disk):

    DEVICE = C:\VINES\PROTMAN.DOS

    DEVICE = C:\VINES\ELPC3.DOS.

8	 Change to the \VINES subdirectory:

    CD\ VINES

9 	Run the PCCONFIG program and select "1 - Network Card Settings", press Enter, highlight "NDIS Ethernet" and press Enter again.

10	Enter the "Interrupt Level" you've configured the PC Card to use and press Enter.

11	Enter the "PROTOCOL.INI bindings =" parameter (this is the NDIS driver Section Name in square brackets you substituted for "YOUR MAC MODULE" in the PROTOCOL.INI file) and press F10 twice.

12	Highlight "2 - Login Environment Settings" and press Enter.

13	Choose "1 - Select Default Communications Driver" press Enter, highlight "NDIS Ethernet" and press Enter again.

14	Press Esc to return to the main screen and press F10 to save your changes.

15	Reboot the workstation to have your changes take effect.

16	Change directory to the VINES subdirectory and run BAN.EXE. This program automatically loads the NDISBAN.COM file, executes NETBIND, REDIR and starts the login process.


LAN support - ODI - Ethernet PC Card

I’m trying to get the LAN Support Program and IPX to communicate simultaneously with NetWare and AS/400 servers using the LAN PC Card, I ran NDIS MAC drivers with the Novell LANSUP.COM file and I got to the AS400 but not to the NetWare servers.

Load the UP.COM file in LSB (least significant bit) MODE.

The CONFIG files follow:

CONFIG.SYS File

DEVICE=C:\TEST\PROTMAN.DOS /I:C:\TEST

DEVICE=C:\TEST\ELPC3.DOS

DEVICE=C:\TEST\DXMA0MOD.SYS 001

DEVICE=C:\TEST\DXME0MOD.SYS

AUTOEXEC.BAT File

@ECHO OFF

PROMPT $P$G

CD\TEST

NETBIND

LSL

LANSUP

IPXODI

NETX

NET.CFG File

LINK SUPPORT

    BUFFERS 8 1500

    MEMPOOL 4096

LINK DRIVER LANSUP

    FRAME TOKEN-RING LSB (LSB - "Least Significant Bit", default is MSB - "Most Significant Bit")

PROTOCOL.INI File

[PROTMAN]

  DRIVERNAME = PROTMAN$

[LAN SUPPORT]

  DRIVERNAME = DXME0$

  BINDINGS = ELPC3_NIF

[ELPC3_NIF]

  DRIVERNAME = ELPC3$

%VER 1.000.004


Frequently Asked Questions

These frequently asked customer questions are answered by the 3Com technical support experts. To save yourself some time, look for your situation before you call technical support.

Click a topic below for more information:

  LED

  Can I specify the RAM area?

  Driver versions?

  How can I get Windows support for VLM?

  PC Card Ethernet address

  Promiscuous mode?

  SCO drivers

  What is Parallel Tasking?

  What is the "look ahead buffer"?

  Where can I get a promiscuous mode driver?

  NetWare_Login_Failure

   Where Can I buy PC Card cables?

  LAN PC Card with Yellow Exclamation Point

  Windows NT Problems

  Full Duplex

  Is the LAN PC Card Certified?

  Which slot is best for my LAN PC Card?

  Windows 98 Installation or Peer-to-Peer Connection Problems


What is Parallel Tasking?

The 3Com Megahertz family of PC Cards incorporates a new Parallel Tasking architecture finalized by 3Com in 1992. Parallel Tasking increases PC Card performance by minimizing delays in the transmission and reception of data packets on Ethernet networks. Following is 1) a summary of the evolution of Ethernet PC Cards that explains why the early PC Cards do not function efficiently in today's high speed machines, and 2) an explanation of how the PC Card takes advantage of the new standard.

The First Generation: One Frame Per Buffer
In 1982, 3Com developed the first Ethernet NIC for PCs. The early NICs needed to have jumpers set by hand, had many possible fail points due to many components required, and could process only one packet at a time. For example, on transmission each frame had to be loaded from notebook memory into the NIC buffer and completely transmitted before another frame could be loaded from host memory into the transmit buffer. A similarly rigid sequence occurred on the receive transaction. A frame had to be completely received into the NIC buffer and transferred to the host memory before another packet could be taken from the network. Single frame processing was a major reason for longer wait times that reduced network performance.

The Second Generation: Multiple Frames Per Buffer
The second generation of Ethernet NICs, introduced in 1986, addressed many limitations of the previous technology by integrating components on chips to drastically reduce the number of components required. 3Com's EtherLink II and EtherLink 16 NICs took advantage of this second wave of technology. In addition, these NICs were the first to use drivers based on standard specs, like NDIS (developed by 3Com and Microsoft) and ODI (developed by Novell). The NICs also began to use a technique called multi-packet buffering. On transmit, the NIC could begin receiving a frame from the CPU before it had finished transmitting the first frame onto the net. Likewise, on receive the NIC could receive an additional frame from the network while the previous frame was still being uploaded to the host memory. Multi-packet buffering improved NIC performance significantly, but it still required that a frame be completely loaded from the host before a transmit and completely received before being moved to host memory.

The Third Generation: Multiple Tasks Per Frame
Third generation NICs continue the advances made by the second generation. These NICs use ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and other advanced components to allow a higher level of integration, improving performance and reliability while lowering costs. The NICs also use the highest level of parallelism seen in packet processing. NIC task latency is reduced by the overlapping of transfer operations by the driver software--the NIC transmits data over the network before an entire frame has been loaded from the host computer into the NIC's transmit buffer. On the receive side, the NIC can transfer data to the host PC from the NIC's receive buffer before an entire frame has been received from the network.

The PC Card accomplishes parallel tasking by use of:

• Predictive Interrupts: Unlike first and second generation NICs that could only interrupt the host CPU after an event had happened, third generation NICs issue an interrupt to the CPU when something important is about to happen, and continue to process user data until the CPU actually responds.

• Self-Configuration and Continuous Self Tuning: When first installed, the driver software senses the operation environment and adjusts parameters to allow the driver to self-tune itself during transmit and receive operations.

• Hardware-Based Management Facilities: Before third generation NICs, all capturing of performance statistics was performed by the driver software, thus increasing the DOS memory used and slowing NIC performance. Third generation NICs automatically capture these statistics in the hardware components.

• Shared Parameters: Parallel Tasking architecture uses a number of shared parameters to make self-configuration and self-tuning possible. The host operating environment, network bandwidth, and requirements for Windows versus DOS, as well as other parameters, are all used to maximize the NIC's performance in the particular machine and network environment.

Correcting Overruns and Underruns
Two of the major problems faced by PC Cards, namely overruns and underruns, can occur very quickly in a parallel environment if the driver self-tuning process has not been implemented correctly.

The transmit side of the PC Card handles underruns by setting a Transmit Start Threshold (TST) to determine how many bytes of data should be loaded on to the NIC buffer before a transmit is initialized, and by calculating an Underrun Goal (UG), which is the number of frames that should be transmitted before an underrun occurs.

When an underrun does occur, the architecture compares the value of the UG with number of frames transmitted since the last underrun took place and adjusts the TST accordingly.

When the NIC receives overruns, it uses predictive interrupts to notify the CPU that a frame is going to be received onto the NIC. When enough bytes have been received to correctly calculate the size of the packet, the driver will set a Receive Early Threshold (RET), which will determine when the NIC will begin to shift data to the host memory.

After the CPU has served the first predictive interrupt, it will go on to serve other tasks until it receives a second predictive IRQ based on the RET set in the driver. The CPU will then begin to receive data into its memory for processing. This means that the last piece of the network packet is received onto the NIC exactly when the host CPU is ready to move it into memory.


Promiscuous mode?

Can the 3Com Megahertz family of PC Cards operate in promiscuous mode?

All 3Com Megahertz family PC Cards are certified for promiscuous mode. However, the parallel task feature of these PC Cards does not support the promiscuous mode since it drops the bad packets before it gets to the CPU.

1 3Com Megahertz PC Cards have the ability to receive bad packets off the wire based on a visibility window. This visibility window is dependent on whether receive Parallel tasking is turned on or off on the PC Card. With parallel tasking off, the window is set to 60 bytes. In other words, at least 60 bytes of data must be received in order for the PC Card to pass the packet to the Mac driver. With parallel tasking on, this data requirement is set to the PC Card's RXEarly threshold or the PC Card forces a minimum value of 8 when this value is set to 0.

2 The protocols (NDIS/ODI) decide if bad packet should be passed. Currently, NDIS does not pass up bad packets because it waits to receive the entire packet before presenting the look ahead buffer to the protocol and a CRC error would discard the packet presenting the look-ahead data to the protocol. ODI passes up bad packets and indicates an error when running in promiscuous mode (say set by Novell's sniffer utility LANalyzer) because of the built-in parallel tasking architecture.

The 3Com Megahertz technical reference manual for the "Set RxFilter" command indicates that one option is to receive all addresses (i.e., promiscuous mode). Using NDIS or ODI drivers, the correct state must be set by the protocol in order for this to be turned on. Microsoft's Network Monitor (part of SMS product) and Novell's LANalyzer do this.


Where can I get a promiscuous mode driver?

I need a promiscuous mode driver for the 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card to use with Novell's LANalyzer product. Where can I obtain such a driver?

The 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card MLID (3C589.COM) does support promiscuous mode operation. However, the PC Card will not report bad packets. The Parallel Tasking technology incorporated into the 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card family of PC Cards increases network performance by discarding bad packets. If you must capture bad packets, it is recommended that a 3Com Megahertz PC Card not be used.

Due to an  architecture change in the ODI standard, MLIDs dated later than October of 1994 require an extra shim to be loaded to enabler the "Receive Monitor Stack". This file can be downloaded from Novell's download sites and the file name is VLMUP4.EXE. The driver for promiscuous mode operation is called RXMONSTK.COM and it is included with VLMUP4.EXE. An example load order to enable promiscuous mode operation goes as follows:

RXMONSTK.COM

3C589.COM

IPXODI.COM

VLM.EXE

The symptom that indicates the need for RXMONSTK is the application (such as LANalyzer) will load but does not appear to be receiving any packets.


SCO drivers

Where can I get SCO UNIX drivers?

You can download SCO UNIX drivers for the LAN PC Cards from the 3Com website www.3Com.com.


PC Card Ethernet address

How can I find the Ethernet address on the PC Card?

1. Start at a DOS prompt.

2. Insert the LAN Installation Disk 2 and type:

A: install.exe

3. Select Configuration Diagnostics.

You can display the PC Card name, part number, and Ethernet address of the device in the notebook.

 You can see the Ethernet address on the back of the PC Card itself, except for the newest PC Cards.


 LED

What does the LAN PC Card  LED mean?

The LAN PC Card LED indicates only that there is power running to the PC Card. An actual Link Integrity test is not performed until the drivers are loaded or the 3Com PC Card Group 3 diagnostics test run.

The LED for the 3CXE589E PC Card is on the PC Card.

The LED for the 3CCE589E PC Card is on the PCMCIA connector on the cables.

For actual location, see Chapter 3 in the User Guide.

Here is what the LED does when the drivers are loaded or diagnostics run on the PC Card:

Solid green means the PC Card has the link integrity established and correct polarity.

Flashing green means the PC Card has link integrity established but has reversed polarity. This means the LAN PC Card may have been incorrectly installed on a 100 Mbps network or the four wires on the RJ-45 jack are not pinned out correctly. Wire pairs 1,2 and 3, must match the hub.

Solid black or no light means that the link integrity test failed. If the LED is solid black, there is a wiring problem--either a break or a bad connection--at one or more of the RJ45 jacks.

For more information on 10BASE-T networks, see Ask3Com article 13420024 or CardFacts article 5033, How to Troubleshoot 10BASE-T Networks.

 For more information on 10BASE-T networks, see CardFacts article 5033, How to Troubleshoot 10BASE-T Networks.


Can I specify the RAM area?

Is there a way to specify the RAM area for the LAN PC Card when loading the driver? I can set different values for IRQ and I/O base addresses, but there is no option to specify the RAM area. Is there a way to do this?

LAN PC Cards use the programmed I/O transfer method and do not use any memory in the UMB. The RAM area that is used is for the CIS memory. This can be controlled in the NET.CFG file (ODI) or PROTOCOL.INI (NDIS) file.


Driver versions?

How can I check for driver versions?

Use the SHOWVER.EXE utility in the \@ directory to output a string version from any 3Com driver.
To display the version, type:

SHOWVER 3C589.COM

If you run the DOS Diagnostics menu from the LAN Installation Disk 2, go to Network Drivers, select either NDIS or NetWare drivers, and select the menu choice that displays the version string of all the drivers as well (runs the same SHOWVER.EXE program).

For the latest drivers, check out the 3Com web site at www.3com.com or the 3Com ftp site at ftp.3com.com.


How can I get Windows support for VLM?

If I'm running Novell NetWare with Windows or WFW, how do I get Windows support for VLM (updating vNetWare.386, etc.)?

Download the self-extracting NWDLL2.EXE and WINDR2.EXE files from Novell's Netwire CompuServe library. Extract WINDR2.EXE and refer to the installation text files in the \READMES subdirectory. After updating the appropriate Windows files, select the correct NetWare shell version.

For Windows 3.1, to select the proper shell:

1. Select Windows Setup

2. Select Options.

3. Change System Settings.

4. Select Novell NetWare (version 4).

In WFW, to select the proper shell:

1. Select Network.

2. Select Network Setup

3. Select Networks

4. Select the Other radio button to install additional network shells.

5. Select Novell NetWare (Workstation Shell 4.0 and above). The Workstation Shell 3.26 and
 above corresponds to NETX.


What is the "look ahead buffer"?

What is the "look ahead buffer" feature of the 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card family?

This software/hardware feature gives the first part of the packet to the protocol while the last part of the packet is still coming in off the wire. RxEarly in the 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card family provides an early interrupt after x number of bytes have arrived, rather than when the packet completes.


NetWare Login Failure

When I install my LAN PC Card using Windows 95 – I can’t login to NetWare when I reboot.  The PC Card automatically detects and installs properly and the Windows 98/95 Device Manager shows no conflicts or Yellow "!".

Try these solutions:

First, force the frame type using Windows 98 or Windows 95.

1.	Check the frame type on your Novell server. This can be obtained from your system administrator or by simply typing CONFIG at the server prompt.

2.	 On your notebook, click these menus in sequence:

3.	Start>Settings>Control Panel>Network>IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol>Advanced>
Frametype

4.	Select your frametype among the following:

             ETHERNET_802.2

             ETHERNET_802.3

             ETHERNET_II

             ETHERNET_SNAP

5. Click OK, OK and restart your computer. You should be prompted for a login.

Now you must delete the AUTOLOGON parameter in the Windows 95 registry

 WARNING: Editing the Windows 95 registry can have serious consequences, which may result in requiring you to reinstall Windows 95. Please consult with your technician or Microsoft technical support if you have any questions. 3Com cannot be held responsible for changes made to your registry. The Microsoft KB article is #Q141858.

1. Go to START>RUN>REGEDIT.

2.	Select FIND. Type in "autologon".

3.	When the parameter appears, delete it.

4.	Exit the registry and reboot.

If you still can’t login, check your physical connections.

Certain Ethernet switches have the Spanning Tree Algorithm. This feature can delay the response time on the port. You can disable this feature if it is turned on. Contact your system administrator for more information.


Where do I buy 3Com PC Card cables?

Where do I buy 3Com PC Card cables?

You can buy cables for the LAN PC Card on the 3Com website at www.3Comparts.com or call 1-800-846-2233 to order them.


Windows NT Problems

The most common problem in a Windows NT 4.0  installation is faulty installation or conflicting resources.

The most important item in Windows NT 4.0 is the PCMCIA services.

1. Select Control Panel>Devices.

2. Scroll down the device list and confirm that PCMCIA is Started/Boot.

If it is not, your PCMCIA service is either not functioning or you have 3rd Party Card Services.  In either case, you need to contact you notebook vendor to assist you in installing the adapter.

3. If PCMCIA services have started, check that you have a working physical connection.

4. Confirm that you are using available resources.

In Windows NT this can be difficult.  The Windows NT Diagnostics can be helpful, but are seldom complete.  Many times finding resources in Windows NT is trial and error.

5. Try removing all networking components from the Networking Control Panel.

This forces  Windows NT to clear out the registry and load fresh drivers.

If you have Service Pack 3 installed, it may be necessary to reinstall it if you see an error in event viewer that reads “Server Storage is out of space.”


Windows 98 Installation or Peer-to-Peer Connection Problems

My system appears to hang after installation or I cannot establish a Peer-to-Peer Network connection.

Because Windows 98 installs with a default protocol of TCPIP with DHCP enabled, the notebook appears to hang if it is not connected to a DHCP server.

The notebook is waiting for the DHCP request to “time out.”  If your network uses NETBEUI or IPX, you may be accustomed to these protocols installing automatically since these are the defaults in Windows 95.

To correct this, manually add the protocol in use on your network or to specify an IP address instead of using DHCP.

To change the protocol setting, click Control Panel>Network and then add the appropriate protocols or edit the TCPIP protocol that is bound to the LAN PC Card.


LAN PC Card with Yellow Exclamation Point

My LAN PC Card appears in Device Manager or it appears under Network Adapters but with a yellow exclamation point next to it- what should I do?

This is almost always due to a faulty installation.

Remove all components with the 3Com Megahertz LAN PC Card (589E) or 3Com Megahertz (589E) next to it.  Remove all other network components.  Remove the PC card.  Reboot and reinstall the LAN PC Card.


Full-Duplex Operation

The network drivers support full-duplex operation (sending  and receiving data simultaneously).

WARNING: You MUST be connected to a switched full-duplex Ethernet hub to use this feature (this feature disables collision detection).

To enable this feature, add the KEYWORD Full_Duplex to the NET.CFG file (ODI) or the PROTOCOL.INI file (NDIS 2)

In Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT environments, Full Duplex can be adjusted under the Network Adapter properties.


Is the LAN PC Card Certified?

Yes, the LAN PC Card has passed the FCC B, CISPR B EMI, C-tick EMI, and VCCI 2 EMI certification tests.


Which PC Card slot is best for my LAN PC Card?

The LAN PC Card is designed to work in any PC Card slot. However, on some systems, the notebook PC Card slots are preferred over Docking Station or Port Replicator slots.