Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX 3Com
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http://www .3com.com/ Fast EtherLink ® XL PCI 1 0/100BASE-TX Network Interface Car d User Guide Member of the 3Com Fast EtherLink XL family of network interface cards Part No.
ii 3Com Corporation ■ 5400 Bayfront Plaza ■ Santa Clara, Califor nia ■ 95052-8145 Copyright © 1998, 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be repr oduced in an.
iii C ONTENTS A BOUT T HIS G UIDE Finding Specific Information in This Guide 1 Conventions 2 1 I NTRODUCTION Industry-Leading Performance 1-2 DynamicAccess Software 1-2 Remote W ake-up 1-3 Installati.
iv Installing the Novell NetW are Server Driver 3-10 NetW are V ersion 4.1 3-10 Multiple NICs 3-11 Supported Network Drivers 3-12 4 T ROUBLESHOOTING Status LEDs 4-1 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-2 Ac.
v A S PECIFICATIONS Specifications A-1 RJ-45 Connector Pin Assignments A-2 B T ECHNICAL S UPPORT Online T echnical Services B-1 World Wide Web Site B-1 3Com Bulletin Board Service B-1 Access by Analo.
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vii F IGURES 1-1 3C905B-TX NIC 1-1 1-2 3C905B-TX NIC Installation Steps 1-4 2-1 Inserting the NIC 2-2 2-2 Connecting the Network Cable to the RJ-45 Port 2-3 2-3 Connecting the NIC to the Connector 2-4.
viii T ABLES 1 Notice Icons 2 2 T ext Conventions 2 3-1 Network Driver T ext File Names 3-12 4-1 LED Descriptions 4-2 4-2 Frequently Asked Questions 4-15 5-1 Option Settings 5-1.
Lifetime Limited W arranty 3Com’ s EtherLink ® , Fast EtherLink, T okenLink ® , T okenLink V elocity ® , A TMLink ™ PCI, and FDDILink ™ network interface cards have a Lifetime Limited W arranty . For further details, please see 3Com’ s Limited W arranty statement in this guide.
Customers in the countries or regions shown below should send the completed registration car d to the appropriate addr ess. Customers in other non-U.S. locations should send the registration car d to the U.S. address on the fr ont of the card. ■ Asia 3Com Asia Ltd.
A BOUT T HIS G UIDE About This Guide provides an overview of this guide, describes guide conventions, and tells you where to look for specific information. This guide describes how to install, configure, and troubleshoot the 3Com ® Fast EtherLink ® XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX network interface card (NIC).
2 A BOUT T HIS G UIDE Conventions T able 1 and T able 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide. T able 1 Notice Icons Icon Notice Type Description Information note Important features or .
1 I NTRODUCTION The 3Com ® 3C905B-TX network interface card (NIC) provides a high-performance connection to an Ethernet or Fast Ethernet network. This NIC operates at 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps automatically , depending on the speed of the connected hub.
1-2 C HAPTER 1: I NTRODUCTION Unless specifically indicated, the name 3C905B-TX is used throughout this guide to r efer to both NICs. This chapter describes the 3C905B-TX NIC features and PC and server requir ements.
Remote Wake-up 1-3 Remote W ake-up Remote W ake-Up support is enabled for the 3C905B-TX NIC. If you are using the 3C905B-TX NIC in a PC that supports Remote W ake-Up thr ough the PCI bus, the 3Com NIC receives wake-up signals and wakes the PC fr om a sleep state.
1-4 C HAPTER 1: I NTRODUCTION Make sure that you are running the latest BIOS for your PC or server , even if your PC is new . Contact your PC manufacturer for more information. How Do I Install the 3C905B-TX NIC? T o complete installation, install the NIC in your PC or server , connect it to the network, and install the network driver .
2 I NSTALLING THE NIC There ar e two types of 3C905B-TX NICs: the 3C905B-TX NIC and the 3C905B-TX-NM NIC. They are both installed in your PC and connected to the network in exactly the same way . After you connect the 3C905B-TX NIC to the network, you connect the Remote W ake-Up cable to the motherboard.
2-2 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE NIC 7 Insert the 3C905B-TX NIC into an empty PCI slot, shown in Figure 2-1 . Make sure that the NIC is firmly seated in the slot.
Connecting to the Network 2-3 Connecting to the Network Y ou must connect the NIC to the network before installing the network driver . T o connect the 3C905B-TX NIC to the network cable, follow these steps: 1 Connect the network cable to the RJ-45 port on the 3C905B-TX NIC, as shown in Figure 2-2 .
2-4 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE NIC Connecting the Remote W ake-up Cable WARNING: Install the NIC in slot 1 in the PC (as described earlier) before plugging in the 3-pin connector . Only properly trained and authorized personnel should perform service.
3 I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER This chapter describes how to install the network driver that completes your PC connection to the network. The 3C905B-TX software is installed with the network driver . Instructions are pr ovided for W indows 95, Windows NT , and NetW are DOS client and server driver installation.
3-2 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER Follow these steps to install the network driver in a PC running Windows 95: 1 Install and configure Windows 95 befor e installing the 3C905B-TX NIC. 2 Install the 3C905B-TX NIC and connect it to the network, as described in Chapter 2 .
Windows 95 3-3 If a protocol is missing, follow these steps: a Select the protocol and click Add . b From the Select Network Protocol menu, select Microsoft in the left pane. In the right pane, select the protocol and click OK . If a client is missing, follow these steps: a Select the client and click Add .
3-4 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER 11 When the configuration is correct, click the Identification tab. ■ The computer name is the name of your PC. Give your PC a unique name of up to 15 characters. The PC name cannot include blank spaces.
Windows NT 3-5 6 Double-click the 3C905B-TX name to display a description of the 3C905B-TX NIC and its current status. The dialog box confirms that the 3C905B-TX NIC is working properly .
3-6 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER 3 In the Control Panel, double-click Network . 4 In the Network window , select the Adapter tab . 5 Select 3Com EtherLink XL NIC . 6 Click Update . 7 Insert EtherDisk Diskette #2 . The driver is updated.
Windows NT 3-7 12 In the Network Settings window , click Close . If you are pr ompted for network information, enter the information supplied by your MIS department. Windows NT prompts you to reboot. 13 Click Y es to restart your PC. The driver installation is complete.
3-8 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER Installing the Network Driver Follow these steps to install the network driver in a PC running Windows NT version 3.51: 1 Install the 3C905B-TX NIC and connect it to the network, as described in Chapter 2 .
NetWare for Windows 3.1x, W indows for Workgroups, and DOS 3-9 NetW ar e for Windows 3.1x, Windows for W orkgroups, and DOS The AutoLink program installs DOS client softwar e and drivers for Novell NetW are in Windows 3.1x, W indows for Workgr oups 3.
3-10 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER If you experience problems that occur only when using the AutoLink program, display or print the AUTOLINK.LOG file. The AUTOLINK.LOG file contains a list of all the events that occurred during the AutoLink installation and configuration process.
Installing the Novell NetWare Server Driver 3-11 5 At the A: prompt, enter: nwserver The installation program gathers the files and pr ompts you for a NIC selection. 6 Select 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/100 Ethernet NIC . 7 Press Enter to continue the server installation.
3-12 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER Supported Network Drivers T able 3-1 provides the text file names and driver names for supported network drivers. These text files describe how to install the network driver and are located in the HELP directory on EtherDisk Diskette #1 .
4 T ROUBLESHOOTING This chapter explains how to isolate and solve NIC problems, including the following topics: ■ Status LEDs ■ 3Com NIC Diagnostics program ■ Accessing the 3C905B-TX Help system.
4-2 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Figure 4-1 LEDs 3Com NIC Diagnostics Pr ogram Use the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows 95 and Windows NT to test the 3C905B-TX NIC and change configuration. T o change the NIC’ s configuration, see Chapter 5 .
3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-3 Accessing the 3C905B-TX Help System Y ou can display the 3C905B-TX NIC Help system, a Windows Help application that includes 3C905B-TX Release Notes, Frequently Asked Questions, and the 3C905B-TX KnowledgeBase. The Help system was installed with the network driver .
4-4 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Running the NIC Self-T est Run the NIC self-test to check the physical components, connectors, and circuitry on the NIC. 1 Make sure that the 3C905B-TX NIC is installed and connected to the network ( Chapter 2 ) and the network driver is installed ( Chapter 3 ).
3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-5 6 Click the Diagnostics tab to display the Diagnostics screen, shown in Figur e 4-3 . Figure 4-3 Diagnostics Screen 7 Click Start in the Self-T est area.
4-6 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Running the Echo T est The echo test tests the 3C905B-TX NIC’ s ability to transmit and receive data while on the network. Y ou need two PCs with 3Com NICs installed to run an echo test: one PC to send data and one PC to receive data.
3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-7 Click the Help button to display Help for this screen. Click the question mark (?) at the top of the screen and drag it to a statistic and click.
4-8 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING ■ Click Diagnostics to run the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program. Refer to the beginning of this chapter for information on how to use the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program. ■ Click Release Notes to display the 3C905B-TX Release Notes, Frequently Asked Questions, and the 3C905B-TX KnowledgeBase.
3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-9 Figure 4-5 Problem Report Main Screen Figure 4-6 Computer Information Screen.
4-10 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING 5 Enter the following information to complete the form: a Enter the PC manufacturer and model of your PC. b Identify your PC as a client, server , or both, using the pull-down menu. c Select your CPU type using the pull-down menu.
Removing the 3C905B-TX NIC P ACE and 3NICDIAGS Software 4-11 Removing the 3C905B-TX NIC P ACE and 3NICDIAGS Softwar e Y ou can remove the P ACE and 3NICDIAGS software fr om your PC using Windows 95, W indows NT , or DOS.
4-12 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING 2 V erify the driver version. The driver must be at least version 2.23.40. a Click Properties . b Click the V ersion tab. c Check the EL90X.SYS driver version. If the version is lower than 3.1, download an updated version of the driver from the 3Com W eb site: http://www.
Crossover Cable T roubleshooting Tips 4-13 Crossover Cable T roubleshooting Tips When you work with network cabling, concentrators, and NICs from dif ferent vendors, it is possible to connect everything and still have no communication between file servers and workstations.
4-14 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Using wires fr om opposing pairs can cause signals to be lost. For a 100BASE-TX cable, pins #1 and #2, and #3 and #6 must be on the same twisted strand.
Frequently Asked Questions 4-15 Frequently Asked Questions T able 4-2 describes some common questions and answers about the 3C905B-TX NIC. T able 4-2 Frequently Asked Questions Question Answer Which PCI slot is best for my PCI NIC? 3Com PCI NICs are designed to work in any bus mastering PCI slot, preferably slot 1.
4-16 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING How do I remove the 3Com icon from my system tray? 1 Double-click the 3Com icon to start the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program. 2 In the right bottom corner of the main window, click the Enable Tray Control check box to remove the check mark.
Frequently Asked Questions 4-17 What should I do if a yellow exclamation point appears next to the 3C905B-TX NIC name? 1 In the Device Manager, double-click Other Devices . 2 Click PCI Ethernet Controller or the duplicate 3C905B-TX NIC entry. 3 Click Remove .
4-18 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING What is a Magic Packet? A Magic Packet is a valid Ethernet packet that contains a synchronization stream immediately followed by 16 repetitions of the destination MAC address. This Magic Packet is not protocol-specific as long as the protocol contains the sync stream and the 16 repetitions.
Accessing the 3Com World Wide Web Page 4-19 Accessing the 3Com W orld Wide W eb Page The 3Com Web site featur es news and information about 3Com products, customer service and support, 3Com’ s latest drivers, technical information, and more. T o access 3Com’ s World Wide Web site, enter the 3Com URL into your Internet browser: http://infodeli.
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5 C HANGING C ONFIGURATION This chapter describes how to display and change configuration settings for the 3C905B-TX NIC using the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program. Before you change the settings, contact your system administrator . Configuration Settings T able 5-1 lists each configuration option, the default setting, and the available settings.
5-2 C HAPTER 5: C HANGING C ONFIGURATION Displaying Configuration Settings If you are running Windows 95 or W indows NT , use the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program to display and change configuration settings. The 3Com NIC Diagnostics program is automatically installed with the network driver .
Changing Configuration Settings 5-3 Figure 5-1 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program General Screen Figure 5-2 3Com NIC Diagnostics Properties Screen.
5-4 C HAPTER 5: C HANGING C ONFIGURATION 2 T o display the options for each setting, select the setting and scroll thr ough the options pull-down menu to the right. Click the Help button to display Help for this screen. Click the question mark (?) at the top of the screen, drag it to a value, and click.
Changing P ACE Confi guration 5-5 Changing P ACE Ranges and Pr otocols Y ou can add information for P ACE applications not listed on the P ACE Applications screen. Y ou must specify the port or socket ranges as well as the network protocol being used.
5-6 C HAPTER 5: C HANGING C ONFIGURATION P ACE Advanced Options P ACE Advanced Options are used to fine-tune the way the network driver handles types of P ACE traffic. In general, these values need not be altered. Contact your network administrator before using these options.
A S PECIFICATIONS This appendix lists the specifications and connector pin assignments for the 3C905B-TX NIC. Specifications Network Interface 10 Mbps Ethernet 10BASE-T Ethernet IEEE 802.3 industry standard for a 10 Mbps baseband CSMA/CD local area network 100 Mbps Ethernet 100BASE-TX Ethernet IEEE 802.
A-2 A PPENDIX A: S PECIFICATIONS RJ-45 Connector Pin Assignments Figure A-1 shows the RJ-45 connector pin assignments for the 3C905B-TX NIC. Figure A-1 RJ-45 Connector Pin Assignments 12345678 1 2 3 4.
B T ECHNICAL S UPPORT 3Com provides easy access to technical support information through a variety of services. This appendix describes these services. Information contained in this appendix is correct at time of publication. For the very latest, we recommend that you access 3Com Corporation’ s World Wide Web site.
B-2 A PPENDIX B: T ECHNICAL S UPPORT Access by Analog Modem T o reach the service by modem, set your modem to 8 data bits, no parity , and 1 stop bit. Call the telephone number nearest you: Access by Digital Modem ISDN users can dial in to 3ComBBS using a digital modem for fast access up to 56 Kbps.
Support from Y our Network Supplier B-3 Local access numbers are available within the following countries: 3ComForum on CompuServe Online Service 3ComForum contains patches, software, drivers, and technical articles about all 3Com products, as well as a messaging section for peer support.
B-4 A PPENDIX B: T ECHNICAL S UPPORT If you are unable to contact your network supplier , see the following section on how to contact 3Com. Support fr om 3Com If you are unable to r eceive support fr om your network supplier , technical support contracts are available from 3Com.
Support from 3Com B-5 3Com GmbH Czech Republic/Slovak Republic Germany (Central European HQ) Hungary Poland 420 2 21845 800 49 30 34 98790 (Berlin) 49 89 627320 (Munich) 36 1 250 83 41 48 22 6451351 3Com Iberia Portugal Spain 351 1 3404505 34 1 5096900 3Com Latin America U.
B-6 A PPENDIX B: T ECHNICAL S UPPORT Returning Products for Repair Before you send a pr oduct dir ectly to 3Com for r epair , you must first obtain a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number . Products sent to 3Com without RMA numbers will be returned to the sender unopened, at the sender’ s expense.
G LOSSARY 10BASE-T The IEEE 802.3 standard for a 10 Mbps baseband network on twisted-pair cable. 100BASE-T The IEEE 802.3 standard for a 100 Mbps baseband network over twisted-pair cable. 100BASE-TX The IEEE 802.3 standard for a 100 Mbps baseband network over two-pair Category 5 UTP or STP wire.
2 G LOSSARY infinite bursting T echnology that enables the 3C905B-TX NIC to move data continuously across the PCI bus without br eaks in the data transfer previously caused by cache size limitations. Previously , cache limitations caused the NIC to release and reacquir e the PCI bus after every 64-byte burst.
I NDEX Numbers 10/100 auto-negotiation (NWay) 1-3, 5-1 3C90X.LAN file 3-10 3Com Bulletin Board Service (3ComBBS) B-1 3Com NIC Diagnostics program echo test 4-6 NIC self test 4-4 3Com sales offices B-4 3Com URL B-1 3ComFacts B-2 3ComForum B-3 A Artisoft LANtastic 3-12 AUTOEXEC.
2 I NDEX NetW are Client 32 3-12 NetW are for DOS, W indows 3.1x, and W indows for Workgroups 3-9 NetW are server driver 3-10 supported network drivers 3-12 WFW NDIS 2 3-12 WFW NDIS 3 3-12 WFW NetWar .
I NDEX 3 W Windows 3.1x 3-9 Windows 95 1-3, 3-1 confirming NIC installation 3-4 installing network driver 3-1, 3-12 Windows for Workgroups 3-9, 3-12 Windows NT 3-5, 3-12 version 3.
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3Com Corporation L IMITED W ARRANTY H ARDWARE 3Com warrants its hardware products to be free from defects in workmanship and materials, under normal use and service, for the following lengths of time .
3COM SHALL NOT BE LIABLE UNDER THIS WARRANTY IF ITS TESTING AND EXAMINATION DISCLOSE THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT DOES NOT EXIST OR WAS CAUSED BY CUSTOMER’S OR ANY THIRD PERSON’S MISUSE,.
The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful: The Interference Handbook This booklet is available from the U.
EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: You agree that you will not export or re-export the Software or accompanying documentation (or any copies thereof) or any products utilizing the Software or such documentation in violation of any applicable laws or regulations of the United States or the country in which you obtained them.
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An important point after buying a device 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center