Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005, sindi keesan wrote:

> On Sat, 9 Jul 2005, David Lane wrote:
>
> > DOS has no native networking ability that I'm aware of.You generally have to
> > use some other protocol set (Netware IPX etc).I still have the drivers I
> > sent you,which maybe the zip file your referring to.The driver it'self is
> > simply a sys file called up through the config.sys at boot.Getting a
> > network,that's something else.
> >
> > David Lane
> > _______________________________________________
>
> I took another look at the files in 3C509.ZIP and they do seem designed
> for mslan or nwclient.  Most of the 2MB download was for Windows.  The
> only useful file in there was the 3c509cfg.exe, used to set the card to
> AUI/BNC/RJ45, and to set the IRQ (instead of using it as pnp).
>
> 3C509 is etherlink III (10MBit).
>
> There are also 3C501 (etherlink I) , 3C503 (etherlink II - we have one of
> these) and 3C59X (for the 3c5x9 cards).  I have three of the latter, one
> of which would not work with 3c59x.o, even using the .net kernel from
> SW71.  'device or resource busy' - this usually means I have the wrong
> driver (but maybe it means the card is dead).


I was given another 3com Etherlink II (3c503) for which I downloaded the 
DOS diagnostic/testing programs to set the IRQ.  The testing program 
informed me that all possible IRQs failed - 3, 4, 5, and 7.  I know 5 and 
3 were free - I had disabled com2 and had no sound card or second printer 
port and the first port was 7.

In linux it worked - insmod 8390, insmod 3c503 io=0x300, irq=3.
It would also insmod without 'irq=3'.
/proc/interrupts did not show that irq3 was used until AFTER
I also did an ifconfig or a ping (not sure exactly).

So the DOS program apparently consults something in the BIOS which I was 
told reserves IRQs 3 and 5 even if they are not in use, while linux 
ignorse this, more sensibly.

An ACCTON card (with three types of plug) also worked:
insmod 8390
insmod ne io=0x300
It informed me I was using irq 10.

And another 3com card (3c509, RJ45 only) failed one of the tests in DOS 
but sent files in linux.  My other 3com cards passed all the tests.  They 
all seem to work.  All ISA.

I don't recomment the Etherlink II if you want to use both com ports (for 
mouse, modem, serial cable, camera, etc.).  io is set with jumpers, 
default 300.  I left all jumpers at defaults.  dell has info online about 
the jumper settings (support section).

Sindi