3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI 10/100BASE-TX - Manual

viii T ABLES 1 Notice Icons 2 2 Text Conventions 2 3-1 Network Driver Text File Names 3-12 4-1 LED Descriptions 4-2 4-2 Frequently Asked Questions 4-15 5-1 Option Settings 5-1

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 Table 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide. Table 1 Notice Icons Icon Notice Type Description Information note Important features or instructions Caution Information to alert you to potential damage to a program, system, or device Warni...

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. Figure 1-1 3C905B-TX NIC There are two types of 3C905...

1-2 C HAPTER 1: I NTRODUCTION Unless specifically indicated, the name 3C905B-TX is used throughout this guide to refer to both NICs. This chapter describes the 3C905B-TX NIC features and PC and server requirements. Industry-Leading Performance The 3C905B-TX NIC provides the following performance fea...

Remote Wake-up 1-3 Remote Wake-up Remote Wake-Up support is enabled for the 3C905B-TX NIC. If you are using the 3C905B-TX NIC in a PC that supports Remote Wake-Up through the PCI bus, the 3Com NIC receives wake-up signals and wakes the PC from a sleep state. Installation and Configuration The 3Com N...

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? To complete installation, install the NIC in your PC or server, connect it to the network...

2 I NSTALLING THE NIC There are 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 Wake-Up cable to the motherboar...

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. Figure 2-1 Inserting the NIC 8 Secure the NIC with the screw you removed earlier. If you are installing the Remote Wake-Up connector, go t...

Connecting to the Network 2-3 Connecting to the Network You must connect the NIC to the network before installing the network driver. To 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 . Fi...

2-4 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE NIC Connecting the Remote Wake-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. Contact your PC manufacturer for information abou...

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 provided for Windows 95, Windows NT, and NetWare DOS client and server driver in...

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 before installing the 3C905B-TX NIC. 2 Install the 3C905B-TX NIC and connect it to the network, as described in Chapter 2 . 3 Restart the P...

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 cli...

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. ■ A workgroup (such as your department) is comp...

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. If a yellow exclamation point or a red X appears next to the 3Com EtherLink XL adapter name, go to “Frequently As...

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. Installing the Network Driver Follow these steps to i...

Windows NT 3-7 12 In the Network Settings window, click Close. If you are prompted for network information, enter the information supplied by your MIS department. Windows NT prompts you to reboot. 13 Click Yes to restart your PC. The driver installation is complete. To confirm successful installatio...

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 . 2 Restart the PC and start Windows NT. 3 In ...

NetWare for Windows 3.1x, Windows for Workgroups, and DOS 3-9 NetWare for Windows 3.1x, Windows for Workgroups, and DOS The AutoLink program installs DOS client software and drivers for Novell NetWare in Windows 3.1x, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and DOS environments. CAUTION: Do not use the AutoLin...

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. ■ To...

Installing the Novell NetWare Server Driver 3-11 5 At the A:\ prompt, enter: nwserver The installation program gathers the files and prompts you for a NIC selection. 6 Select 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/100 Ethernet NIC. 7 Press Enter to continue the server installation. Multiple NICs To support more ...

3-12 C HAPTER 3: I NSTALLING THE N ETWORK D RIVER Supported Network Drivers Table 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 . Table 3-1 Ne...

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 ■ 3Com support services ■ Removing the 3C905B-TX software ■ Checking Remote Wake-Up ■ Crossover cable tro...

4-2 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Figure 4-1 LEDs 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program Use the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows 95 and Windows NT to test the 3C905B-TX NIC and change configuration. To change the NIC’s configuration, see Chapter 5 . If you are running NetWare Client 32 with the NetWar...

3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-3 Accessing the 3C905B-TX Help System You 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. To...

4-4 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Running the NIC Self-Test 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 ). 2 Sta...

3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 4-5 6 Click the Diagnostics tab to display the Diagnostics screen, shown in Figure 4-3 . Figure 4-3 Diagnostics Screen 7 Click Start in the Self-Test area. The following tests run in sequence: ■ Register Access ■ EEPROM ■ FIFO ■ Ethernet Core Loopback ■ Encoder/Decoder L...

4-6 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Running the Echo Test The echo test tests the 3C905B-TX NIC’s ability to transmit and receive data while on the network. You need two PCs with 3Com NICs installed to run an echo test: one PC to send data and one PC to receive data. CAUTION: Running the echo test whil...

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. The pop-up box displays information about the selected statistic. 3Com Support Services The 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program ...

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 3C905...

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. d Enter the numbers of the PC slots ...

Removing the 3C905B-TX NIC PACE and 3NICDIAGS Software 4-11 Removing the 3C905B-TX NIC PACE and 3NICDIAGS Software You can remove the PACE and 3NICDIAGS software from your PC using Windows 95, Windows NT, or DOS. Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 To remove the PACE and 3NICDIAGS software, follow these s...

4-12 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING 2 Verify the driver version. The driver must be at least version 2.23.40. a Click Properties . b Click the Version 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 Web site: http://w...

Crossover Cable Troubleshooting Tips 4-13 Crossover Cable Troubleshooting Tips When you work with network cabling, concentrators, and NICs from different vendors, it is possible to connect everything and still have no communication between file servers and workstations. When there are several unknow...

4-14 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Using wires from 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. Troubleshooting Hubs with Crossover Cable When there is doubt whether a hub is performing correctly, or if the imp...

Frequently Asked Questions 4-15 Frequently Asked Questions Table 4-2 describes some common questions and answers about the 3C905B-TX NIC. Table 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, pref...

Accessing the 3Com World Wide Web Page 4-19 Accessing the 3Com World Wide Web Page The 3Com Web site features news and information about 3Com products, customer service and support, 3Com’s latest drivers, technical information, and more. To access 3Com’s World Wide Web site, enter the 3Com URL into ...

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 Table 5-1 lists each configuration option, the de...

5-2 C HAPTER 5: C HANGING C ONFIGURATION Displaying Configuration Settings If you are running Windows 95 or Windows 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. Driver insta...

5-4 C HAPTER 5: C HANGING C ONFIGURATION 2 To display the options for each setting, select the setting and scroll through 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 clic...

Changing PACE Configuration 5-5 Changing PACE Ranges and Protocols You can add information for PACE applications not listed on the PACE Applications screen. You must specify the port or socket ranges as well as the network protocol being used. Refer to the PACE application user guide. The PACE netwo...

5-6 C HAPTER 5: C HANGING C ONFIGURATION PACE Advanced Options PACE Advanced Options are used to fine-tune the way the network driver handles types of PACE traffic. In general, these values need not be altered. Contact your network administrator before using these options. 1 To display the PACE Adva...

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 ...

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 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12345678 TD+TD_ RD_ RD+ DATA TX ACT 10 100 L N K

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...

B-2 A PPENDIX B: T ECHNICAL S UPPORT Access by Analog Modem To 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. T...

Support from Your 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. To use 3Com...

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 from 3Com If you are unable to receive support from your network supplier, technical support contracts are available from 3Com. Contact your local 3Com s...

B-6 A PPENDIX B: T ECHNICAL S UPPORT Returning Products for Repair Before you send a product directly to 3Com for repair, 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. T...

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. dRM...

2 G LOSSARY infinite bursting Technology that enables the 3C905B-TX NIC to move data continuously across the PCI bus without breaks in the data transfer previously caused by cache size limitations. Previously, cache limitations caused the NIC to release and reacquire the PCI bus after every 64-byte ...

I NDEX Numbers 10/100 auto-negotiation (NWay) 1-3, 5-1 3C90X.LAN file 3-103Com Bulletin Board Service (3ComBBS) B-1 3Com NIC Diagnostics program echo test 4-6NIC self test 4-4 3Com sales offices B-43Com URL B-13ComFacts B-23ComForum B-3 A Artisoft LANtastic 3-12AUTOEXEC.BAT file 3-9AUTOEXEC.NCF file...

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 from the date of purchase from 3Com or its Authorized Reseller: If a product does not operate as war...

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, NEGLECT, IMPROPER INSTALLATION OR TESTING, UNAUTHORIZED ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR OR MODIFY, OR ANY OTHER CAUS...

The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful: The Interference Handbook This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Stock No. 004-000-00345-4. NOTE: In order to maintain compliance with the limits of...