PRB: Installing Multiple ELNK16 Adapters in a LAN Man Machine

ID Number: Q78137

2.00 2.10 | 2.00 2.10

MS-DOS | OS/2

Summary:

The following information applies to LAN Manager versions 2.0 (all

patches) and 2.1, running under OS/2 versions 1.2 and 1.3 or MS-DOS

version 5.0.

SYMPTOMS

Unlike other adapters that are jumper configurable, 3Com's ELNK16

adapters contain an EEPROM that stores their configuration

information. The user sets up the interrupt, I/O base address,

transceiver type, and so forth, by running 3Com's 3c507 Setup

program. Because the card doesn't contain jumpers to set the I/O

base, the ELNK16 uses I/O base 100 as a reference point during

start-up and diagnostics. Once the driver is activated (at

binding), it uses the configuration settings stored in the EEPROM.

When the computer starts up, both ELNK16 cards will use I/O base

100 as a reference point. Since the ELNK16 is ROM configurable,

there is no way for the driver to know which adapter is being bound.

Thus, the following messages may appear upon rebooting (an OS/2

machine):

HPFS File system driver is installed

MS OS/2 Lan Manager Protocol V1.1

3Com OS/2 Network Driver for the Etherlink16 (3C507) V1.1

3Com OS/2 Network Driver for the Etherlink16 (3C507) V1.1

Microsoft OS/2 NetBEUI 2.0

Installing NETWKSTA.SYS Ver2.0.292 (May 25, 1991)

PRO003: INTERRUPT CONFLICT in binding NETBEUI to ELNK16_NIF2

SYS1719: The file "C:\LANMAN\NETPROG\NETWKSTA.SYS" specified

in the IFS command on line 46 of the CONFIG.SYS file does not

contain a valid device driver or file system driver.

CAUSE

Normally, jumpers and the IOADDRESS= parameter in PROTOCOL.INI

differentiate adapters from one another so the drivers know where

to look for the board. In the case of the ELNK16 adapters, the

parameter IOBASE= must be put under the DRIVERNAME=ELNK16$ (and

ELNK16x$) in PROTOCOL.INI so that the driver can find the

appropriate address to bind. Leaving out this parameter will

generate the above interrupt conflict message, even though there

may appear to be no conflict with the interrupt.

More Information:

Listed below is a sample configuration, tested on a Compaq 386/33 with

LAN Manager 2.0c and OS/2 1.3, running NETBEUI protocol:

Card Configurations

-------------------

Card 1 Settings Card 2 Settings

--------------- ---------------

I/O base address: 300 Hex 320 Hex

Interrupt level: 10 12

Transceiver type: ON-Board ON-Board

RAM base address: C0000 Hex D0000 Hex

RAM size: 64 KB 64 KB

ROM base address: DA000 Hex DE000 Hex

ROM size: 00 KB 00 KB

Zero wait state: DISABLE DISABLE

Data mode: TURBO TURBO

CONFIG.SYS, LANMAN Section

--------------------------

REM ===== LANMAN 2.0 === DO NOT MODIFY BETWEEN THESE LINES ==== LANMAN

DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\DRIVERS\PROTMAN\PROTMAN.OS2 /i:C:\LANMAN

DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\DRIVERS\ETHERNET\ELNK16\ELNK16.OS2

DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\DRIVERS\ETHERNET\ELNK16\ELNK16.OS2

DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\DRIVERS\PROTOCOL\NETBEUI\NETBEUI.OS2

DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\NETPROG\RDRHELP.SYS

IFS=C:\LANMAN\NETPROG\NETWKSTA.SYS /i:C:\LANMAN

REM ===== LANMAN 2.0 === DO NOT MODIFY BETWEEN THESE LINES ==== LANMAN

PROTOCOL.INI

------------

[PROTOCOL MANAGER]

DRIVERNAME = PROTMAN$

[NETBEUI_XIF]

DRIVERNAME = NETBEUI$

BINDINGS = "ELNK16_NIF","ELNK16_NIF2"

[ELNK16_NIF]

; protocol.ini section for 3Com Etherlink16 and Etherlink16 TP Adapter cards

DRIVERNAME = ELNK16$

IOBASE = 0x300

[ELNK16_NIF2]

DRIVERNAME = ELNK16X$

IOBASE = 0x320

LANMAN.INI

----------

In [NETWORKS] section:

net1 = netbeui$,0

net2 = netbeui$,1

In [WORKSTATION] section:

wrknets = net1,net2

In [SERVER] section:

srvnets = net1,net2

Notes

-----

1. Any ISA adapter that uses an EEPROM to store settings will operate

in a similar manner.

2. NetBEUI is not a routable protocol. As a result, nodes attached to

the two network segments connected to the server can communicate

with the server, but will not be able to exchange information

between one another.

Additional reference words: 2.00 2.10 1.20 1.30 5.00