Protocol Does Not Bind to Token Ring Network Card

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SUMMARY

Token Ring congestion and/or error messages may prevent network protocols from binding correctly to a Token Ring network card. There have been situations where TCP/IP failed to bind and NetBEUI succeeded to bind.

This article explains why one or more protocols do not bind to the network card.

MORE INFORMATION

After initializing, the adapter is opened for ring communication by a DIR.OPEN.ADAPTER command. This command is issued by every protocol. If a 0x00 return code (success) is received, the adapter is in automatic receive mode and frames may be transmitted and received using the direct interface.

However, under certain circumstances DIR.OPEN.ADAPTER (NdisOpenAdapter in NDIS source code) returns NDIS_STATUS_OPEN_FAILED with Adapter Open Error 59 which means the adapter detected that a ring parameter server is present on the ring, but that the required response has not been received in the allotted time. This indicates that the ring might be congested, experiencing a high bit-error rate, or losing an abnormally high number of tokens or frames (IBM LAN Technical Reference, page B-57.)

Because an error is returned, the protocol does not bind to the network card. The physical network should be investigated.