[comp.dcom.lans] Novell NetWare ELS II

sylvia@chopin.udel.edu (Sylvia M Berta) (12/21/90)

I am having problems with a small, two-node installation (HAH...50 nodes
are no problem, be it 2.15 or 3.0!).  I am in need of
suggestions/solution(s), so thanks in advance.  Here's the scenario:

Server:	55SX w/2M RAM operating as non-dedicated, w/WD8003E/A LAN card.

Single node:	50 w/1M RAM, w/WD8003E/A LAN card.

Neither system has any additional cards, etc....just "plain vanilla" (or
should I say "blue"?).  Connected by thin ether.

I have run the diagnostics for the cards...okay.

I have run COMCHECK, after running IPX...okay.

The server boots okay, and the local "DOS workstation" mode runs okay
on the server machine, although there have been some station freezes
when running WP5.0 (I have recommended another 1M of RAM to hopefully
take care of that problem).

But when NET3 is run on the model 50, there's a delay, and then the
message that a file server is not found is given.

I have also tried it by running in dedicated mode, but no difference.

I am going to try a different LAN card tomorrow (Excelan) and see if
that  will work, but then I'm out of ideas!

Is there something about the 55SX in conjunction w/ELS II that I
should know?  Is this an impossible setup?  Is it just using the
WD8003E/A card that's the problem?  Inquiring minds want to know!
And to make the matter better, the vendor that sold the package to
this particular office (not my office...I'm just trying to help) has
stated that he's more than willing to help for the sum of $100/hour.
After all, he gave them a great price!...it didn't include support!
So for the time being, until we buy some NSO contract, the net is my
only other source of help.  Have a happy holiday time  ...  Syl Berta

Tim.Radbourne@p5.f60.n140.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Tim Radbourne) (12/25/90)

 > I am having problems with a small, two-node
 > installation (HAH...50 nodes
 > are no problem, be it 2.15 or 3.0!).  I am in need of
 > suggestions/solution(s), so thanks in advance.  Here's
 > the scenario:
 >
 > Server: 55SX w/2M RAM operating as non-dedicated,
 > w/WD8003E/A LAN card.
 >
 > Single node:    50 w/1M RAM, w/WD8003E/A LAN card.
 >
 > Neither system has any additional cards, etc....just "plain vanilla" (or
 > should I say "blue"?).  Connected by thin ether.
 >
 > I have run the diagnostics for the cards...okay.
 >
 > I have run COMCHECK, after running IPX...okay.
 >
 > on the server machine, although there have been some station freezes
 > when running WP5.0 (I have recommended another 1M of RAM to hopefully
 > take care of that problem).

Another meg won't help you there....  Looks like you have 
some software conflicts somewhere.

 > But when NET3 is run on the model 50, there's a delay, and then the
 > message that a file server is not found is given.
 >
 > I am going to try a different LAN card tomorrow (Excelan) and see if
 > that  will work, but then I'm out of ideas!

Look into the network card and software driver that you are 
using.  That will probably be your problem.  The WD is a 
pretty standard card though.....

--  
Tim Radbourne - via FidoNet node 1:140/22
UUCP: ...!herald!weyr!60.5!Tim.Radbourne
Domain: Tim.Radbourne@p5.f60.n140.z1.FIDONET.ORG
Standard Disclaimers Apply...

rsnider@xrtll.uucp (Richard Snider) (12/29/90)

I am not sure who writes:

> I am having problems with a small, two-node
> installation (HAH...50 nodes
> are no problem, be it 2.15 or 3.0!).  I am in need of
> suggestions/solution(s), so thanks in advance.  Here's
> the scenario:
>
> Server: 55SX w/2M RAM operating as non-dedicated,
> w/WD8003E/A LAN card.
>
> Single node:    50 w/1M RAM, w/WD8003E/A LAN card.
>
> Neither system has any additional cards, etc....just "plain vanilla" (or
> should I say "blue"?).  Connected by thin ether.
>
> I have run the diagnostics for the cards...okay.
>
> I have run COMCHECK, after running IPX...okay.
>
> But when NET3 is run on the model 50, there's a delay, and then the
> message that a file server is not found is given.
>
> I am going to try a different LAN card tomorrow (Excelan) and see if
> that  will work, but then I'm out of ideas!

You should try hooking the workstation to a known WORKING lan, or
possibly hooking a known working workstation to your lan.  This should
quickly isolate which part is at fault.

Here is a long shot for you (But it happened to me).  Western Digital
ships its WD8003 type cards from both the US and Peruto-Rico (sic?). 
Anyway, there is no phisical difference between the cards other that
the chip revision is different.  The whole problem here is that the
driver supplied for the US cards will not work on the PR cards. The
diagnostics USUALLY will.  Check your cards and your driver disks,
and be sure to generate your netware shell for the workstation from
the disks that came with it.  The disks are marked exactly the same
for either card but the code lengths of the drivers are different.  
Even the part numbers on the disks are the SAME.  This problem drove
me wild for over a Week when I recived over 60 cards for a network and
generated the shell for all of them from one of the disks in the packages.
About 20 odd cards refused to work, and only after I re-generated
the netware shell about 10 times from different disks in fits of 
frustration did the problem suddenly go away.  It only took me 2
hours after that to figure out what was different.   Good luck.

                                           ....Rich
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