[comp.os.vms] Installation of DECNET DOS on pc's

gp@stl.stc.co.uk (Gerald Pearse) (12/07/88)

Our PC hardware consists of a
1) TANDON 286 pc
2) 3c501 - 3com Ethernet card
3) Video Seven VGA card

After installing DECNET DOS on the PC, when the machine
is rebooted the machine just hangs. After contacting DEC
software support I eventually found out that DECNET DOS
does not work with the VGA cards.

When I replaced the VGA card with an earlier VIDEO SEVERN
Deluxe Card (the card that does EGA emulation but NOT VGA
emulation) DECNET DOS comes up OK. And I can communicate with
the VMS/VAX OK.

Question:

1) Does anyone know of a work around to get the VGA card working
   with DECNET DOS. As there must be a difference in the way
   VIDEO SEVERN guys, have done the VGA card, and the earlier
   EGA card. Any ideas to the difference between the cards,
   as I may be able to frig the 3COM card.

2) With DECNET DOS operational with the EGA card installed, 
   the responce is very 'lumpy'. DEC suggest changing 
   several of the NCP EXECUTER characteristics but these have
   not made any noticeable change. The response is so bad
   that a serial line from another PC running DECNET DOS
   produce greater throughput. The lumpy response shows up
   in interactive use and on NFT file transfers. Unless this
   can be improved we will use the serial ports as they are
   faster !!!!
   

	Any help on these matters would be appreciated...


	Regards 
		Gerald A Pearse

sas@bcd-dyn.UUCP (432 2370.00) (12/08/88)

The reason that your setup with DECnet DOS is so "lumpy" is because
the 501 is a single buffered card, which cannot keep up with the VAX.
You will either have to get DEC's DEPCA board, or possibly a newer 
3COM card.  I've heard that DEC is now supporting the newer 3COM's
but have not confirmed that.  I don't know why the 501 is not compatible
with the VGA, but the DEPCA uses the same addresses as the VGA, and can't
be moved, so it's out.  
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efb@suned1.UUCP (Everett F. Batey II) (12/14/88)

In article <882@acer.stl.stc.co.uk> gp@stl.stc.co.uk (Gerald Pearse) writes:
>Our PC hardware consists of a
>1) TANDON 286 pc
>2) 3c501 - 3com Ethernet card
>3) Video Seven VGA card
>is rebooted the machine just hangs. After contacting DEC

Just reading the literature on my new DEPCA ( with series E1 artwork ).  The
DEC card is able to avoid memory address conflicts with one of the common
graphics cards which card is NOT relocatable.  Wish I could remember if it
was your card .. seemed like around E000(HEX) .. hope your problem is not
so set in stone as memory addr conflicts.
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