campbell@redsox.bsw.com (Larry Campbell) (09/26/89)
OK, I'm stumped; is anyone out there succesfully running a 3C503 Ethernet
board in a Dell 310 with 386/ix?
Here's the scenario:
Dell 310 with the following devices:
IRQ 3 COM2 (unused, not configured in to kernel)
IRQ 4 COM1 (unused, configured in to kernel)
IRQ 5 Wangtek tape controller
IRQ 6 Floppy
IRQ 7 Parallel port
IRQ 11 Digiboard Com/8i multiport serial card
We were running 386/ix 2.0.1 and have just upgraded to 2.0.2. So far,
so good. Now we want to run TCP/IP. (Interactive host-based TCP/IP
v1.1.2, but as you'll see below, I don't think it matters.)
So I install the 3C503, and just in case, run the 3Com diagnostic program
under DOS. It dies with "ASIC chip missing or installed incorrectly", or
some such rot, and 3Com tech support hasn't a clue what THAT means.
OK, try ANOTHER 3C503. Same problem. Hmmm. Stick boards in no-name 286
clone and run diagnostic - both boards work. Mysterious, especially since
the 286 also has a comm port on IRQ 3. OK, try pulling out Digiboard
because its shared memory conflicts with the default memory window on the
3C503. Same problem.
Oh well, maybe the 3Com diagnostic is broken, let's just see if UNIX can
talk to the board. Jumper 3C503 memory out of the way of the Digiboard,
fire up UNIX, am rewarded with "elinit: invalid Ethernet address from 3C503
board", or something like that.
3Com's clueless, Dell's clueless, Interactive's phone is either busy or not
answered. I've carefully checked everything obvious, like I/O port conflicts.
HELP! Any ideas?
Possible clue (possible red herring also): the sysadm script for configuring
the Ethernet board looks like it should be responsible for editing both
/etc/conf/sdevice.d/el and /etc/conf/pack.d/el/space.c when you change
things like memory addresses or I/O port addresses, but the only thing it
actually updates in space.c is the choice of internal or external
transceiver. I had to edit space.c by hand. (Same problem as described
above both before and after my edits.) Have I got a duff software kit?
--
Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc.
campbell@bsw.com 120 Fulton Street
wjh12!redsox!campbell Boston, MA 02146campbell@redsox.bsw.com (Larry Campbell) (09/27/89)
I have finally identified the problem with my 3C503 cards. It was caused by intense stupidity on the part of the luser (that's me). It turns out that the 3C503 has its I/O ports at the same address (300H) as the Wangtek tape controller. I did check IRQ lines and memory addresses 'til I was blue in the face, but I never checked the port addresses because, for some reason, I was convinced that idmkunix and friends would complain about any conflicts. Well, they don't. I've moved the Wangtek's ports down to 288H and the 3C503 is happy now. -- Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc. campbell@bsw.com 120 Fulton Street wjh12!redsox!campbell Boston, MA 02146