legg@ucs.adelaide.edu.au (Christian Legg) (06/25/91)
Situation -
Acer 486SX machine with NW 3.11 and DL2000 card for Mac NLM support
to replace
NEC 386SX machine with NW 2.15c and NL1000 for Mac VAP support
<violin music on>
I'm at my wits end with regards to DL2000 cards and NW 3.11 on a 486 server.
The DL2000 card in question works fine in a 386 NW3.11 server, but freaks
when it goes into a 486 server and interrupts are used to handle the card.
And when I say freak, I mean it - the server ABENDS in a spectacular fashion.
DAYNA have said that I should be using the latest version of the DL2000 driver,
version 3.14, which I am using.
I have been able to get the card to function, albeit slowly, by having
the 486 box poll the card rather than have the card interrupt the server. I
don't see this as being a solution at all, and I think that it may have
something to do with what follows.
When this polled card is placed onto a phonenet network
where once an NL1000 card under NW 2.15 was functioning correctly, the network
starts to play up. Interpoll reports that the phonenet network is intact, but
only the machine closest to the DL2000 card can actually connect to the server.
If the phonenet is broken midway along its run, all of the machines on the
connected side can see and connect to the server, PROVIDED that the phonenet
is UNTERMINATED (yes, you read that correctly) at the break. Terminate it,
and the closest Mac is the only one that connects to the server.
<violin music off>
So, 1 ) why won't the DL2000 function as an interrupt driven card in a 486?
If it's because the DL2000 driver crashes due to timing problems,
why can't DAYNA do something about it (like rewrite the driver)
2 ) Why does the DL2000 give network problems (looks like some kind
of signal reflection to me) on phonenet when the NL1000 doesn't?
I've tried two DL2000 cards in the server - both have the same
problem.
3 ) Why doesn't Novell or DAYNA fulfil their obligations to NW users
who purchased NL1000 cards two years ago when that was all that
was available, and write a NW 3.11 driver for the NL1000? Surely
it can't be THAT hard to do.
If anyone else is having similar problems with their DL2000 cards, or,
heaven forbid, someone has actually managed to get a DL2000 working on
interrupts in a 486 server on phonenet, please email me and tell me of your
experiences.
Furthermore, if anyone can tell me why Novell/DAYNA haven't written a
driver for the NL1000 for use under NW 3.11, please tell me. If the official
reason involves anything like 'the card is too slow for use in a 386/486 bus'
then that's not good enough - it looks as if the DL2000 card is too slow
as well!
cheers all
christian legg
Christian Legg * For God so loved the world that he
University Computing Services, * sent his only Son, so that he who
University of Adelaide, South Australia. * believes in him shall not perish
Phone : (08) 228 5549 * but have eternal life.
Email : legg@itd.adelaide.edu.au * John, 3:16