🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <810669865.2222@emtel.demon.co.uk>
           graeme@emtel.demon.co.uk "Graeme Brown" writes:

> I am having trouble setting up a 2 machine network for my office. I

<snip>

> 
> I have stripped everything out of the Pentium that might be
> conflicting - CD Rom, Soundblaster, etc, and rem'd the appropriate
> references in autoexec.bat and config.sys.
> 
> I have now run out of ideas. I am confused as to why the computer
> should run Net Start successfully without a network card installed.
> The only thing I can think of is that the Triton board doesn't like
> the ISA network card.
> 

I had a similar problem recently. Net Start doesn't actually initialise the 
card; I think it just sets up the machine for Net start full and/or Windows 
starting, which *do* load drivers and initialise the card.
Certainly, removing Net Start from my autoexec.bat makes no difference to the 
operation of the network in Windows or when using Net start full in DOS.

I'm almost certain you have a IRQ conflict or similar. Network cards generally 
default to port 0x300h, which conflicts with all sorts - sound and SCSI cards, 
and CD ROMs. Use the setup disk that came with the cards to pick a different 
port address - 280h, say, or 360h. Choose IRQ5 if that is free (unlikely if you 
have a soundblaster, in which case pick 10 or 11 - used if you have SCSI).
Don't accept the default of IRQ3 - this clashes with COM2, and while ok in DOS, 
Windoze will complain. If the card has memory, find its settings. Then WRITE 
DOWN THE SETTINGS!

Now, Windows Network Setup will detect the card, but may very well not set up 
its drivers to the correct settings. Check that the Windows driver settings 
conform to those you chose when you ran the card software - if not, correct 
them. This is why Windoze was hanging on start - it was trying to initialise 
the card, and if its settings don't correspond to the card settings, it will 
either freeze or give a message - "Your network card MS$NE2000CLONE is not 
working properly..." etc.

Next, exclude the memory range used by the card in EMM386 (config.sys);
for example, if the card occupies d800-dfff, use:

device=c:\path\emm386.exe /x=d800-dfff

preserving any other exclusions and parameters on the emm386 line.

Then exclude the memory range used by the card from system.ini:

EMMExclude=d800-dfff

Finally, reboot and all should be well.

(You do have the cable terminated and not just plugged into the cards if it's 
coax?. If it's UTP, are you using a hub for straight wired cables and a 
crossover cable if it's connecting the cards directly?)

I find it invaluable to keep a chart of the IRQ, port and DMA settings used by 
all the cards in my PC, which makes installing new ones a breeze. Otherwise, it 
can be a bit of a hit and miss affair.

cheers,

-- 
Mike Tomlinson (mike@jasper.demon.co.uk)
"One has to look out for engineers - they began with sewing machines and
ended up with the atomic bomb" - Marcel Pagnol, Critique des critiques

In <810669865.2222@emtel.demon.co.uk> graeme@emtel.demon.co.uk (Graeme
Brown) writes: 
>
>I am having trouble setting up a 2 machine network for my office. I
>purchased to basic "jumperless" ISA network cards, and have them
>linked between my main PC (a Pentium 75 / Triton M/board) and the
>remote machine in the showroom, which is a 486DX66 on a VLB board.
>
>The cards appear to install correctly on the 486, but won't work on
>the Pentium. On both machines I plugged in the cards and ran the
>"Setup network" from within windows. On both machines the setup
>program saw an "NE2000 compatible" card, and seemed (to a novice) to
>install okay. On the Pentium only I ran the setup program on the disk
>supplied with the cards, before running the Windows setup program
>(lousy instructions with the cards).
>
>The problem arises when I bootup the Pentium - it goes into DOS okay,
>but won't get past the initial screen in Windows, it just halts. If
>you either remove the network card or disable the network support
>within Windows and leave the network card in, Windows runs fine. I
>have tried both cards in both machines, with the exact same results
>each time, so I am happy that the cards are okay.
>
>One thing I have noticed is that with the network cards removed from
>both machines, different things happen during Autoexec.bat. On the 486
>when the Net Start command is executed, various error messages appear,
>as the card is out. On the Pentium, Net Start runs okay and gives the
>message "This command executed successfully" (or words to that
>effect).
>
>I have stripped everything out of the Pentium that might be
>conflicting - CD Rom, Soundblaster, etc, and rem'd the appropriate
>references in autoexec.bat and config.sys.
>
>I have now run out of ideas. I am confused as to why the computer
>should run Net Start successfully without a network card installed.
>The only thing I can think of is that the Triton board doesn't like
>the ISA network card.
>
>If anyone has come across the same problem, or can give me any clues,
>a response would be much appreciated. For long technical replies, it
>might be better to email me at graeme@emtel.demon.co.uk, and I'll
>summarise the replies in due course.
>
>Thanks
>
>Graeme

    I had a similar problem with a 486dx2/66...It was a bus-mastering
card, and for the life of me I could not get the thing to work.  I
replaced the card with a card with on board memory, and no
bus-mastering...Worked like a champ.
    
    
    ...Sam