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Software Installation
Requirements
Before you install software, you may want to verify that the installed server NICs
are functional or change their configuration settings by running DOS diagnostics.
Use the 3C90XCFG.EXE program located on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD.
The instructions in this topic demonstrate the fundamentals of setting up a sample
configuration. Setting up your own configuration may require a slightly different
sequence of tasks and different numbers of NICs.
If you are installing the software during the installation of the network operating
system, see
Installing a 3Com NIC While Installing the NOS on page 57
For a list of installation requirements, see
Installation Requirements on page 7
Netware Packet Receive
Buffers
Follow these guidelines for NetWare 4.2 and 5.x:
The driver requires 200 packet receive buffers for each installed NIC. You must
increase the minimum and maximum packet receive buffers values by 200 for
each installed NIC. For example, if you install two NICs, increase the parameters in
the STARTUP.NCF file by 400 as follows:
Slot Numbers for
Multiple NICs
If you are installing more than one NIC on a server, you must know which NIC
corresponds to a given PCI slot to connect a cable from the NIC to the appropriate
port on the hub or switch. You can correlate slots with physical NICs by the NIC
MAC addresses. (The MAC address is written on a bar code label on the top
component side of the NIC.)
Obtaining Slot Numbers
The NetWare driver installation program requires you to enter a PCI
slot number
for each NIC. In older versions of NetWare software, the term slot number referred
to the physical slot in which the NIC was installed in the server. Now, the slot
number is a combination of the bus number, bus type, and the physical slot
number. The value of a slot number can be 10001 or larger.
Before installing NICs
SET MINIMUM PACKET RECEIVE BUFFERS = 1000
SET MAXIMUM PACKET RECEIVE BUFFERS = 2500
After installing two NICs
SET MINIMUM PACKET RECEIVE BUFFERS = 1400
SET MAXIMUM PACKET RECEIVE BUFFERS = 2900
