Frequently Asked Questions
67
Where can I get more
information about the
MBA boot ROM?
For more information on using and configuring the
MBA boot ROM, see Chapter 5 in this user guide or
refer to the
Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) User Guide
included on the MBA Utility diskette.
General information about the MBA boot ROM is
available on the 3Com World Wide Web site:
http://www.3com.com/managedpc
Which PCI slot should I
use for my PCI NIC?
3Com PCI NICs are designed to work in any
bus-mastering PCI slot, preferably slot 1. Normally,
slot 1 is marked on the PC motherboard and is located
closest to the PC power supply.
Avoid any PCI slot next to an ISA slot. This is often a
shared slot and does not support bus mastering.
Refer to your PC manual for information on which slots
support bus-mastering data transfers.
Do I have to configure
the NIC?
PCI is a self-configuring bus architecture. Most of the
time you only need to install the NIC in your PC; PCI does
the rest. However, on some PCI computers, you may be
required to configure the computer BIOS manually after
installing your PCI NIC. Refer to the owner’s guide for
your PC.
What interrupts
should I avoid?
You should avoid using any interrupts used by ISA/EISA
boards that do not properly support shared interrupts
(level-triggered). If you do not know or are unsure
whether other devices or adapters in your PC support
shared interrupts, then avoid using them.
Avoid using the same interrupt as your local hard disk
(normally IRQ 14 for IDE drives and IRQ 11 for most SCSI
host adapters), because not all hard disks support shared
interrupts at this time.
Avoid using 9 because it cascades with 2.
For Novell NetWare servers, avoid using IRQ 7 or 15.
These IRQs support only nonshared devices and may
cause problems if they are shared between two devices.
Does the NIC support
full-duplex?
Yes, the 3C905C NIC supports full-duplex at 10 Mbps or
100 Mbps.
Does the NIC support
NetWare version 3.11
or 4.0x?
No, the 3C905C NIC does not support NetWare 3.11
or 4.0x. These versions require the use of a server driver
that conforms to the HSM 3.2 specification. 3Com no
longer develops NetWare server drivers that conform to
the HSM 3.2 specification.
(continued)
Table 10
Frequently Asked Questions (continued)
Question
Answer
book Page 67 Monday, March 15, 1999 1:31 PM
