3Com 3C905TX card using the NetBEUI protocol is slow to browse network resources



Document ID: 98050333

 

Posted Date: 1999-07-26

 

Last Updated: 1999-07-23

 

Distribution: View Public Website

 

Applicable Models
Tecra 8000

 

Issue
With the Tecra 8000 docked onto the Deskstation V Plus, and the 3Com 3C905TX card inserted into the Deskstation V Plus Busmastering PCI slot, the user then boots from a Network Installation Startup Disk with NetBEUI as the protocol. Once the 3Com driver loads, the system is slow to give logon prompt and once the user is logged on it is slow to browse network resources, this does not occur when using TCP/IP as the protocol. or when the computer model is a Tecra other than 8000.
Procedure
The problem is isolated to the 3c905 DOS driver (el90x.dos v4.0.2) running the NetBeui protocol stack which has timing problems with the Tecra 8000 processor running at high speed. Though the same driver is being used for the TCP/IP protocol stack, there are more layers of software involved in the TCP/IP protocol stack implementation. If it is necessary to use the 3c905 DOS driver with the NetBeui Protocol stack for Network Client installations, the work around is as follows:
  1. Turn the computer off.
  2. Hold down the ESC key in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard.
  3. Press the [F1] key when prompted.
  4. Set the Tecra 8000 BIOS setting "Battery Save Mode" = "User"
  5. Set the Tecra 8000 BIOS setting "Battery Save Mode / User / Processing Speed" = "Low"
  6. Boot from the NT Server Client Network Installation Diskette as usual
  7. During the installation process, when appropriate, specify install NIC from diskette or shared drive resource which contains the latest 3c905 drivers for the operating system being installed on the client.
  8. After client installation is completed, change the Tecra 8000 BIOS setting "Battery Save Mode" back to "Full Power" or change the Tecra 8000 BIOS setting "Battery Save Mode / User / Processing Speed" back to "High"
Export Control and EULA
Use of any software made available for download from this system constitutes your acceptance of the Export Control Terms and the terms in the Dynabook end-user license agreement both of which you can view before downloading any such software.