                        3Com (R) Corporation
                   EtherDisk (R) Diskette for the
        3C90X Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NIC Family
            Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions


The EtherDisk XL diskettes support 3Com's family of bus mastering PCI
network NICs with a common driver set.  Products included in this
family are the Fast EtherLink XL 10/100-BASE TX, EtherLink XL PCI TPO/
COMBO/TPC, Fast EtherLink XL 100-Base FX, EtherLink XL 10-Base FL NICs.
Key product features include:

-   Parallel Tasking II (R) architecture for highest performance
-   Bus mastering for low CPU utilization and optimal overall system 
    performance 
-   Ease of installation with AutoLink (TM), and Auto Select Media Type for 
    EtherLink XL Bus Master NICs and Auto Select Link Speed for Fast 
    EtherLink XL NICs
-   Broad driver support, including NetWare, NDIS 2.01, NDIS 3.0, NDIS 4.0
    and others 
-   SNMP manageability
-   Lifetime limited warranty 
-   Full duplex enabled for switched 10/100 MBPS environments

                             
>>> Frequently Asked Questions and Release Notes

This file contains the release notes and answers to some frequently asked
questions about the PCI environment to help you obtain maximum performance 
from your 3Com Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NICs.  This 
information is updated regularly on 3Com's CompuServe forum (3ComForum),
3Com BBS (bulletin board service), and 3Com's World Wide Web site 
(http://www.3Com.com).
                              

    >>> Release Notes

        >>> Potential problem when sharing interrupts under Windows 95

        If you install two or more PCI NICs (one of them being 
        EtherLink XL) in your Windows 95 system using the same interrupt, 
        your system may exhibit strange behavior.  3Com has found that 
        sharing the interrupt can cause a blue screen error or continuous 
        system reboots, that are caused by disabling or enabling your NIC 
        by using the Device Manager or the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program.  
        This problem has been found on multiple different systems and with 
        other manufacturer's PCI network cards.  The solution is to stop 
        sharing the interrupt between the NICs and assign a different PCI 
        interrupt number to each of the NICs.  Changing the PCI interrupt 
        assigned to a NIC is a function of the BIOS or a utility provided 
        by the PC Manufacturer.  For more details refer to the 
        documentation provided with your computer or consult with the 
        manufacturer.
                

        >>> Spurious Hardware Interrupts on the Compaq Proliant 5000

        When running a server on the Compaq Proliant 5000 numerous Spurious 
        interrupts warning messages may appear.  3Com has found that these 
        warnings should be ignored and have no effect with normal 
        operation.  3Com has noticed that these warnings also happen with 
        NICs from other manufacturing companies.
        
        
        >>> Performance Hint for the Fast EtherLink XL NICs on HP NetServers

        During testing of HP NetServers and the Fast EtherLink XL NIC,
        3Com has observed that the performance can be maximized by 
        customizing the NetServer's BIOS.  Within the BIOS of the NetServer, 
        access the Advanced Chipset Setup and set the DRAM Buffer Write to 
        0 and the Snoop Ahead to 1.  
        
        NOTE: This was tested on an HP NetServer 466 LF and a 466 LC, but 
              could apply to other models of the NetServer family.


        >>> Warm Booting with the DOS based Drivers Running

        3Com has found that some systems do not reset the PCI Bus when the
        <CTRL><ALT><DEL> key combination is used to restart the system. 
        If the system does not reset the PCI Bus when a "warm boot" occurs
        the 3C90X Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master NIC Family stay
        in a running state that can cause problems if there is any network 
        activity before the driver is reloaded.  This problem can be avoided
        by pressing the reset button if your system has one or by turning 
        the system completely off before restarting.  

        
        >>> Unable to Use Network Connections After Running Diagnostics

        When using the Etherlink XL 3C900-Combo NIC, 3Com has found that
        running the diagnostic test included in the Windows based 3Com 
        NIC Diagnostics may cause you to lose your network connections 
        and make it unable to create any new connections.  This can be 
        corrected by rebooting the system.
                     

        >>> Windows NT and S3 Video Driver

        During testing, 3Com has observed a problem that occurs with Windows
        NT involving S3 video drivers and PCI memory mapped I/O devices
        installed on the secondary PCI bus. The symptoms include system
        lock-up upon initialization of Windows NT.

        The problem has been observed with the Dell OptiPlex GXPro 6/180
        using the 3C905B with Windows NT 4.0 and Service Pack 3 installed.
        Updating the video driver for the S3 Trio64V+ (765DRV - version
        2.00.18) resolved the issue. This problem can also be resolved by
        installing the 3C905B in the primary PCI bus or by uninstalling
        Service Pack 3.

        The S3 driver included with the Service Pack 3 for NT has a problem
        where it makes several writes to unclaimed memory space in the PCI
        bridge chip causing NT to become unstable and freeze.


        >>> NetServer LS2 5/166 and 3C90XB NICs running Windows NT4.0 with
        >>> Service Pack 3

        3Com has noticed that when the 3C90XB NIC is installed in the
        secondary PCI bus of this particular machine, the machine may hang
        intermittently.  The possible symptoms could be a locked mouse
        pointer, steady hourglass, or the inability to execute any programs.
        However, Windows NT 4.0 runs flawlessly if the NIC is installed in
        the primary PCI bus.  This is observed only in this model of the
        NetServer and not on other machines of the NetServer line.  3Com is
        currently working with HP to resolve this issue.  


        >>> Using a SNI machine with the 82440LX chip set running Netware
        >>> 4.1, causes the server to abend with a stack overflow error.

        If the SNI machine, with the 440LX chip set, is running Netware with
        an Adaptec SCSI card and the 3C90XB NIC installed and a stack
        overflow occurs, please contact Adaptec or SNI for an updated SCSI
        driver for the machine.


        >>> HP Vectra VL 5200

        3Com has observed during testing that the 3C905B NIC using the
        NDIS 4 driver under Windows 95 OSR 2 (version b) causes the PC to
        boot in Safe Mode. There is no known workaround at this time.  3Com
        is working with HP on a resolution.


        >>> ASUS P2B motherboard

        3Com has observed that the 3C905B-TX NIC may not work properly in
        the ASUS P2B motherboard.  Symptoms may include RWU or BIOS not
        identifying the NIC correctly. This issue is fixed by ASUS with P2B
        BIOS Ver. 1005. 08/01/98. You can download the new bios, or the latest
        available BIOS at the ASUS website, http://www.asus.com


        >>> DOS diagnostics incompatibility with 3C905B and Gateway E-3000

        During testing 3Com encountered incompatibilities with our 3C905B
        NIC and the Gateway E-3000 series PC when loading our DOS
        diagnostics program. 3Com suggests using our Windows based
        diagnostics if you encounter this problem. The Windows diagnostics
        have been shown to work without error.
        This happens if PnP OS is enabled in the BIOS settings, because DOS
        is not a PnP OS.  
        
        >>> 3C905 (B) family of NIC's not supported in the NEC PowerMate
        >>> P2200: P5 200MHz PC.

        3Com has observed incompatibilities with the 3C905 (B) family of
        NIC's and the NEC PowerMate P2200: P5 200MHz PC. Intermittent
        network connection errors were observed during testing and no known
        workarounds are available at this time. 3Com suggests not using the
        3C905 or 3C905 B family of NIC's in this particular PC.

        >>> Micron Powerdign Xsu with 300Mhz Pentium II

        3Com has observed that the Micron Powerdign Xsu with 300Mhz
        Pentium II may occasionally hang or loose network connection
        when a 3C90X NIC is installed in the 64 bit slot of this system.
        For this particular PC the 64 bit slot is not supported and
        3Com suggests using any available PCI slot other than the 64 bit 
        slot in this system.   


        >>> 3Com PCI NIC Installation Hints

            >>> Installing a PCI NIC in a PCI slot

            1.  Install the NIC in the computer. Refer to your computer 
                documentation for complete installation instructions.
            
            2.  Start the computer.  In most cases, the PCI computer will
                automatically configure the NIC.  If this does not 
                happen, you may need to configure the computer to work
                with the NIC. See the next section for further
                details.

            >>> Troubleshooting Installation Problems

            3Com has found that some PCI computers require additional 
            configuration steps in order to install a PCI NIC.  3Com 
            recommends these steps:
      
            1.  Determine whether you have the latest BIOS version for your 
                computer.  Contact your computer's manufacturer to make 
                sure you are using the latest BIOS. 

            2.  Make sure the BIOS is set up correctly.  In some PCI 
                computers, you may need to enable the PCI slot using the 
                BIOS Setup program.  This is especially common in PCI 
                computers with a Phoenix BIOS.

                After installing the NIC, turn on the computer and 
                enter the Setup program during system initialization 
                (usually by pressing [F1], [F2], or [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[S]). 
                The correct key to press is usually shown on the screen.
                Once in the Setup program, find the entry for PCI slots 
                (it may be in the main menu, or sometimes in advanced 
                system configuration) and set these parameters to:

                BIOS System          Setting 
                Parameter

                PCI Slot Number      Slot where the 3Com PCI NIC is 
                                     installed (1-3)
                Master               ENABLED
                Slave                ENABLED
                Latency Timer        40
                Interrupt            Choose any one of several available
                                     interrupts that Setup provides.
                Edge or Level        Level Triggered Interrupt

                NOTE: The exact wording of each of the parameters will 
                      vary from computer to computer. Save the changes, 
                      exit the Setup program, and continue with the
                      installation.
       

        >>> Echo Exchange Test Does Not Support Crossover Cable

        Because the Echo Exchange test verifies the NIC's ability to
        transmit and receive data while on the network, both the echo 
        server and the echo client must be connected to a network.  An 
        EtherLink XL NIC uses link beats to determine whether it is
        connected to a network when the Media Type is selected. A constant
        link beat is needed for the Echo Exchange test when the Media Type
        is selected.  Before starting the Echo Exchange test, connect the
        echo server and the echo client together through a hub or a switch
        that generates a constant link beat.  Using crossover cable to
        connect the echo server and the echo client directly does not work.                        
        
        
    >>> Running the DOS ODI Driver with a Non-Novell Protocol in DOS

    Please add the keyword NO_PIPELINE to your NET.CFG file when 
    running the DOS ODI driver with a non-Novell protocol in a DOS 
    environment.  To add the keyword NO_PIPELINE to your NET.CFG file,
    proceed as follows:

    1.  Access the C:\NWCLIENT directory and open the NET.CFG file.  
        Type: 
     
        EDIT NET.CFG [Enter]

    2.  Scroll through the file to the LINK DRIVER 3C90X section and 
        locate the following line:

        LINK DRIVER 3C90X

    3.  Add NO_PIPELINE after LINK DRIVER 3C90X.  Your file should 
        now look like this:

        LINK DRIVER 3C90X
           NO_PIPELINE    {<- make sure this is indented a few spaces }


    >>> Windows 95 & Windows 98 Installation Notes

    This information applies to the Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating
    systems.

    When installing an EtherLink XL or Fast EtherLink XL NIC under 
    Windows 95, the operating system automatically detects the presence 
    of the NIC and asks for the diskette containing the driver 
    software for the NIC (the EtherDisk 1 diskette).  At this point,  
    you can choose to cancel the installation of driver software  
    and install it later.  Even though the driver installation has been  
    canceled, the fact that the NIC is installed is recorded in the  
    System Registry.

    Later, when you install the driver software using the Network 
    applet in the Control Panel, the operating system assumes that you
    are installing another instance of a NIC, not installing 
    software for the already recorded instance.  This results in two 
    instances of a NIC being recorded in the System Registry.  
    The Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC will not operate correctly 
    under these circumstances.

    To fix this problem, open the System applet in the Control Panel.  
    In the Device Manager dialog box, under Network NICs, the two
    instances of the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC are shown.  
    Remove the one that is marked disabled, and restart your computer.
    The remaining entry for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL NIC 
    in the same dialog box should show that the NIC is operating 
    correctly.    
        

     >>> Error: " Invalid PCI interrupt Level, probable Hardware
     >>> Incompatibility" while executing DOS diagnostics.

    3Com has observed that some PC's may display the above error message
    when the DOS diagnostics is launched. In order to avoid this problem
    the "Plug & Play O/S " option should be disabled in the system BIOS.
    Consult your PC's documentation for the proper steps to turn this option
    off.


    >>> DOS diagnostics and Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 unable to recognize
    >>> 3C90X NIC's.

    3Com has observed that the DOS diagnostics will occasionally not
    recognize the 3C90X NIC's when running under Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0.
    In order to avoid this problem boot your PC with a bootable DOS
    diskette and then launch the DOS diagnostics program.


    >>> When running the DOS diagnostics 3C90XCFG.EXE on a NIC with an
    >>> MBA ROM installed, the N-WAY Auto Select option sometimes disappears
    >>> from the list. Re-running the diagnostics without rebooting will
    >>> restore all available settings.

    This situation was observed intermittently on multiple machines but does
    noT have any impact whatsoever on the performance of the NIC.


    >>> When running the DOS diagnostics 3C90XCFG.EXE the diagnostics takes
    >>> the NIC off-line and forces the link to 10Mbits Half Duplex. Running
    >>> the Group1 test forces a link renegotiation and the correct speed
    >>> will be set. Link renegotiation can also be forced by disconnecting
    >>> and reconnecting the cables. These change of states can be observed
    >>> on the NIC link lights and the switch port status.

    This scenario was observed only when the NIC is set to NWAY - Auto and
    connected to a LinkSwitch 3000 port which is also set to auto negotiate.
    This situation however does not have any impact on the performance of
    the NIC.


    >>> Error when running the DOS Diagnostics, 3C90XCFG.EXE, from a DOS
    >>> window under Windows 98.

    3Com suggests booting from a bootable DOS floppy disk when running the
    DOS diagnostics program 3C90XCFG.EXE to avoid possible errors.
    Alternatively the DOS Diagnostic can be run by rebooting your PC in
    "Safe Mode - Command Prompt Only".


    >>> Combo NIC's require a reboot to reestablish network connectivity
    >>> when switching between ports on the NIC.

    When changing from one port to another on the Combo NIC you must reboot
    your PC in order to establish a network connection. This includes any
    change from AUI or BNC to TP, TP to BNC or AUI and any changes between
    BNC and AUI.

    >>> Windows NT and 3Com Windows diagnostics program.

    Due to security features in the Windows NT operating system the 3Com
    Windows Diagnostics will only function for users with  Administrator
    privileges. The user that only has User privileges should use the Dos
    diagnostics if required.     

    >>> Intermittent LED behavior on 3C905/3C905B NICs'

    3Com has observed that your PC must be power cycled after you have
    changed speed settings from 10Mbps to 100Mbps. The reboot will allow
    the LED's to indicate the correct speed settings.

    >>> Client 32 installations in Windows 98

    3Com does not recommend using the ODI LAN driver for Client 32
    installations under Windows 98.  The Windows NDIS driver should be
    used instead. 

    >>> Packet Driver

    The Packet driver supplied on EtherDisk 4.0 does not support the
    3C900B-FL, 3C905B-FX or 3C905B-COMBO NIC's. Packet driver support
    for these products is expected in the 2nd quarter of 1999.


>>> Frequently Asked Questions 

(Note that Remote Wake Up specific FAQ's are found in the wakefaq.txt
file located in the HELP directory of disk 3.)   
        
    Q:  How do I remove the software that comes with my Fast EtherLink 
        XL/EtherLink XL NIC from my system if I have a compatibility
        problem.
        
    A:  You may remove the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program from your system at
        any time by running the uninstaller in the Add/Remove Programs
        Control Panel. This will remove the diagnostics program and the
        3Com tray Icon. If you remove all the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink
        XL NICs from the control panel the uninstall program will be run
        automatically.

    Q:  Which PCI slot is best for my 3Com PCI NIC?
       
    A:  3Com PCI NICs are designed to work in any PCI slot, including
        "slave-only" slots.  The NICs perform best in those slots that
        support bus mastering data transfers.  Refer to your owner's manual
        for information on which slots support bus mastering data transfers.

    Q:  Which PCI slot(s) are "bus mastering" in my PCI machine?

    A:  Generally, if you have three PCI slots in a system, one slot will
        be designated as a "slave-only" slot (that is, it does not support 
        bus mastering data transfers).  Slots are not always marked clearly
        to distinguish between slave-only and bus mastering slots.  It is 
        best to refer to your owner's manual or contact your computer 
        manufacturer for this information.  Also, make sure that you have
        the latest version of your system's BIOS. 
      
    Q.  Does my PCI NIC support shared interrupts?
      
    A.  The drivers for the Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master
        NICs support shared interrupts.  However, because there is no 
        industry-standard way to support shared interrupts, other NICs
        may support them differently, or not at all.  If you have another 
        PCI NIC that does not support shared interrupts (for example, 
        a SCSI host NIC), either contact the manufacturer for a shared
        interrupt driver or try running the system setup program to assign
        it a different interrupt.  We have found that OS/2 version 1.3 does 
        not support shared interrupts, but it is only a problem if you are 
        using the OS/2 NDIS 2.01 driver in LAN Manager version 2.2.  3Com
        has also found some problems with sharing interrupts under 
        Windows 95, more details are available in the release note section
        earlier in this document.  If this is a problem, try using the DOS 
        configuration utility to give each NIC a different IRQ, and change 
        the BIOS on your system to match.

    Q:  What interrupt should I avoid using with my 3Com PCI NIC?
      
    A:  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 your NIC supports shared
        interrupts, then avoid using them.  In addition, try to avoid 
        using the same interrupt as that of your local hard drive 
        (normally IRQ 14 for IDE drives and IRQ 11 for most SCSI host
        NICs), since not all hard drives support shared interrupts at 
        this time.  For Novell NetWare servers, you should also avoid
        using IRQ 7 or 15.  These IRQs only support nonshared devices and
        may cause problems if they are shared between two devices.   

    Q:  Are my Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master ODI drivers Novell
        certified?
         
    A:  Yes. 3Com's Fast EtherLink XL/EtherLink XL Bus Master ODI drivers
        are Novell tested and approved.                

    Q:  I've purchased an HP Pavilion machine and I want to connect it to
        my network, are there any issues?

    A:  The HP Pavilion PCs are designed for home use and as a standalone
        multimedia machine.  HP doesn't recommend using this as a network
        PC. Issues including: no available resources, PCI bus errors, PCI
        device detection problems could arise when installing a PCI network
        NIC in these PCs.  3Com and HP are working together to resolve this.   

    Q:  After installing Novell Client 32 for Windows 95, I get an error
        "Your driver could not be disabled." when I try to run the 3Com
        Windows diagnostics, why?

    A:  If the PC is configured with Novell Client 32 using the 32-bit ODI
        driver, the 3Com Windows Diagnostics utility doesn't support driver
        suspension.  In order to run the diagnostics, either boot the
        machine in MS-DOS mode and execute 3C90XCFG.EXE from EtherDisk #3
        or reconfigure Novell Client 32 to use an NDIS driver.  For exact
        directions, please refer to your Client 32 instructions.  If you do
        experience the above message when you attempt to run the 3Com
        Windows diagnostics, verify that the hardware device is enabled
        before rebooting the machine. Perform these steps:

        1) Right click on My Computer at the desktop.  Left click on
           Properties.
        2) Double click on Network adapters to expand its entries.  
        3) Double click on the 3Com Fast Etherlink XL/ Etherlink XL NIC.
        4) Look at the Device Usage box and make sure the Current
           Configuration is checked.  If you have only one hardware
           profile, it will appear as "Original Configuration (Current).
           If you have multiple hardware profiles, check the box where the
           NIC should be enabled.
        5) Click OK once and then again OK to save settings.

    Q:  How do I update my 3C90X drivers in Windows 95 OSR2?

    A:  You can perform an update on your existing 3C90X driver set by
        performing the following: 

        1) Right click on 'My Computer.'
        2) Left click on 'Properties.'
        3) When the System Properties screen appears, click on the 'Device
           Manager' tab.
        4) Double click on the 'Network Adapter' icon and double click on
           the 3Com Fast Etherlink/ Etherlink XL NIC icon.
        5) Click on the 'Drivers' tab and then click the 'Update Driver...'
           button.
        6) When the Update Driver Wizard appears, do not select the option
           which lets Windows 95 search for the driver.  Instead, select
           'No. Select Driver from list' option.  Click the 'Next>' button.
        7) The description for the NIC should now appear.  Click on the
           'Have Disk....' button and path to the location of the EtherDisk
           and click OK.
        8) Windows 95 will then start copying the files and updating the
           registry.           

    Q:  Which NetWare server driver should I use?

    A:  The Hardware Suppport Module (HSM) standard for NetWare 4.11 is
        called HSM v3.3.  NetWare 4.11 requires an HSM v3.3 compliant LAN
        driver.  An HSM v3.3 compliant driver is located in the \NWSERVER
        directory on EtherDisk Diskette #3.  An HSM v3.3 compliant driver
        can also be used for NetWare versions 3.12 and 4.10.  See Novell
        for the correct NLMs and support files for this environment.  Other
        versions of NetWare are no longer supported on this Etherdisk
        release.

    
    Q:  Where can I find out more information on Dynamic Access software?

    A: For detailed information about Dynamic Access go to the 3Com World
       Wide Web site at http://www.3com.com/dynamicaccess


    Q: Where can I find information about Banyan VINES Client Installations?

    A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at 
       http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.


    Q: Where can I find MS LAN Manager Installation Notes?

    A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
       http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.


    Q: Where can I find IBM LAN Server DOS and OS/2 Client installation
       notes?

    A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at 
       http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.


    Q: Where can I find Artisoft LANtastic Installation Notes?

    A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
       http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.


    Q: Where can I find information about Installing a NIC in a NetWare
       OS/2 ODI Client?

    A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
       http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.


    Q: Where can I find DEC PATHWORKS for DOS/Windows v4.1 and v5.1
       Installation Notes?

    A: For installation instructions go to the 3Com World Wide Web site at
       http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905B/family.htm.

>>> 3Com Technical Support

Please refer to your PCI user guide for technical support information.
In addition, this information is also available in the
\HELP\SUPPORT.TXT file on the EtherDisk 3 diskette.


3Com, EtherLink, and EtherDisk are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.


                  (%VER README.TXT - Release Notes v4.0.9)

