Free beer to whoever can help w/ my BH6 problem... REALLY!! :-)

[MegaManX]

I have 2 BH6 v1.01 motherboards that I am having problems with. My problem lies with my AGP slots and 3Com 3C905B-TX Ethernet cards. I recently upgraded one from a V3-2000 PCI to a V3-3000 AGP and as soon as I did this, the system refused to post... nothing on the screen. As soon as I took out my 3Com card and replaced it w/ an HP Ethernet card, it worked OK. Now my other machine HAD the V3-3000 AGP and I upgraded that to a GeForce 2 AGP. But my machine would NEVER function with the 3Com card in it. So I figured that was just a conflict w/ the V3-3000 and the 3Com card. Well it doesn't work again w/ the GeForce. Same problem. No Posting. I have attempted to set aside an IRQ on a PCI slot for the 3Com, but still no post. I really don't want to use the HP ethernet cards, so any suggestions? So to sum up, I put an AGP card in my BH6 w/ a 3Com ethernet, and both systems refuse to post.

Appreciate any help...

(free beer subject to availibility and picking it up at my house).

 

[Zipperhead]

It sounds like its either an irq or i/o conflict


Zip

 

[MegaManX]

Yes, I assume it is an IRQ conflict, and I have tried modifying MB settings, but still haven't gotten it to work. Am I missing a setting somewhere that I overlooking?

 

[samelcamel]

Be careful of shared IRQ slots. Try pulling out all of the cards except for the video card and the 3com pci network card. When you put both the cards in and boot up, go into the bios and change the acpi to reset once it reboots (this will make the computer "reassign" all of the IRQ's.) Then if you still have problems, try to move the 3COM to the next slot. I believe ABIT's website has documentation which will tell you which slots share IRQ's (for example, agp slot may share an irq with pci slot 2.)

Later,


Sam

 

[Scaramouche]

Here's how mine is set up:

AGP slot: G-400
PCI slot 1: empty (shares with AGP)
PCI slot 2: Tekram SCSI card
PCI slot 3: 3C905B-TX
PCI slot 4: empty
PCI slot 5: MX300 sound card.

All IRQ settings in BIOS set to default. Had IRQ conflicts prior to this arrangement.

 

[bubba]

Do you have the NIC in the top (closest to the AGP PCI slot? If so, it is likely sharing an IRQ with the vid card.

 

[MegaManX]

The Saga Continues.... Here is the latest update.

I removed all cards except my AGP video card... I upgraded to the latest and greatest bios (version "SS&quot. I ENABLED Assign IRQ to VGA, and I said to init my AGP first. I also set "PNP OS Installed" to NO, to let the BIOS do the work. Then I attempted to put in the 3Com card in each and every PCI slot, and everytime, the system would not post. I get power, the fans start moving, that hard drives spin up, but then it acts as though someone is hitting the reset button every two seconds. The light on the front of my CD-ROM normally stays on during boot, but now, every two seconds, it flashes off, and then the hard drives start clicking like they are recalibrating (acting like someone hit the reset button). I have 5 or six 3Com cards here at the house, and I can move these to my other machines (Asus P3V4X and HP Vectra) and they work just fine. But for some reason, when I have an AGP card in either of my BH6 motherboards, my 3Com cards refuse to function, and I go through this endless cycle of no post/reset.

HELP!!! I hate to mark this up as a problem I could not solve. I REALLY want to utilize my 3Com cards in these machines... They are so much better than the HP cards.

Thanks for any help.

 

[MegaManX]

I'm still trying, nothing is working... ideas?

 

[MegaManX]

Ahhh to hell in a handbasket... I took out the 3Com card and got an Intel 10/100. Worked fine first try, without complaints. I give up

 

[CBuxton]

MegaManX-

I've been suffering from an almost identical problem. Try something for me....put the 3Com card in, but do NOT screw it in. I have an Abit BE6-2 board...when I put the 3Com in and screw it in, the computer will not boot..fans spin, etc, but black screen. As soon as I take the screw out, it works! This is the only card in the system, and does the same thing on ANY pci slot. Let me know what happens if you don't screw in the card!

Also, what kind of case do you have? The system I have this in has an Enlight 72?? case. I'm guessing that there is a grounding problem somewhere, but can't find it.

 

[MegaManX]

CBuxton,
When I get home from work tonight, I will attempt to try what you suggest. Yes, both of the machines that I am having problems with my 3Com cards are both Enlight 72xx Mid-Tower ATX cases. Hmm...

 

[Jeff H]

Here's a thought: if the screw holding the card in place is the issue, what's the possibility that the bracket is not mating up correctly w/ the case backplane, and when you tighten down the screw it lifts the back of the NIC out of the slot just far enough to short it out, and mess up the boot process?

Try the NIC w/o the screw, and if that fixes it, look into bending/modifying the NIC bracket so it doesn't wedge the card out of the slot.