Win2k Network -- This one is tricky, not for faint of heart! :)

[blahbooboo2]

Hi,

I am going crazy! Please help if you have any ideas

I moved my desktop to Win 2k from NT4 when I bought a new Maxtor 20gig with ATA100card (thanks $36 staples). My desktop is an old K6-233 (I am waiting for another deal to replace MB and chip) with the following:

1 ISA Modem
1 PCI SB Live
1 PCI Video Card (STB Velocity 128)
1 PCI Maxtor ATA 100 Card (just added)
1 PCI Network card (DEC chipset)

With my old network card I can get a link light between my laptop and my desktop, but I can't get either computer to see or acknoledge the others presence. When I run netdiag.exe in win2k I got no information as it did not detect anything (though the network card is installed according to device manager). As a result, I figured I am having a IRQ conflight. I looked closer and it seems that the Video card and the network card keep grabbing the same IRQ. I tried using a linksys card (which I am now doubting if it even works) and Win 2k would halt after the second startup screen if the card is in place. With this information, I figured I had an IRQ conflict for sure and DISABLED all my motherboard IDE channels. The system would still halt in Win2k. If I put back my old network card the machine will startup in Win2k but still not work over the network!

What I also noticed is during the startup the network card and the video card always share the same IRQ(sometimes it is 10 or 9). As well as two other devices typically sharing IRQ 15.

Any ideas (other then get a new AGP based MB)?

Thanks!

blahbooboo2@freeze.com

 

[Bleep]

Darnit I had a long reply for this and the machine crapped. Are you using a crossover cable? Has the network worked before the new OS? Have you configured your network card for TCP/IP? More questions than answers here. take a look here for some good info.
LAN Stuff
Bleep Another one

 

[potz]

sometimes the speed needs to be set to "auto detect". also check to see if u have half/full duplex set or if it's on autodetect.

 

[blahbooboo2]

1. Yes, I am using a cross over cable that worked perfectly under NT
2. TCP/IP was installed, and I also added Netbeui.
3. Network worked fine under NT4, but I did not have the Maxtor ATA100 card in it and when I have tried to boot to NT4 subsequent to the installation (I still have it) I get BSOD.
4. Autodetect is set on the card speed.

Update. I removed the old NIC, and then replaced it into the machine. Now win 2k will detect the card, but will not install the thing correctly. It also calls is #2 version of the card, and will not let me uninstall the card it automatically detected. ALso, it thinks it is an Intel 21040 Based PCI Adaptorn (under NT it was called DEC 21040).


UpDATE2: I removed teh Maxtor ATA card and in NT4 my network card and network works again. Looks like the ATA card is the problem, and perhaps I don't have enough IRQs?

 

[Olpah]

your IRQ's are not the issues here...

a feature of 2K is this...

You have a maximum bandwidth on your PCI bus. In the old chipsets, each IRQ would take up one slot, not utilizing the full resources. What this means is, one IRQ would reserve a PCI Slot, only problem is the total bandwidth for that IRQ was not being used, only about 33 percent of it. So with the newer chipsets and 2000's feature, Hardware devices are now able to share an IRQ, and better use it to its fullest potential.

When I get some more time, and some sleep under my belt, I'll look into your network problem and see if I can think of anything.

Hope this helps...

 

[blahbooboo2]

Thanks for the great advice. Someone told me that I should try leaving pci slot 2 free as the video card may share it with that one...

Still not working...

 

[Olpah]

ohh just a thought,

are you using a legacy isa modem? if so remove it, reinstall the ATA card, and try again.

 

[blahbooboo2]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I got it working by re-formating the drive, re-installing win2k with the new linksys card. For some reason this worked. I guess my old PCI ethernet card is not win2k compatible.

What is really weird is that it took a complete new re-installation to get the Linksys card to work correctly!! Gotta love MS...