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Networking Question

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fatwizard

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Sep 28, 2012
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Indiana, USA
I have been thinking of getting a NIC in my 5160 and implementing the mtcp to utilize FTP. I realize many 16bit networking cards will operate in an 8bit slot, but I would prefer to keep it all 8bit cards if possible. have found an 8bit ethernet NIC for sale, but the specs indicate it is for a linear bus network.

I'm not very familiar with network tech this old, but I thought all coax was linear bus. This card has a BNC connector, and the 15 pin sub d connector. I have an old hub with provisions for both coax and twisted pair that I was going to use to interface it with the rest of my network.

My attempts to research this have been frustrating, so I'll ask the group, does anyone know if this card work on my network?
 
It sounds like you have an ethernet card with a BNC for 10base2, and an AUI port. To be sure, it would help if you showed us a picture of the card, and/or told us what the writing on it says (e.g. manufacturer and model). You should be able to find a 10baseT transceiver for the AUI port if you want. Are you sure you can get a suitable driver for the card that will run on your machine?
 
The old NIC I'm looking at is this card here.

http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/network...ORPORATION-Ethernet-PCN-001.html#.VIURRcmUW70

It is definitely has the BNC and the AUI port. I have never used an AUI port, but I done coax before, and I have a cable made up with the "T" connectors and terminators along with an old hub that sports both 10baseT and 10base2.

I was just thrown a little by the "linear bus" thing. Good point about the driver by the way. I have no software for the card, so that's another hurdle to overcome.
 
That's an Ethernet card but I have no idea what chipset it uses. And without knowing the chipset, it's going to be hard to find the drivers. If you have the card can you take pictures of it so that the chip numbers are readable? That would help.

I like to stick to the golden oldies - Intel 8/16, NE1000, 3C503, WD8003 series, or even a Xircom adapter on the parallel port. There are others; if you choose one be sure you can find the "packet driver" for it.

My WD8003 card has RJ45 and AUI on it. The RJ45 does not work on a modern Ethernet. The AUI port, combined with a Centrecom 210 transceiver works great. The Centrecom costs a few more dollars ($10), but it's an easy fix for a card that does not have a suitable twisted pair connector on it.
 
The 8bit board I had been looking at uses a DP8390CN. The same as an old 16bit board I have. Do you suppose the same drivers would work on both cards?

I have decided I should chew on this project in smaller pieces. I figure I should get the mtcp working with a known good card that I have drivers for before I throw in hardware in unknown condition.
 
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Hi Mike. I had a typo in the configuration file. Instead of "PACKETINT", I had typed "PACKETINIT". I like to NEVER found that. It caused DHCP to complain "mTCP: '' must be set." That snag is fixed now. My issue now is that the ISA NICs I have on hand either won't work in an 8bit slot, or I can't find a suitable packet driver for it.

I actually have gotten the mTCP system working on the XT with DHCP picking up the router and writing to the cfg file. Unfortunately the SMC 8216T card I was using has an issue of some kind. It functions, but always causes some aberrant behavior in any computer it is installed in.

There is an Intel 8/16 on eBay quite reasonably priced, and I see it's one of the cards you mentioned as a golden oldie. I think I'll just pick that one up as I'm going NUTS trying to match a packet driver with the one card I have that I know would work otherwise.
 
Krille said:
Sounds like it should be NE1000 compatible. Have you tried NE1000.COM in this archive?
Click to expand...

Thanks Krille!!!! I didn't buy the 8bit card the original post was about, but I have been trying drivers from the Crynwr collection on my Alta Research ECT16+ card until I've lost count. The NE1000 driver loads right up and reports the MAC address of the card. I tried DHCP, but only got timeouts. I need to reset everything and give another go.
 
fatwizard said:
I tried DHCP, but only got timeouts. I need to reset everything and give another go.
Click to expand...
Enable logging at DHCP server to see an incoming DHCPDISCOVER packets. It seems there is cabling problem.
Assign a static IP address temporary and try to ping neighboring computer.

I used followinf long "chain" to connect an old 10Mbit ISA-8 card:
NE1000 compatible BNC card --> BNC (Thin Ethernet) with T-connectors and terminators --> old 10 Mbit/s 8-port Hub with BNC port --> crossover TP cable (at 10 Mbit/s) --> automatic 10/100 Mbit/s switch --> 100Mbit/s TP --> modern computer
 
If you are seeing the correct MAC address then the I/O ports are probably correct.

If no packets are ever being received (and DHCP will tell you this) check the hardware interrupt (IRQ) that you are using for the card. The card has to signal a hardware interrupt when a packet arrives, and if it is signalling on the wrong interrupt line the packet driver will never see the message. (And hence, no packets will be received at the packet driver.)

(This assumes the cabling is correct, but I think you established that the cabling works earlier.)
 
On a related note, I think I fixed that error message text that was plaguing you. But I haven't had a new release of mTCP in a while, so it's still plaguing people. (I need to find a reason to do another release.)
 
I really appreciate the help, but I have come to the conclusion that none of the cards I have on hand are going to do the job. I am pretty certain that the cabling is correct as my XP laptop dummies right up to the network when connected to the same wire. Even the packet drivers that would load didn't give the correct MAC address, and most of them just locked the old XT up. The Alta card I was so sure would work has the jumper settings printed right on the board, and I had used it in a 486 build I did. I'm pretty confident about the resources it's using.

Time to cut bait. I purchased an Intel 8/16 last night, and will take this project up again when it gets here.

Thanks again to all. Mike, it's amazing to have the attention of the very person that wrote the software. Just amazing.
 
My pleasure, and good luck with the 8/16 card. I almost never use mine; I bought it for testing. Trixter is the resident expert on them and might be able to help if something comes up.
 
Good news everyone!

Now when I run DHCP I am greeted thusly. The Intel 8/16 card came today, and I found the software I needed for it on the second try.

Now I'm off to play with FTP. Fun, fun.

Thanks again to all.
 
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