Very Computer

by **Mike Schwart** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

Hi,

I am having trouble getting Linux to work with my 3COM 3C900B-TPO network
interface card. FYI this is the card that US West sends you when you sign
up for their DSL service. This card definitely works, as I have been using
it under Win95 for a year now. I am trying to build a dual-boot
Win95/Linux
config for my desktop PC.

I have tried getting two different Linux distributions to work with this
network card:
- RedHat 4.2
- WinLinux 2000

FYI, the latter is a Linux distribution that uses the Win9x file system
instead of the usual Ext2 file system, allowing me to avoid partitioning
and also letting me backup my dual-boot Windows/Linux system as a single
backup. It works fine with the PCMCIA ethernet card on my laptop.
Contrary to how the name sounds, this really is Linux (not a
Windows-based emulator); it just shares the Windows file system.

I am mostly focused on using WinLinux with this machine, so I'll just
talk about it from here on. Its kernel version is 2.2.13.

I first tried using the ethernet driver that came compiled into the
kernel (3c59x). When this didn't work I went to the 3COM website and
downloaded the 3c90x driver (version 1.0.0d), which claims to support
the 3C900B-TPO card. I followed the instructions it gave, and when I
wasn't able to get it to work I tried sending mail to the support

I tried installing first as a module:
- compiled the driver
- copied the .o file into /lib/modules/2.2.13/net/
- added the the needed alias in /etc/modules.conf
- edited the WinLinux /etc/rc.d/ init script that loads the needed
module

After rebooting, 'lsmod' showed that the module was loaded but "unused".
Moreover, when I tried "ifconfig eth0" it did not have an IP address
assigned, and when I tried to assign one and "up" the interface, it
complained "SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such device". I looked in
/var/log/messages and saw the error message "ds: no socket drivers
loaded!", followed by a number of DHCP failures. It sounds like the
driver failed to recognize my card.

I then tried rebuilding the kernel with this driver compiled-in. It
compiled and booted ok, but it again didn't work -- same error message
about "ds: no socket drivers loaded!".

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Please email to me below, as I don't read netnews regularly.

Thanks,
- Mike Schwartz
schwartz-at-CodeOnTheRoad.com
(Remember to fix the -at- above, which I use to fight automated spam
feeders)

by **gonZ** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

I use the same NIC, and had to turn off PnP on the card with the
DOS-configuration utility that comes on the 3com CD/Disk.
I use the kernelmodule 3c90x on kernel 2.2.14 without further problems.

greetings

gonZo

> Hi,

> I am having trouble getting Linux to work with my 3COM 3C900B-TPO network
> interface card. FYI this is the card that US West sends you when you sign
> up for their DSL service. This card definitely works, as I have been
using
> it under Win95 for a year now. I am trying to build a dual-boot
> Win95/Linux
> config for my desktop PC.

> I have tried getting two different Linux distributions to work with this
> network card:
> - RedHat 4.2
> - WinLinux 2000

> FYI, the latter is a Linux distribution that uses the Win9x file system
> instead of the usual Ext2 file system, allowing me to avoid partitioning
> and also letting me backup my dual-boot Windows/Linux system as a single
> backup. It works fine with the PCMCIA ethernet card on my laptop.
> Contrary to how the name sounds, this really is Linux (not a
> Windows-based emulator); it just shares the Windows file system.

> I am mostly focused on using WinLinux with this machine, so I'll just
> talk about it from here on. Its kernel version is 2.2.13.

> I first tried using the ethernet driver that came compiled into the
> kernel (3c59x). When this didn't work I went to the 3COM website and
> downloaded the 3c90x driver (version 1.0.0d), which claims to support
> the 3C900B-TPO card. I followed the instructions it gave, and when I
> wasn't able to get it to work I tried sending mail to the support

> I tried installing first as a module:
> - compiled the driver
> - copied the .o file into /lib/modules/2.2.13/net/
> - added the the needed alias in /etc/modules.conf
> - edited the WinLinux /etc/rc.d/ init script that loads the needed
> module

> After rebooting, 'lsmod' showed that the module was loaded but "unused".
> Moreover, when I tried "ifconfig eth0" it did not have an IP address
> assigned, and when I tried to assign one and "up" the interface, it
> complained "SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such device". I looked in
> /var/log/messages and saw the error message "ds: no socket drivers
> loaded!", followed by a number of DHCP failures. It sounds like the
> driver failed to recognize my card.

> I then tried rebuilding the kernel with this driver compiled-in. It
> compiled and booted ok, but it again didn't work -- same error message
> about "ds: no socket drivers loaded!".

> Does anyone have any suggestions?

> Please email to me below, as I don't read netnews regularly.

> Thanks,
> - Mike Schwartz
> schwartz-at-CodeOnTheRoad.com
> (Remember to fix the -at- above, which I use to fight automated spam
> feeders)

Very Computer

trouble getting 3COM 3C900B-TPO ethernet card working with Linux

trouble getting 3COM 3C900B-TPO ethernet card working with Linux

trouble getting 3COM 3C900B-TPO ethernet card working with Linux