3Com 3C975 User Manual

ELEASE NOTE FOR THE

R
3C975 ATML

ETWORK INTERFACE CARD

N

A member of the 3Com family of ATMLink
network interface cards

INK

155 PCI

http://www.3com.com/

Part No. 09-1180-003
Published March 1998

3Com Corporation ■ 5400 Bayfront Plaza ■ Santa Clara, California ■ 95052-8145

Copyright © 1998, 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be
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Introduction

This release note documents additions and corrections
to the ATMLink™ 155 PCI Network Interface Cards

User Guide,

part number 09-1038-000.

Known problems with server hardware and with the
Microsoft Windows NT and Novell NetWare network
operating systems are addressed in separate sections.

The term ELAN (emulated LAN) may be used to denote an
LEC (LAN Emulation Client) in this release note. This is to
maintain consistency with the ATMLink install program
and ATMLink utility for Windows NT.

General Considerations

The following considerations apply to all models of the
3C975 ATMLink NICs.

The 3C975.LAN NetWare driver is now officially

■

Novell-certified.

■

The LAN driver for Microsoft NT is not yet
Microsoft-certified for any version of Windows NT.

Introduction

1

Client Considerations

When an end station communicating with an ATMLink NIC
through an ATM switch or edge device physically disconnects
from the network and physically reconnects with a changed
ATM address, the end station can experience a delay of
5 minutes in reestablishing communication with the
ATMLink NIC while the NIC updates its LAN Emulation
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table.

Server Hardware Considerations

Compaq ProLiant 5000 Computer

To use the ATMLink NIC with the Compaq ProLiant 5000
computer, upgrade the system ROM with ROMPaq SP2400,
version 3.07 revision A or later, available from the
Compaq Web site (www.compaq.com). Search on the
string SP2400 to find it quickly.

2

R

ELEASE NOTE FOR THE

3C975 ATML

Compaq ProLiant 1500 Computer

A Compaq ProLiant 1500 computer running
Windows NT 3.51 with one or multiple ATMLink NICs
may hang under heavy loading if the system is not
updated to the latest HAL, BIOS, and ECU from Compaq.
The latest versions are available from the Compaq Web site
at http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/softpaqs/
WINNT/NTSSD.html.

Tyan Computer Systems

3Com has observed that in some Tyan servers, the
first and last PCI slots share the same interrupt. Under
Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 5 installed, a video
card that occupies one of these slots cannot coexist with
an ATMLink NIC occupying the other. Move the video card
from the first or last PCI slot if you require either slot for an
ATMLink NIC.

ATM Switch Considerations

INK

155 PCI N

ETWORK INTERFACE CARD

Busy Switch Symptoms

When you start or reboot the system, the ATMLink NIC
driver may not join all of its associated ELANs. The ATMLink
utility may report that the initialization failed or that the
ELAN is down. These conditions can be caused by a busy
ATM switch or improperly configured ELANs.

An ATM switch can be busy in two ways:

When a large number of ELANs are initialized at

■

the same time, the ATMLink driver may time out before
the ATM switch can fulfill all the ELAN service requests.

■

A switch can run short of resources (such as VPI/VCI)
needed to fulfill LEC service requests.

If a switch lacks resources, it cannot establish a virtual
circuit for the ELAN. This failure can occur when a large
number of ELANs are configured for the server.

Use the ATMLink utility to reset an individual ELAN
if it is configured correctly but still does not become
operational. Resetting an individual ELAN is a new
feature in the version 1.5 release of the ATMLink utility.