3Com 3C980-TXM, 3C980B-TXM, 3C980C-TXM, 3C982-TXM User guide

EtherLink® Server

10/100 PCI NIC Family

User Guide

3C980x-TXM 10/100 PCI server network interface card with DynamicAccess® technology

3C982-TXM 10/100 PCI dual port server network interface card with DynamicAccess® technology

http://www.3com.com/

http://www.3com.com/productreg

Published October 2000

3Com Corporation ■ 5400	Copyright © 2000 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be
Bayfront Plaza ■ Santa	reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation,
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	time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or
	change.
	3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty, term, or condition of any kind, either
	implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties, terms or conditions
	of merchantability, satisfactory quality, and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com may make improvements
	or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this documentation at any time.
	If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license
	agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hard copy documentation, or on the
	removable media in a directory file named LICENSE.TXT or !LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy,
	please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you.
	UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND
	If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein
	are provided to you subject to the following:
	All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense.
	Software is delivered as “Commercial Computer Software” as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014 (June 1995)
	or as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are
	provided in 3Com’s standard commercial license for the Software. Technical data is provided with limited
	rights only as provided in DFAR 252.227-7015 (Nov 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is
	applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program
	or documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.
	Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may
	not be registered in other countries.
	3Com, the 3Com logo, DynamicAccess, EtherDisk, EtherLink, and Parallel Tasking are registered trademarks
	of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. 3Com Facts is a service mark of 3Com Corporation or its
	subsidiaries.
	Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are
	registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. NetWare and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell,
	Inc. SCO, SCO OpenServer, and UnixWare are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Santa Cruz
	Operation, Inc.
	All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are
	associated.
	About This Guide
	This guide describes how to install, configure, and troubleshoot the following 3Com® network interface
	card (NIC):
	Description	Model Number
	3Com EtherLink Server 10/100 PCI NIC	3C980-TXM
		3C980B-TXM
		3C980C-TXM
	3Com EtherLink 10/100 PCI Dual Port Server	3C982-TXM
	NIC

This guide is intended for the network administrator, network operator, or network hardware installer.

Knowledge of Ethernet and the server network operating system is required.

Documentation is available in Adobe Acrobat Reader Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML on the 3Com Web site: http://www.3com.com. You can download Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Systems Incorporated web site: http://www.adobe.com/.

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION

	Overview	1
	Advanced Server Features			2
	Bidirectional Load Balancing 2
	Self-Healing Drivers			3
	Failover	3
	VLANs	4
	Server Features Using Other NICs				5
	Hot Plug NIC Installation			5
	Remote Wake-Up (Single Port Models Only)					5
	Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) Software					5
	Desktop Management Interface (DMI) 2.0					6
	Remote System Alerts 6
2 INSTALLING AND CONNECTING THE NIC
	Safety Precautions		7
	Installation Requirements			7
	Preparing the NIC and the Computer				8
	Installing and Connecting the NIC				9
	Installing Software		11
	Obtaining Installation Diskettes				12
	Creating Diskettes in Windows				12

3 INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING IN WINDOWS

Software Installation Requirements				13
Getting Help 13
Installing in Windows NT		13
Installing in Windows 2000		14
Configuring SHD Parameter Settings				14
Windows NT	14
Windows 2000	15
Verifying Successful Installation			16
Windows NT	16
Windows 2000	16
Updating Software in Windows			16
Windows NT	16
Windows 2000	17

	DynamicAccess Server Features					17
	Planning Groups and VLANs					17
	Installing DynamicAccess Software 19
	Configuring Server Features					19
	Windows NT		19
	Windows 2000			19
	Creating a Group			20
	Adding NICs to a Group				21
	Specifying a Dedicated IP Address						21
	Changing an IP Address				22
	Creating a VLAN			22
	Specifying Traffic Priorities (Windows NT 4.0 Only)									23
	Saving the Configuration					23
	Disabling Load Balancing for a Group							23
	Changing the Primary NIC					24
	Removing a NIC from a Group 24
	Deleting or Editing a VLAN					24
	Displaying NIC Properties					24
	Displaying Group Properties					24
	Specifying Failover from Gigabit to 10/100 PCI								24
	Troubleshooting a Load Balancing Configuration									25
	Changing Windows 2000 Property Settings								25
	Identifying Windows 2000 Miniport and LAN Connections 25
4 INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING IN NETWARE
	Software Installation Requirements						27
	Netware Packet Receive Buffers						27
	Slot Numbers for Multiple NICs						27
	Obtaining Slot Numbers				27
	Installation and Configuration Instructions							28
	Load the 3Com EtherLink Server CD							28
	Copy the Driver		28
	Specify the Slot Number				29
	Load the Driver		29
	Set Up Another NIC			29
	Install Server Features				30
	Configure Groups			30
	Verify the Installation and Configuration 31
	Changing NetWare Driver Configuration Parameters									32
	Configuring Groups		34
	Planning the Configuration					34
	Adding a Secondary NIC to a Group							35
	Adding a Group		36
	Server Feature Commands					37
	group	38
	display status			38
	help	38

	link timeout		39
	probe interval			39
	receive timeout			39
	retry count		39
	send timeout			40
	ungroup	40
	wait timeout			40
	Troubleshooting a Group Configuration							41
5 CONFIGURING THE NIC
	Configuration Settings			43
	Configuration Methods 44
	Configuring the NIC in Windows					44
	Configuring the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) 45
	Booting From the Network				45
	Disabling the 3Com Logo				46
6 TROUBLESHOOTING THE NIC
	Interpreting the LEDs			47
	Viewing the NIC LEDs in the Diagnostics Program								48
	Accessing the 3Com Knowledgebase						48
	Accessing the 3Com NIC Help System						48
	Accessing Other Information				48
	Troubleshooting the Network Connection							49
	Troubleshooting Remote Wake-Up					49
	Removing the Network Driver 50
	Windows NT		50
	Windows 2000		51
	NetWare	51
	Removing Server Features				51
	Windows NT and Windows 2000						51
	NetWare	52
	Removing 3Com NIC Diagnostics					52
	Windows NT and Windows 2000						52
7 RUNNING NIC DIAGNOSTICS IN WINDOWS
	Overview 53
	Running the NIC Test			53
	Running the Network Test				54
	Viewing Network Statistics				54
	Using the 3Com Icon in the Windows System Tray								54
	Enabling the Icon			54
	Displaying Network Statistics					55

A	INSTALLING A 3COM NIC WHILE INSTALLING THE NOS
	Windows Fresh Installation			57
	Windows NT	57
	Windows 2000	57
	NetWare Fresh Installation			57
	Requirements	57
	Installation Instructions			57
B
	INSTALLING THE 3COM DMI AGENT
	Overview 59
	System Requirements		60
	Installation Instructions		60
C
	SPECIFICATIONS
D
	TECHNICAL SUPPORT
	Online Technical Services			63
	World Wide Web Site			63
	3Com FTP Site	63

Support from Your Network Supplier 63

Support from 3Com 64

Returning Products for Repair 66

INDEX

3COM CORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY

REGULATORY INFORMATION

3COM END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT

PRODUCT REGISTRATION

INTRODUCTION

1

Overview	The 3Com® EtherLink® Server 10/100 PCI NIC family of network interface cards (NIC)
	connect PCI-compliant server computers to Ethernet or Fast Ethernet networks.
	Parallel Tasking II® hardware technology, plus a powerful suite of DynamicAccess®
	technology software features, relieve network congestion and ensure high
	performance and maximum bandwidth availability.
	Figure 1 EtherLink Server 10/100 PCI NIC
	MBA Boot ROM
	Remote Wake-Up
	(RWU) connector

TX
DATA
ACT
10	L

100N K

Figure 2 Dual Port EtherLink Server 10/100 PCI NIC

MBA

Boot ROM

ACT

A

10/100 ACT

10/100

B

2 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Each NIC supports these features:

■ Advanced Server Features—Improve network performance, management, and control.

■ Hot Plug NIC Installation—Lets you add a new NIC or remove and replace a NIC without turning off power to the computer.

■ Remote Wake-Up (Single Port Models Only)—Lets you power-on a computer remotely for after-hours administration.

■ Integrated boot ROM (through port A on 3C982-TXM) with Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) Software—Adds management capabilities by enabling the computer to boot from another computer, rather than from its local drive.

	■ Desktop Management Interface (DMI) 2.0—Enables managed computers and
	net computers to report details about themselves and their peripheral devices
	across the network to a DMI 2.0-compliant management application.
	■ Remote System Alerts (heartbeat packets)—Can signal a possible computer
	power loss or theft.
Advanced Server	3Com DynamicAccess technology advanced network software adds intelligence to
Features	the NIC to improve network performance, management, and control.
	DynamicAccess server features relieve network congestion and ensure high
	performance and maximum bandwidth availability.
	■ Self-healing drivers (SHDs) detect common error conditions and correct them
	while maintaining server link performance.
	■ Bidirectional load balancing groups share the network load over resilient server
	links (RSLs) that keep traffic flowing both into a server and out of a server even
	if a NIC in a group is temporarily disconnected.
	■ VLANs (IEEE 802.1Q multiple virtual LANs) let you divide network segments
	into logical partitions that simplify configuration changes, organize work
	groups efficiently, help to control traffic, and provide extra security.
	■ Traffic prioritization (IEEE 802.1p/Q)—Ensures that business-critical and
	delay-sensitive traffic (such as multimedia applications) has priority over normal
	data.
	For detailed information on DynamicAccess technology products, go to:
	http://www.3com.com/dynamicaccess
Bidirectional	Bidirectional load balancing maximizes bandwidth at the server through the use of
Load Balancing	multiple parallel resilient server links (RSLs) that share the network load.
	An RSL consists of two or more NICs that form a virtual NIC. Each virtual NIC has
	multiple physical NICs bound to it, forming a group. Each NIC in a group uses the
	same protocols and frame types. One NIC is designated the primary NIC and the
	others secondary NICs.

Advanced Server Features

3

Figure 3 Types of Load Balancing Arrangements

Transmit-only

Bidirectional

Server

Primary Secondaries

Primary Secondaries

Switch

Clients

Self-Healing Drivers Self-healing drivers (SHDs) work together with RSLs to maintain the network connection. An SHD monitors the NIC continuously for error conditions and makes corrections. These corrections can include resetting the NIC, rebuilding software data structures, temporarily disabling features, or transferring all network traffic to secondary NICs (termed a failover event). An SHD can also continuously monitor the status of the physical NICs in a virtual NIC group before and after failover. Errors and actions are reported to the system console and to the system log file. Error threshold values can be configured at any time.

Failover In addition to load balancing, RSLs provide failover fault tolerance between a server and a switch—if one NIC in a group fails, the others assume the network load of the failed NIC. The failover behavior of secondary NICs depends on how you set load balancing:

■In a transmit load balancing arrangement, the primary NIC is the only one that receives packets. If the primary NIC fails, a secondary NIC assumes the configuration profile, network traffic, and active status of the failed

primary NIC.

■In a bidirectional load balancing arrangement, all NICs receive packets. If any NIC fails, receive load balancing is disabled, and the other NICs continue transmit-only load balancing activity. Receive load balancing is restored when new connections are established with clients.

Bidirectional load balancing is restored after a failure when applications create new connections and new clients log in.

4 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Figure 4 Bidirectional Load Balancing Failover

Bidirectional

load balancing

Primary failure

Secondary failure

Server

Primary Secondaries

Primary Secondaries

Primary Secondaries

Switch

Clients

VLANs A VLAN is a group of location-independent and topology-independent devices that communicate as if they were on the same physical LAN. Network devices on different LAN segments and of different media types can be members of the same VLAN. Membership in a VLAN is determined by a VLAN tag that is transmitted with the Ethernet frame for use by a switch.

With VLANs, you can define a network according to:

■Organizational groups—For example, you can have one VLAN for the Marketing department and one for the Finance department.

■Application groups—For example, you can have one VLAN for e-mail users and one for multimedia users.

Implementing VLANs on a network has these advantages:

■It eases the change and movement of devices on IP networks.

With traditional IP networks, if users move to a different IP subnet, the IP addresses of each workstation must be updated manually. With VLANs installed, if an end station on VLAN 1 is moved to a port elsewhere on the network, you need only to specify that the new port is on VLAN 1.

■It helps to control traffic.

With traditional networks, congestion can be caused by broadcast traffic that is directed to all network devices whether they require it or not. Each VLAN can be set up to contain only those devices that need to communicate with each other, increasing network efficiency.

■It provides extra security.

Devices within each VLAN can communicate only with member devices in the same VLAN. If a device in VLAN 1 needs to communicate with devices in VLAN 2, the traffic must cross a router.

The DynamicAccess technology multiple VLAN capability supports IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging and works with any switch that is compliant with IEEE 802.1Q specifications. See your Ethernet switch documentation for more information on IEEE 802.1Q VLANs.

	Hot Plug NIC Installation 5
Server Features Using	Two foreign NICs (two that are not 3Com EtherLink Server NICs) are allowed per
Other NICs	server. For guidelines on using foreign NICs, see these topics:
	■ Windows NT and Windows 2000—Planning Groups and VLANs on page 17.
	■ NetWare—Planning the Configuration on page 34.
Hot Plug NIC	If your computer supports PCI hot plug specifications, you can add a new 3Com
Installation	NIC or remove and replace a 3Com NIC without turning off power to the
	computer. Hot plug NIC installation allows you to expand connections without
	taking the computer out of service and makes troubleshooting faster and easier
	because you do not need to wait for the computer to reboot.
	For instructions on performing a hot plug NIC installation, refer to your computer
	documentation and to the HOTPLUG.TXT file in the HELP directory on the 3Com
	EtherLink Server CD.
Remote Wake-Up	Remote Wake-Up is the ability to remotely power-on a computer for after-hours
(Single Port Models	administration.
Only)	If the computer is compliant with PCI 2.2, Remote Wake-Up is automatically
	enabled through the PCI bus. If the computer is compliant with PCI 2.1, Remote
	Wake-Up support is enabled by connecting a Remote Wake-Up cable from the NIC
	Remote Wake-Up (RWU) connector to a 3-pin Remote Wake-Up connector on the
	computer motherboard.
	The following items are needed to use Remote Wake-Up:
	■ Management application that supports Remote Wake-Up
	■ BIOS that supports Remote Wake-Up
	■ PCI 2.2-compliant bus or a 3-pin Remote Wake-Up connector on the computer
	motherboard and a 5-volt standby power supply unit rated at a minimum of
	375 milliamperes
	■ A power supply in the computer that can support multiple Remote Wake-Up
	devices (to use multiple NICs as Remote Wake-Up NICs in the same computer)
	If you are unsure whether the computer meets the requirements listed above, refer
	to the computer documentation or contact the computer manufacturer.
	For more information on Remote Wake-Up, including a list of computers that
	currently support this feature, go to:
	http://www.3com.com/partners/acpi
Managed PC Boot	The Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) software adds management capabilities to
Agent (MBA)	the NIC, enabling the computer to boot from the server, rather than from its
Software	local drive.
	This preboot support allows you to use management applications to perform the
	following tasks remotely:
	■ Install and configure a new computer that has never been connected to the
	network.

6 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

■Upgrade software.

■Configure or reconfigure multiple systems simultaneously.

■Scan for viruses.

■Back-up hard drives and perform disaster recovery tasks.

For information on configuring the MBA to boot from the network, see

Configuring the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) on page 45.

For detailed information on the MBA, see the Managed PC Boot Agent User

Guide, located with the MBA software on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD.

Desktop Management DMI 2.0 enables managed computers and net computers to report details about Interface (DMI) 2.0 themselves and their peripheral devices across the network to a DMI

2.0-compliant management application.

A network administrator can then use this information to configure and manage a client or server computer remotely.

For instructions on installing the 3Com DMI Agent, see Installing the 3Com DMI Agent on page 59.

For more detailed information on DMI, go to:

http://www.3com.com/managedpc

Remote System Alerts The NIC can be configured to continuously transmit a packet to an alert target management station. If the management station fails to receive the regularly scheduled packet, an alert can be triggered that signals a possible computer power loss or theft.

The NIC can also transmit a workgroup keep-alive packet periodically while the computer is in a sleep state. This packet prevents the computer workstation address from being aged-out of switch router tables.

INSTALLING AND CONNECTING THE NIC

2

Safety Precautions Observe the following safety precautions:

WARNING: Computers operate with voltages that can be lethal. Before removing the cover, turn off the computer and unplug it. Disconnect all cables that are connected to the main system unit. Remove jewelry from your hands and wrists. Use insulated or nonconductive tools.

CAUTION: The NIC is packed in an antistatic container to protect it during shipment. Do not touch the components or any metal parts on the NIC, except for the backplate. To avoid damaging the NIC or the computer, reduce static electricity on your body by wearing an electrostatic discharge wrist strap attached to the chassis or by touching an unpainted metal part of the chassis before unplugging the computer and before handling the NIC.

CAUTION: Install the NIC in a PCI slot that conforms to PCI 2.1 or higher specifications. Do not attempt to install the NIC in an ISA or EISA slot. Doing so may damage the NIC and the computer.

WARNING: Make sure that the computer power cord is unplugged. Only properly trained and authorized personnel should perform service. Contact the computer manufacturer for information about safe service techniques.

Installation

Requirements

The following items are required for hardware and software installation:

■NIC—At least one 10/100 NIC.

■Processor—Intel-based CPU (Pentium-class processor).

■Server RAM—128 megabytes minimum; 256 megabytes recommended.

■PCI slot—For each NIC, one bus master slot that conforms to PCI 32/64-bit specifications, revision 2.1 or 2.2.

■Drive—CD-ROM.

■Cable—Category 5 UTP (for 100 Mbps operation).

■Connector—RJ-45, one or two ports.

■Software—One 3Com EtherLink Server CD with DynamicAccess technology software and network drivers.

8CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING AND CONNECTING THE NIC

■Operating system—Base drivers and DynamicAccess software are available for the following operating systems:

■Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 with the most recent Service Pack available from Microsoft technical support (www.microsoft.com).

■Microsoft Windows 2000 with the most recent Service Pack available from Microsoft technical support (www.microsoft.com).

■Novell NetWare version 4.2 or 5.x with the most recent patches and updates available from Novell technical support (www.novell.com).

Base drivers are also available for the following operating systems:

■SCO UnixWare 7 available on the 3Com Web site (http://support.3Com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/SCO.htm).

■SCO OpenServer 5 available on the 3Com Web site (http://support.3Com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/SCO.htm).

■Linux available on the 3Com Web site (http://support.3Com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/linux.htm).

Check the 3Com Web site (http://support.3Com.com/infodeli/tools/nic) for other supported drivers.

■Computer BIOS—Latest version. Contact the computer manufacturer to verify.

■Remote Wake-Up—For requirements, see Remote Wake-Up (Single Port Models Only) on page 5.

Preparing the NIC and Observe the precautions listed in Safety Precautions on page 7. Follow these the Computer preparation steps:

1Decide if you want to use the Remote Wake-Up feature.

If you want to use the Remote Wake-Up feature on a computer that is compliant with PCI 2.1, you must obtain a Remote Wake-Up cable for the NIC (for details, see Remote Wake-Up (Single Port Models Only) on page 5). If the computer is compliant with PCI 2.2, Remote Wake-Up is automatically enabled through the PCI bus and no Remote Wake-Up cable is required.

2Make sure that cable requirements are met.

The RJ-45 port provides a 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps connection automatically, depending on the speed of the connected hub or switch.

The following table shows the cable requirements and maximum network cable lengths for the RJ-45 port.

		Maximum
Network Environment	Cable Required	Cable Length
10 Mbps (10BASE-T)	Category 3, 4, or 5 unshielded	100 m (328 ft)
	twisted-pair
100 Mbps (100BASE-TX)	Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair	100 m (328 ft)

Installing and Connecting the NIC

9

3Unpack and inspect the NIC for damage.

4Exit all open applications and user processes.

5Turn off the power to the computer and attached devices.

6Unplug the power cables from the power source.

7Remove the computer cover.

8Locate an empty, nonshared bus-mastering PCI slot and remove its slot cover. Save the screw, if there is one.

Do not install the NIC in a shared PCI slot. Avoid any PCI slot next to an ISA slot. This is often a shared slot and does not support bus mastering.

If you do not know how to identify a PCI slot, check the computer documentation or ask the system administrator.

If you are planning to install the Remote Wake-Up cable, choose an empty PCI slot that is close to the matching connector on the computer motherboard. The Remote Wake-Up cable is required only if the computer is compliant with PCI 2.1 and you want to use the Remote Wake-Up. The cable is not required if the computer is compliant with PCI 2.2.

9Write down the MAC address of the NIC and note the relative position of the intended PCI slot.

This information is helpful when you are installing the network drivers and connecting the cables to the hub or switch. The MAC address is the 12-digit hexadecimal number printed on the small bar code label on the component side of the NIC.

The next step is to install the NIC in the computer and connect it to the network.

Installing and	Observe the safety precautions listed in Safety Precautions on page 7.
Connecting the NIC	Prepare the NIC and the computer as described in Preparing the NIC and the
	Computer on page 8.
	The following instructions apply to installing the NIC in most computers. If these
	instructions are not appropriate for your computer, refer to the documentation
	that accompanied the computer.

10 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING AND CONNECTING THE NIC

Figure 5 Installing and Connecting the NIC

DATA
ACT
10	L
100	N
	K

+

–

1Carefully insert the NIC into an empty PCI slot.

Press firmly to ensure that the NIC is fully seated in the slot. Secure the NIC with the screw if you removed one earlier.

2Follow these steps only if you need to connect a Remote Wake-up cable:

■Make sure that the NIC is properly installed in a PCI slot.

■Insert the Remote Wake-Up cable in the RWU connector on the NIC. Twist the cable two times before attaching the cable to the computer.

■Attach the other end of the cable to the connector on the computer motherboard. Refer to the computer documentation if you need help locating the connector.

3Replace the computer cover and plug in the power cord.

Do not turn on the power to the computer.

Installing Software 11

4Plug the RJ-45 connector on the twisted-pair network cable into an RJ-45 port on the NIC backplate.

If you are installing a dual port NIC, plug the first cable into Port A on the NIC backplate.

5Connect the other end of the network cable to an active network port. The next step is to install the software.

If your site network installation procedures require you to verify that installed hardware is functional before you install software, run the 3C90XCFG.EXE DOS diagnostics program before installing the driver. This program is located on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD.

Figure 6 Connecting a Remote Wake-up Cable (PCI 2.1 only)

Installing Software See the following topics for requirements and instructions on installing software in various operating systems:

■Installing and Configuring in Windows on page 13

■Updating Software in Windows on page 16.

■Installing and Configuring in NetWare on page 27

12 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING AND CONNECTING THE NIC

Obtaining Installation If your computer does not have a CD-ROM drive, access a computer that has a Diskettes CD-ROM drive and use the installation utilities to create installation diskettes from

files on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD.

If you do not have access to a computer that has a CD-ROM drive, you can download the drivers from the 3Com web site:

http://www.3com.com/

Creating Diskettes in Use the installation utilities on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD to create installation Windows diskettes. The installation diskettes allow you to install drivers, diagnostics,

DynamicAccess technology server features, and associated text files. The installation diskettes do not contain the user guide that is available on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD.

You will need five blank formatted diskettes.

To create the installation diskettes:

1Turn on the power to the computer and start Windows.

2Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3On the Welcome screen, click on NIC Software.

4Click Installation Utilities.

5Click on Create Installation Diskettes.

6Follow the prompts to copy files to the diskettes.

INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING IN

3 WINDOWS

Software Installation Before you install software, you may want to verify that the installed server NICs Requirements are functional or change their configuration settings by running DOS diagnostics.

Use the 3C90XCFG.EXE program located on the 3Com EtherLink Server CD.

If you are installing the software during the installation of the network operating system, see Installing a 3Com NIC While Installing the NOS on page 57.

For a list of installation requirements, see Installation Requirements on page 7.

The installation instructions assume you are using the Windows Auto Run feature. If the Welcome screen does not come up automatically, you can perform the installation by running begin.exe.

Getting Help	To display the Help system during the software installation, click Help on any
	3Com window.

Installing in

Windows NT

Before you begin software installation:

■Make sure that all installation requirements are met. See Installation Requirements on page 7.

■Install the hardware. See Installing and Connecting the NIC on page 9.

Use the following procedure to install the driver and diagnostics for the first time in a computer that is running Windows NT. (If you are updating a previous installation, see Updating Software in Windows on page 16.)

1Boot the computer and start Windows NT.

2Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account.

3Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD-ROM drive.

4From the Welcome screen, select NIC Software.

5Click NIC Drivers and Diagnostics.

6Follow the Wizard prompts.

7Choose Typical or Custom Installation.

The Please Wait screen appears. After the installation is completed, an Update dialog box appears.

14 CHAPTER 3: INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING IN WINDOWS

8Click OK.

The Setup Complete screen appears.

If your network environment uses the TCP/IP communications protocol, the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box appears. Enter the information needed to define an IP address. Continue after you have defined the TCP/IP settings.

9Click Finish to complete the installation.

10Click Exit.

11Restart your computer for changes to take effect.

Installing in Windows 2000

Before you begin software installation:

■Make sure that all software installation requirements are met. See Installation Requirements on page 7.

■Install the hardware. For instructions, see Installing and Connecting the NIC on page 9.

Use the following procedure to install the driver and diagnostics for the first time in a computer that is running Windows 2000. (If you are updating a previous installation, see Updating Software in Windows on page 16.)

1Reboot the computer, start Windows 2000, and log in to the Windows 2000 Administrator account.

The Windows 2000 Found New Hardware wizard detects the new NICs and begins the driver installation.

2Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3From the main menu, select NIC Software.

4From the list on the left, click NIC Drivers and Diagnostics.

5Follow the Wizard prompts.

6Choose Typical or Custom Installation.

The Please Wait screen appears. After the installation is completed, an Update dialog box appears.

7Click OK

The Setup Complete screen appears.

8Click Finish to complete the installation.

9Click Exit.

Configuring SHD	Follow the procedure for your operating system.
Parameter Settings

Windows NT

1Right-click My Network Places and select Properties from the menu.

2In the next window, right-click a connection and select Properties from the menu.

3Click Configure.

Configuring SHD Parameter Settings 15

4In the NIC Properties window, click the Advanced tab.

5In the Advanced window, you can configure the SHD parameters. Select a parameter in the Property field and change its value in the Value field. Table 1 describes the SHD parameters. Default values are optimal for most networks.

Windows 2000

1From the Windows Start menu, select Settings/Control Panel.

2Double-click the Network icon.

3In the Network window, click the Adapters tab.

4Double-click the adapter you want to modify

5Double-click a parameter to change its value. Table 1 describes the SHD parameters. Default values are optimal for most networks.

Slot numbers listed in the SHD Configuration window may not match those labeled on the mother board

6When you are finished, click OK.

7Remove the 3Com EtherLink Server CD from the CD-ROM drive.

8Restart the computer.

Table 1 SHD Parameters (Windows)

	Range of Values
Field	(Defaults in Bold)	Description
Self Check	Off, Basic, Enhanced	Basic level checking monitors Tx/Rx errors (see
Level		Sampling Window), link beat, and NIC hardware.
		Enhanced level adds maintenance of valid data
		structures and uses more CPU cycles. Basic level
		checking is forced when RSL is enabled. Off disables
		SHD.
Sampling	0–65536 packets	This option specifies the number of Tx/Rx packets to
Window	0 disables sampling.	be sampled for carrier lost, late collisions, jabbers,
	1024	CRC, overruns, underruns, and bus contention
		errors. Setting the Sampling Window to 0 effectively
		disables all checking.
Sampling Ratio	0–100 percent	Sampling Ratio establishes a rate of error
	50	accumulation. Every second, the error counters are
		diminished by the Sampling Ratio. The larger the
		Sampling Ratio, the more recent are the
		accumulated errors.
Error Tolerance	Low	Error Tolerance specifies threshold levels for Tx/Rx
	Medium	errors. An RSL failover or NIC reset occurs when the
	High	threshold is exceeded during the sampling period.
		Low = 5 of each error category
		Medium = 50 of each error category
		High = 100 of each error category
Alert Type	Information	Double-click to enable or disable alert types. Enabled
(Windows NT)	Warning	types are reported to the Windows System Events
	Error	monitor.

16 CHAPTER 3: INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING IN WINDOWS

Table 1 SHD Parameters (Windows) (continued)

	Range of Values
Field	(Defaults in Bold)	Description
SHD Inform	Enabled	Select a parameter in the Property field and change
messages	Disabled	its value in the Value field. Enabled types are
SHD Warning		reported to the Windows System Events monitor.
messages
SHD Error
messages
(Windows 2000)

Verifying Successful Follow the procedure for your operating system.

Installation

Windows NT

1Double-click the My Computer icon, then the Control Panel icon, and then the Network icon.

2Select the Adapters tab.

3Make sure that the name of the NIC appears in the list of network adapters.

Windows 2000

1Right-click My Network Places and select Properties from the menu.

2Check connections in the Network and Dial-up Connections window.

Updating Software in	The following procedures update a previous installation of the network driver and
Windows	NIC diagnostics software in Windows.

Windows NT

1Boot the computer and start Windows NT.

2Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account.

3Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD-ROM drive.

4From the Welcome screen, select NIC Software.

5Click NIC Drivers and Diagnostics. The Please Wait screen appears.

6Follow the Wizard prompts.

7Choose Custom Installation.

8Select the desired installation option.

9Click Next.

10Choose any advanced features you would like set.

11Click Next.

12Click OK.

13Click Finish to complete the installation.

DynamicAccess Server Features

17

14Click Exit.

15Restart your computer for changes to take effect.

After you restart the computer, you may wish to configure self-healing drivers. To do so, bring up the Adapters tab in the Network window, select a NIC, and click Properties. For details on the SHD parameters, see SHD Parameters (Windows) on page 15.

Windows 2000

1Reboot the computer, start Windows 2000, and log in to the Windows 2000 Administrator account.

The Windows 2000 Found New Hardware Wizard detects the new NICs and begins the driver installation.

2Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3From the Welcome screen, select NIC Software.

4Click NIC Drivers and Diagnostics.

5Follow the Wizard prompts.

6Choose Custom Installation.

7Select the desired installation option.

8Click OK

The Setup Complete screen appears.

9Click Finish to complete the installation.

10Click Exit.

DynamicAccess Server

Features

Planning Groups and

VLANs

DynamicAccess technology server features allow you to configure load balancing groups and virtual LANs (VLANs). The features are described in Advanced Server Features on page 2.

The following DynamicAccess technology server features are available for NIC groups in Windows:

■Bidirectional load balancing

■RSL failover

■Multiple VLANs

The examples in this section illustrate typical actions you might take in the course of maintaining a DynamicAccess server configuration in Windows.

Consider these items when planning groups and VLANs:

■Decide whether you want to use bidirectional load balancing, or transmit load balancing.

To use bidirectional load balancing, you must assign a dedicated IP address for each load balancing group. This address must be unique (not used elsewhere on the network). For details, see Specifying a Dedicated IP Address on page 21.

18CHAPTER 3: INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING IN WINDOWS

■Decide which NICs are to be part of each group. Each group must include at least two NICs.

■Decide whether you want to use a foreign NIC in one of the groups.

Two foreign NICs (two that are not 3Com EtherLink Server NICs) are allowed in one group per server.

■Decide which NIC is to be the primary NIC in each group.

■You can specify failover from a Gigabit NIC to a 10/100 NIC. To ensure optimal performance, this type of failover requires that you disable load balancing for the group.

■For the best failover performance, turn the spanning tree feature off at switches that are connected directly to the server. If the spanning tree feature is turned on, a failover may be delayed up to 30 seconds while the switch processes the spanning tree algorithm.

■Plan the cable changes required to connect each primary NIC and all secondary NICs to the same network segment.

■Observe the recommended support limit of four groups per server.

■The following guidelines apply to groups under Windows 2000:

802.1p Support Property—The value of the Windows 2000 802.1p Support property must be the same for all NICs in a group. For example, if this property is enabled for the primary NIC, it must also be enabled for all other NICs in the group.

Microsoft Task Offload Support—It is possible to form a group of NICs that have different levels of support for Microsoft Task Offload features (TCP Checksum, TCP Segmentation, and IP Sec). In this case, the offload support is limited to the features supported by all NICs in the group. For example, if two NICs in a group support all offload features but one NIC supports only TCP Checksum, then offload support for the group is limited to TCP Checksum.

■Observe these VLAN configuration guidelines:

■Assign a VLAN ID number to each VLAN. If you are not using a DHCP server, each VLAN that is using IP services requires an IP address and subnet mask.

■DynamicAccess software supports as many as 16 VLANs per server.

■Each VLAN bound to TCP/IP must exist on a separate IP subnet. DHCP servers used to allocate IP addresses must be located on the same IP subnets as the VLANs.

■Each VLAN bound to the IPX/SPX protocol must use a unique network number.

■Under Windows 2000, when VLANs are enabled, the Windows 2000 802.1p Support property must be disabled for all the underlying miniports.

■A minimum of 128Mb of RAM is required for multiple VLAN configurations (up to a maximum of 16 VLANs). You can improve overall system performance with VLANs by increasing the physical RAM, the virtual memory page size, or both.

DynamicAccess Server Features

19

Installing Use the following procedure to install DynamicAccess technology server features DynamicAccess in a computer that is running Windows NT or Windows 2000.

Software

Installing teaming software from multiple vendors may cause problems with your system. Before installing DynamicAccess software, uninstall any other teaming software you may have previously installed on your computer.

1Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2From the Welcome screen, select NIC Software.

3Click DynamicAccess Technology.

4Click Install DynamicAccess Server Software.

5Select Windows 2000 or Windows NT installation.

6Click OK to Install the DynamicAccess server software.

7Restart your system.

Configuring Server

Features

When DynamicAccess server features are installed, NICs bind to the DynamicAccess protocol and real protocols bind to the DynamicAccess Miniport. Do not modify these bindings.

The DynamicAccess server features window contains tabs for these windows:

■In the Load Balance/RSL window, you can create and change Load Balancing/RSL groups. The NICs in a group work together to route traffic efficiently and to recover from failures.

■In the VLANs window, you can set up virtual LANs. All groups listed in the Load Balance/RSL window also appear as groups in the VLAN window. Any ungrouped NICs in the Load Balance/RSL window are also listed in the VLAN window.

Windows NT

Start DynamicAccess server features under Windows NT as follows:

1Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account.

2From the Windows Start menu, select Settings/Control Panel.

3Double-click the DynamicAccess Server icon.

The DynamicAccess Resilient Server Link/Load Balance/VLAN Configuration window appears. Click the appropriate tab to configure server features.

Windows 2000

Access DynamicAccess server features through the Windows 2000 Network and Dial-up Connections window as follows:

1Log in to Windows 2000 with administrator privileges.

2Launch the Windows 2000 Network and Dial-up Connections window.

3Select a Local Area Connection icon.

4Click the right mouse button and select Properties.

The Local Area Connections Properties window appears.