3COM 3CR990-FX-97 User Manual

User Guide

3Com

100 Secure Fiber-FX

Network Interface Card

3CR990-FX-97

http://www.3com.com/ http://support.3com.com/registration/frontpg.pl

Published December 2001 User guide version 1.0.0

3Com Corporation

Copyright © 2001 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without written permission from 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from 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, EtherCD, and EtherDisk are registered trademarks and the 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries.

Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. 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. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

5400 Bayfront Plaza

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Santa Clara, California

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95052-8145

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U.S.A.

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EXPORT RESTRICTIONS

This 3Com product and/or software contains encryption and may require U.S. and/or local government authorization prior to export or import to another country.

Contents

About This Guide

Conventions 1

Introduction

Onboard 3XP Processor 3 Data Encryption 3 3CR990-FX-97 NIC Features 4

Ofﬂoad Features 5 Remote Wake-Up 5

Remote Wake-Up Requirements 5

Remote Wake-Up and Multiple NIC Installations 5 Integrated Boot ROM with Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) 6 Desktop Management Interface (DMI) 2.0 6 Remote Control 7 Keep-Alive 7 Hot Plug NIC Installation 7 Flow Control Features 7

Pause Frames 7

Link Negotiation 8 Ofﬂine Diagnostics 8

Installing and Connecting the NIC

Installation Overview 9

Safety Precautions 9 Installation Requirements 10 Installing Multiple NICs 10 Upgrading Windows 95 to Windows 98 10 Upgrading Windows 98 to Windows Me 11 Updating the Network Driver and NIC Software 11

Installing From Diskette 11

Making a DOS-Bootable Diskette 11 Creating Installation Diskettes 11

Product Registration 12 Preparing the NIC and the Computer 13 Installing and Connecting the NIC 14

Understanding the LEDs 15

Installing Software 16

Contents

Installing NIC Drivers and Diagnostics For Windows

Software Installation Requirements 17 Getting Help 17 Installing the Network Driver Using the

Before Installing the Network Driver 18 Windows XP Professional 18

Installing the Driver 18 Verifying the Driver Installation 19

Windows 2000 19

Installing the Driver 19 Verifying the Driver Installation 20

Windows NT 4.0 20

Installing the Driver 20 Verifying the Driver Installation 21

Windows Me 22

Installing the Driver 22 Verifying the Driver Installation 22

Windows 98 23

Installing the Driver 23 Verifying the Driver Installation 23

Windows 95 24

Installing the Driver 24

Verifying the Driver Installation 26 Installing the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 26 Starting the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 27 Updating the Network Driver and NIC Software 28 Installing Multiple NICs 28

Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98 and 95 28 Windows NT 4.0 29

EtherCD 18

Using Windows Ofﬂoad Features

Enabling Ofﬂoads 31

Conﬁguring Ofﬂoads for a Group of Different NICs 32

Conﬁguring IPSec Ofﬂoads 32

Ofﬂoading Encryption Processing 33 Auto-Selecting Basic or Strong Encryption Processing 33 Conﬁguring IPSec for Windows 2000 33

Creating a Security Policy 34

Downloading the High Encryption Pack for Windows 2000 37

Installing NetWare Drivers

Installing and Conﬁguring the NetWare Driver 39

Using the Latest Support Packs 39 Obtaining NetWare Loadable Modules 40 NetWare Driver Installation Requirements 40

Netware Packet Receive Buffers 40

Slot Numbers for Multiple NICs 41

Obtaining Slot Numbers 41

Installing the NetWare Driver 41 Installing the NetWare Driver Using INETCFG 42 Installing Multiple NICs 43 Verifying the PCI Slot Number 43 Verifying the Installation and Conﬁguration 44

Changing NetWare Driver Conﬁguration Parameters 45

Conﬁguring the NIC

Default NIC Settings 47 Conﬁguration Methods 48 Changing General NIC Conﬁguration Settings 49

Using the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 49 Using the 3Com DOS Conﬁguration Program 50

Conﬁguring the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) 51

Enabling or Disabling the Boot ROM Setting 51 Booting From the Network 51

BBS BIOS-Compatible PCs 52

Non-BBS BIOS-Compatible PCs 52 Disabling the 3Com Logo 53

Contents

Troubleshooting the NIC

Interpreting the NIC LEDs 55

Viewing the NIC LEDs in the Diagnostics Program 55 Troubleshooting Problems with the LEDs 56

Accessing 3Com Support Databases 56

Accessing the 3Com Knowledgebase 56 Accessing the 3Com NIC Help System 56 Accessing Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions 56

Troubleshooting the NIC Installation 57

Problems/Error Messages 57

Cleaning Up a Broken Installation 57 Troubleshooting the Network Connection 58 Troubleshooting Remote Wake-Up 59 Removing the Network Driver 59

Windows 2000 59

Windows NT 4.0 60

Windows 95, 98, and Me 60

Contents

Running NIC Diagnostics

Running the 3Com DOS Diagnostics Program 62 Running the NIC Diagnostics Tests 62

Running the Network Test 63

Running the NIC Test 64 Viewing the NIC LEDs in the 3Com Diagnostics Program 64 Viewing Network Statistics 64 Using the 3Com Icon in the Windows System Tray 65

Enabling the Icon 65

Displaying Network Statistics 65 Removing the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 65

Speciﬁcations and Cabling Requirements

3CR990-FX-97 NIC Speciﬁcations 67 Cabling Requirements 68

Installing the 3Com DMI Agent

About the 3Com DMI Agent 69 System Requirements 70

Client PC Requirements 70

Network Management Requirements 70 Installing the 3Com DMI Agent 70

EtherCD Content and Navigation

Root Subdirectories List 74 Enabling Auto Insert 74 Text Files List 75

Installing a 3Com NIC While Installing the NOS

Windows Fresh Installation 77

Windows NT 77

Windows 2000 77 NetWare Fresh Installation 77

Requirements 77

Installation Instructions 77

Technical Support

Online Technical Services 79

World Wide Web Site 79

3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 79

3Com FTP Site 79 Support from Your Network Supplier 80 Support from 3Com 80 Returning Products for Repair 80

Index

Regulatory Compliance Information

FCC Class B Statement 85 FCC Declaration of Conformity 86 Industry Canada Class B Emission Compliance Statement 86 Avis de Conformité à la Réglementation d’Industrie Canada 86 VCCI Class B Statement 86 MIC Notice (Republic of Korea only)

B Class Device 86

Contents

About This Guide

Conventions

This guide describes how to install, conﬁgure, and troubleshoot the 3Com Fiber-FX-97 network interface card (NIC).

This guide is intended for those who install and conﬁgure Ethernet NICs. Some familiarity with Ethernet networks and NICs is assumed.

NOTE: If release notes are shipped with your product and the information there differs

from the information in this guide, follow the instructions in the release notes.

Most user guides and release notes are available in Adobe Acrobat Reader Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 3Com World Wide Web site:

http://www.3com.com/

You can download Acrobat Reader from the EtherCD or from the Adobe Systems Incorporated Web site:

http://www.adobe.com/

The following tables list conventions that are used throughout this guide.

Icon Notice Type Information That

Information note Describes important features

or instructions

100 Secure

Caution Alerts you to potential loss of data or

Warning Alerts you to potential personal injury

potential damage to an application, system, or device

About This Guide

Convention Description

Screen displays

Commands

This typeface represents information as it appears on the screen.

The word “command” means that you must enter the command exactly as shown and then press Return or Enter. Commands appear in bold. Example:

To launch the DOS diagnostics program, enter the following command:

a: install

The words “enter” and “type”

When you see the word “enter” in this guide, you must type something, and then press Return or Enter. Do not press Return or Enter when an instruction simply says “type.”

Words in

italics

Italics are used to:

■

Emphasize a point.

■

Denote a new term at the place where it is defined in the text.

■

Identify menu names, menu commands, and software button names. Examples:

From the

Click

Help menu, select Contents .

Introduction

This chapter describes the following 3Com model from the 3CR990-FX-97 NIC family.

The 3Com 100 Secure Fiber-FX (3CR990-FX-97) NIC connects your PCI-compliant computer to a 100 Mbps Ethernet network. It provides advanced features for high performance and secure transactions. High performance is achieved through an onboard RISC processor; secure transactions are achieved through data encryption.

Onboard 3XP Processor

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC represents a new generation of secure, intelligent NICs with an onboard RISC processor (3XP processor). The 3XP processor is designed to optimize system and network performance. The NIC off-loads key networking and security tasks from the host computer CPU (central processing unit) to the 3XP processor, even when running bandwidth-intensive applications such as voice, video, imaging, and Internet and intranet applications.

100 Mbps PCI network interface card (NIC)

Product Name/Description Model Number

3Com 100 Secure Fiber-FX Network Interface Card

Client NIC for 3DES (168-bit) and DES (56-bit) encryption

3CR990-FX-97

Data Encryption

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC provides Data Encryption Standard (DES) 56-bit encryption and 3DES (3DES 168-bit) encryption. Encryption processing is handled entirely by the 3XP processor on the NIC.

The 3XP processor enables true end-to-end network security (IPSec) at the data capacity of the connected network cable (wire speed), without sacriﬁcing performance.

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC is shipped with encryption enabled.

1 Introduction

3CR990-FX-97 NIC Features

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC and accompanying software provide features that relieve network congestion and ensure high performance and maximum bandwidth availability.

Port cover

3C R990-FX-97

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC provides these features for supported IP and IPX environments:

Supported NIC Feature Description

Support for Offload Features Offloads key TCP/IP networking and security tasks from the Windows 2000 and

Remote Wake-Up Lets you power on a computer remotely for after-hours administration.

Integrated Boot ROM with Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA)

Desktop Management Interface (DMI) 2.0 Enables managed computers and net computers to report details about themselves and

Keep-Alive Prevents the computer workstation address from being aged-out of switch router tables.

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

Flow Control Features Prevents the loss of packets by keeping the input buffers of a device from overflowing.

Offline Diagnostics Provides offline diagnostics programs for configuring, testing, and troubleshooting NICs.

Windows XP operating systems.

Adds management capabilities by enabling the computer to boot from a network server, rather than from its local drive. MBA is compliant with the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) specification.

their peripheral devices across the network to a DMI 2.0-compliant management application.

computer.

3CR990-FX-97 NIC Features

Ofﬂoad Features

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC supports Windows 2000 and Windows XP ofﬂoad features in an IP environment. The Windows ofﬂoad features are designed to enhance the operating system capabilities by off-loading key TCP/IP networking and security tasks from the operating system:

NIC Offload Features Description

IPSec Offload Reduces CPU utilization by allowing the 3XP processor and a crypto chip on the NIC to

TCP Segmentation Offload Reduces CPU utilization by allowing the 3XP processor on the NIC to perform segmentation

NOTE: Windows 2000 does not allow IPSec offloads and TCP Segmentation offloads for the same session. Though all offload types may

be enabled, TCP Segmentation offloading does not occur during an IPSec session.

IP and TCP Checksum Offload Reduces CPU utilization by allowing the 3XP processor on the NIC to perform the checksum

802.1P Packet Priority Offload Reduces CPU utilization by allowing the 3XP processor on the NIC to perform the insertion of

perform data encryption operations.

of TCP packets.

calculation of TCP/IP and UDP/IP packets.

the 802.1Q tag header into the packet.

For more information on enabling and disabling ofﬂoads for Windows 2000, see Chapter 4, “Using Windows Ofﬂoad Features.”

Remote Wake-Up

Remote Wake-Up provides the ability to remotely power-on a network computer for afterhours administration. When the PC is in sleep mode (standby state) and receives a wakeup packet (Magic Packet frame) through the LAN, the NIC turns on the power to the PC. Remote Wake-Up also requires using a desktop management application that is able to generate a Magic Packet Remote Wake-Up signal.

If the computer complies with PCI 2.2, Remote Wake-Up is automatically enabled through the PCI bus.

NOTE: The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC supports only STANDBY state.

Remote Wake-Up Requirements

The following conditions are required to use Remote Wake-Up:

Management application that supports Remote Wake-Up

■

BIOS that supports Remote Wake-Up

■

PCI 2.2-compliant bus and a 5-volt standby power supply unit rated at a minimum of 375 milliamperes

If you are unsure whether your computer meets the requirements listed above, refer to the computer documentation or consult the computer manufacturer.

Remote Wake-Up and Multiple NIC Installations

To use multiple NICs as Remote Wake-Up NICs in the same computer, the computer must have a power supply that can support multiple Remote Wake-Up devices.

Refer to your computer documentation if you are unsure whether your computer power supply can accommodate more than one Remote Wake-Up device.

1 Introduction

Integrated Boot ROM with Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA)

The Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) software adds management capabilities to the NIC by enabling the computer to boot from a network server, rather than from the computer’s local drive. MBA is compliant with the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) speciﬁcation. This preboot support allows you to use management applications to perform various tasks remotely. For example, you can:

■

Install and conﬁgure a new computer that has never been connected to the network. 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 51.

For detailed information on the MBA, refer to the 3Com Managed PC Boot Agent User

Guide , located with the MBA software on the 3Com EtherCD .

Desktop Management Interface (DMI) 2.0

Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is a network-management standard that is widely accepted for managing Intel-based computers.

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.

The 3Com DMI Agent allows any DMI management application to access information such as:

■

NIC driver location, version, and size Packets-sent statistics

■

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) receive errors

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

The 3Com DMI Agent consists of a DMI browser with the following components:

■ DMI service layer

■ DMI agent

■ GUI installer

■ NDIS drivers

For detailed information about the 3Com DMI Agent, refer to the 3Com DMI Agent User Guide included with the DMI software on the EtherCD. For information about installing

the 3Com DMI Agent and downloading the 3Com DMI Agent User Guide, see Appendix B, "Installing the 3Com DMI Agent."

3CR990-FX-97 NIC Features

Remote Control

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC can also receive commands via Remote Control and Management Protocol (RMCP). This feature is also speciﬁed in the ASF speciﬁcation and lets network administrators troubleshoot and resolve system issues across the network. Commands include:

■ Power on

■ Power off

■ Reboot

■ Reboot from an alternative device (for example: MBA, CD-ROM, and so forth)

Both monitoring alerts and sending commands are available in the system console through the 3Com Remote System Alert Manager. This management plug-in is available for HP OpenView Network Node Manager, Microsoft Systems Management Server, and Intel LANDesk Client Manager.

Keep-Alive

The 3CR990-FX-97 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.

Hot Plug NIC Installation

If your computer supports PCI hot plug speciﬁcations, you can add a new 3Com 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. It 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.

Flow Control Features

The 3CR990-FX-97 NIC uses ﬂow control technology to throttle the incoming data packet stream and prevent the loss of packets. IEEE 803.2x ﬂow control prevents the input buffers of a device from overﬂowing. By using pause frames to communicate buffer status between linked transmitting and receiving devices (transmitters and receivers). A receiver sends a pause frame to tell a transmitter to stop the transmission of data frames for a speciﬁed period, allowing the receiver’s input port buffers to empty before receiving new packets.

Pause Frames

When a transmitter receives pause frames, it suspends transmission for the speciﬁed period. When the receiver’s input buffers can store packets again, it can either send another pause frame to tell the transmitter to resume transmission, or wait for transmission to resume at the end of the speciﬁed period.

With asymmetric ﬂow control, only one of two linked devices can receive pause frames. With symmetric ﬂow control, both linked devices can send and receive pause frames.

1 Introduction

Link Negotiation

Related to ﬂow control is the auto negotiation capability, in which linked devices advertise their ﬂow control capabilities and automatically select the best common mode of communication.

Rare cases (for example, linking to a device that does not support auto-negotiation) may require that auto-negotiation be disabled on a port, thereby enabling forced link on that port. When forced link is enabled, linked devices must have matching ﬂow control capabilities. For example, a port that is set for forced link and reception ﬂow control can connect successfully only with a port that is set for forced link and transmission ﬂow control.

Ofﬂine Diagnostics

The NIC software includes ofﬂine diagnostics programs for conﬁguring, testing, and troubleshooting NICs. The conﬁguration program within the DOS diagnostics program is used for a PC running DOS or NetWare. The 3Com NIC diagnostics program (3Com NIC Doctor) is a Windows-based program used for a PC running Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), Windows 98, or Windows 95.

Installing and

Connecting the NIC

This chapter describes how to install the NIC in your PC and connect it to a Fast Ethernet network.

Before starting the installation procedure, you can gain some familiarity with the directory structure and various ﬁles on the EtherCD supplied with the 3CR990-FX-97 NIC by reading Appendix C, "EtherCD Content and Navigation."

Installation Overview

Installing the NIC involves your carrying out the following tasks:

■ Registering the product

■ Installing the NIC in the PC

■ Connecting the NIC to the network

■ Installing the network driver

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 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.

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

Installation Requirements

The following items are required for hardware and software installation.

■ Network Interface Card (NIC) — At least one 3Com 100 Secure Fiber-FX (Model

3CR990-FX-97) NIC (included)

■ Processor:

■ Intel Pentium-class (or later) processor

■ RAM:

■ 64 MB RAM recommended

■ PCI slot— For each NIC, one bus master slot that conforms to PCI 32-bit

speciﬁcations, revision 2.1 or higher

■ Drive — CD-ROM

■ Cable — Long-wavelength ﬁber-optic (1300 nm):

■ 50 µ/125 µ multimode ﬁber

■ 62.5 µ/125 µ multimode ﬁber

■ Software — One 3Com EtherCD with network drivers included as shown below

■ Operating system — One of the following; drivers are available on the EtherCD:

■ Microsoft Windows XP

■ Microsoft Windows 2000

■ Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Service Pack 6a

■ Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me

■ Novell NetWare client and server versions 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x with the most recent

patches and updates available from Novell technical support (www.novell.com)

NOTE: You can install the NIC base network driver on any Windows PC without having to also install a speciﬁc Microsoft Service Pack; however, 3Com recommends that you always try to use the most recent Service Pack available from Microsoft technical support (www.microsoft.com).

■ DOS

You can access the 3Com Corporation World Wide Web site to download network drivers supporting the following additional operating systems:

■ Linux 2.4 (Red Hat, TurboLinux, SUSE)

■ Caldera OpenUnix 8

■ Solaris (for PC)

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

■ Remote Wake-Up — For requirements, see “Remote Wake-Up” on page 5.

Installing Multiple NICs

If you are installing multiple 3CR990-FX-97 NICs in one computer running Windows, see the instructions in “Installing Multiple NICs” on page 28. If you are installing multiple 3CR990-FX-97 NICs in one computer running NetWare, follow the instructions in “Installing Multiple NICs” on page 43.

Upgrading Windows 95 to Windows 98

If you are upgrading a computer from Windows 95 to Windows 98 and the computer already has a 3CR990-FX-97 NIC installed, follow the instructions in the WIN98.TXT ﬁle located in the HELP directory on the EtherCD.

Upgrading Windows 98 to Windows Me

If you are upgrading a computer from Windows 98 to Windows Me and the computer already has a 3CR990-FX-97 NIC installed, follow the instructions in the WINME.TXT ﬁle located in the HELP directory on the EtherCD.

Updating the Network Driver and NIC Software

If you already have a 3CR990-FX-97 NIC installed and want to update the network driver, follow the instructions in “Updating the Network Driver and NIC Software” on page 28.

Installing From Diskette

If your computer does not have a CD-ROM drive, use a PC that has a CD-ROM drive and create installation diskettes from the EtherCD.

Making a DOS-Bootable Diskette

For installation and conﬁguration procedures that require you to boot from DOS, you cannot successfully use the MS-DOS prompt from within Windows. Perform a “clean” boot from DOS or use a DOS boot diskette.

Installing From Diskette

NOTE: The installation diskettes allow you to install the network driver and DOS Diagnostics software only. If you want to install the Windows NIC Diagnostics program or desktop management software, you must install them from the EtherCD.

NOTE: If the PC or server is running only DOS and a CD-ROM drive is not installed, you must install the NIC software using installation diskettes. For more information about installation diskettes, see the next section, “Creating Installation Diskettes.”

To make a DOS-bootable diskette:

1 Insert a blank, formatted diskette in drive A.

2 At the DOS prompt, enter:

sys a:

System ﬁles are copied to the diskette.

3 Remove the diskette from drive A and attach a label for future reference.

Creating Installation Diskettes

If you anticipate having to install the driver for the 3CR990-FX-97 NIC without having access to a CD-ROM drive, you can create a set of installation diskettes beforehand using a computer that does have a CD-ROM drive. To start, you will need three blank, formatted ﬂoppy diskettes. To create installation diskettes from the EtherCD:

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

2 Insert the EtherCD in the CD-ROM drive.

The EtherCD Welcome screen appears.

3 Click NIC Software.

4 Click Installation Utilities.

5 Click Create Installation Diskettes.

The EtherCD Diskette Creation Utility Welcome screen appears.

6 Click Next.

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

7 Insert a blank, formatted diskette labeled Disk 1 in the PC, and then click Next.

Files are copied. Disk 1 contains the installation ﬁles and driver ﬁles for Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows 95/98.

8 Remove the disk and insert the disk labeled Disk 2 when prompted, and then

click OK. Files are copied. Disk 2 contains the diagnostic and ﬁrmware images.

9 Remove the disk and insert the disk labeled Disk 3 when prompted, and then

click OK. Files are copied. Disk 3 contains the NetWare drivers.

NOTE: For detailed information about the content of the installation diskettes, refer to the ROADMAP.TXT ﬁle contained on Disk 2.

Product Registration

The United States government places registration requirements on using data encryption products. To obtain customer support for the 3CR990-FX-97 NIC, you are required to electronically register your NIC product with 3Com.

In addition to enabling customer support for your NIC, registration also entitles you to receive upgrade information and advance feature information.

NOTE: To be able to register electronically, a Web browser must be installed on your system. You must also have an active Internet service provider (ISP) connection.

NOTE: The original version of Windows 95 (Build 950) does not automatically allow you to change your default browser, even if Microsoft Internet Explorer is not present. If you are running this version of Windows 95 on your PC, access the following site to register your 3CR990-FX-97 NIC:

http://support.3com.com/registration/frontpg.pl

To register electronically:

1 Insert the EtherCD (that shipped with this product) in the CD-ROM drive.

The EtherCD Welcome screen appears. If the Welcome screen does not appear, see Appendix C, "EtherCD Content and

Navigation."

2 Click Register Product, and then Register Online.

3 Follow the prompts as they appear.

Preparing the NIC and the Computer

Observe the precautions listed in “Safety Precautions” on page 9. If the computer complies with PCI 2.2, Remote Wake-Up is automatically enabled through the PCI bus. Follow these preparation steps:

1 Verify that cable requirements are met.

The SC port provides a 100 Mbps connection automatically, depending on the speed of the connected hub or switch.

The following table shows the connector, cable, and maximum network segments for the 3CR990-FX-97 NIC:

Connector Cable Maximum Network Segment

SC Long-wavelength fiber-optic

(1300 nm):

50 µ/125 µ multimode fiber

62.5 µ/125 µ multimode fiber

2 Unpack and inspect the NIC for damage.

3 Exit all open applications and user processes.

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

5 Unplug the power cables from the power source.

6 Remove the computer cover.

7 Locate 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

slot is often shared 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.

8 Record the MAC address of the NIC and note the relative position of the intended PCI

slot. The MAC address is the 12-digit hexadecimal number printed on the small bar code

label on the component side of the NIC. This information is helpful when you are installing the network drivers and connecting the cables to the hub or switch.

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

Preparing the NIC and the Computer

Full-duplex: 2,000 m (6,560 ft) Half-duplex: 412 m (1,351 ft)

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

Installing and Connecting the NIC

Observe the safety precautions listed in “Safety Precautions” on page 9.

Prepare the NIC and the computer as described in “Preparing the NIC and the Computer” on page 13.

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.

1 With the computer cover removed, select an empty PCI adapter slot and remove the

slot cover, as shown in the illustration.

2 Carefully insert the NIC in the empty PCI slot, as shown in the illustration.

Press ﬁrmly to ensure the NIC is fully seated in the slot. Secure the NIC with the slot cover screw, if you removed one at step 1.

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

Do not turn on the power to the computer.

4 Remove the protective cover from the NIC SC port.

Installing and Connecting the NIC

TX D

100

L N K

5 Insert the network cable SC connector into the NIC port, as shown in the next ﬁgure.

6 Connect the other end of the network cable to a 100BASE-FX Fast Ethernet hub or

switch that is connected to the network.

7 Turn on the power to the computer.

8 Check the 100 LNK (link) LED.

After you turn on power to the computer and before you install the network driver, the link LED indicates the following:

■ On — The NIC is receiving a good link signal from the hub or switch.

■ Off — No connection exists between the NIC and the hub or switch. See

Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting the NIC,” for troubleshooting help.

The next step is to load the network driver that allows your computer to connect to the network.

Understanding the LEDs

The NIC has two light-emitting diodes (LEDs):

■ Link LED (100 LNK) — Indicates whether an active connection exists between the NIC

and the network hub or switch.

■ Activity LED (ACT) — Indicates network activity.

Before the LEDs can be used for troubleshooting, the NIC must be connected to the network and the network driver must be installed (see “Installing Software” on page 16 for driver installation instructions).

LED Description Flashing Steady Off

100 LNK Green:

Link integrity

ACT LNK Yellow:

Port traffic

N/A Good 100BASE-FX link

between NIC and network hub or switch

Network traffic

Heavy network traffic No traffic

present

No link between NIC and network hub or switch

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

If the LED indicates a problem, ensure:

■ Your network hub or switch and the network cable connected to your NIC comply

with the 100BASE-FX speciﬁcations. See “Preparing the NIC and the Computer” on page 13.

■ The network hub or switch is powered on.

The next step is to install the software, as described in “Installing Software” on page 16.

NOTE: If you are installing multiple 3Com Secure Fiber-FX NICs in one computer running Windows, see the instructions in “Installing Multiple NICs” on page 28. If you are installing multiple 3Com Secure Fiber-FX NICs in one computer running NetWare, follow the instructions in “Installing Multiple NICs” on page 43.

NOTE: If your site network installation procedures require you to verify that installed hardware is functional before you install software, run the 3C99XCFG.EXE DOS diagnostics program before installing the driver. This program is located on the 3Com EtherCD. For more information, see “Using the 3Com DOS Conﬁguration Program” on page 50.

Installing Software

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

■ “Installing NIC Drivers and Diagnostics For Windows” on page 17

■ “Updating the Network Driver and NIC Software” on page 28

■ “Installing NetWare Drivers” on page 39

The next step is to install the network driver.

Go to “Installing NIC Drivers and Diagnostics For Windows” on page 17 or “Installing NetWare Drivers” on page 39.

For a list of additional network drivers that are not included on the EtherCD (for example, Caldera OpenUnix 8, Linux 2.4, Solaris (for PC)) and instructions on how to install them, go to the 3Com Web site and search for “3CR990” and “drivers.”

Installing NIC Drivers and

Diagnostics For Windows

This chapter explains the following tasks on a computer running Windows XP Professional Edition, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), Windows 98, or Windows 95:

■ Install the network driver and NIC software using EtherCD

■ Update the network driver or NIC diagnostics program

■ Install multiple NICs

To obtain the latest version of a driver:

1 Go to:

http://www.3com.com/

2 Click Downloads.

3 Search for “3CR990” and “drivers.” The network driver can be used in both

Microsoft and NetWare network environments.

NOTE: For instructions on using the installation diskettes (which can be created from the EtherCD) to install the network driver, see “Installing From Diskette” on page 11. For additional information, refer to the text ﬁle for your operating system in the HELP directory on the EtherCD.

Software Installation Requirements

If your site network installation procedures require you to verify that installed hardware is functional before you install software, you can verify that the installed NIC is functional or change its conﬁguration settings by running the DOS diagnostics. Use the 3C99XCFG.EXE program located on the EtherCD. For more information, see “Using the 3Com DOS Conﬁguration Program” on page 50.

If you are installing the software during the installation of the network operating system, see Appendix D, “Installing a 3Com NIC While Installing the NOS.”

For a list of minimum installation prerequisites, see “Installation Requirements” on page 10.

Getting Help

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

3 Installing NIC Drivers and Diagnostics For Windows

Installing the Network Driver Using the EtherCD

To install the network driver using the EtherCD, follow the steps in the section that is speciﬁc to your Windows operating system.

Before Installing the Network Driver

Before installing the network driver, make sure:

■ The NIC is installed in the PC and connected to the network. For instructions, see

“Installing and Connecting the NIC” on page 14.

■ All software installation requirements are met. See “Installation Requirements” on

page 10.

■ You have the Windows installation ﬁles from Microsoft (for Windows 95, 98, Me

only). These ﬁles may be on a Microsoft CD or diskettes, or they may have been copied to your hard drive when Windows was installed on your PC.

NOTE: If you encounter problems during the installation, refer to the TROUBLE.TXT ﬁle (located in the HELP directory on the EtherCD) for troubleshooting tips.

Windows XP Professional

This section describes how to install the network driver and NIC software in a PC client or server running Windows XP Professional.

Installing the Driver

1 Turn the PC power on.

Windows detects the NIC and installs the appropriate device driver.

■ If you have already set up networking for your system, then the driver installation

process is complete. Go to the next section, “Verifying the Driver Installation.”

■ If you have not yet set up networking for your system, Windows displays the

following message:

New network device installed

Windows has detected the installation of a new networking device. If you want to set up a network, click here to run the Network Setup Wizard.

2 If you want to run the Network Setup Wizard, click the indicated area indicated as

“here.” If you do not want to set up networking at this time, click x to close the message.

The software installation is complete. Next, verify the driver installation to conﬁrm the NIC is properly installed.

Installing the Network Driver Using the EtherCD

Verifying the Driver Installation

1 Right-click the My Computer icon, and then click Properties.

2 Select the Hardware tab.

3 Click Device Manager.

4 Double-click Network adapters and make sure the name of the 3Com 3CR990-FX-97

NIC appears. If a red X or a yellow exclamation point (!) appears by the name of the NIC, the

installation was not successful. See “Troubleshooting the NIC Installation” on page 57 for troubleshooting help.

After you have veriﬁed the driver has been installed properly, the next step is to install the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program for Windows operating systems (see “Installing the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program” on page 26).

Windows 2000

This section describes how to install the network driver and NIC software in a PC client running Windows 2000.

Use the following procedure to install the driver for the ﬁrst time in a computer that is running Windows 2000. (If you are updating a previous installation, see “Updating the Network Driver and NIC Software” on page 28.)

Installing the Driver

1 Turn on the power to the PC.

2 Start Windows 2000 and log in to the Windows 2000 Administrator account.

The Windows 2000 Found New Hardware Wizard starts. The wizard detects the new NIC(s) and begins the driver installation. The Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard screen appears.

3 Click Next to continue.

The Install Hardware Device Drivers screen appears.

4 Insert the EtherCD in the CD-ROM drive.

5 Select Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended), and then click Next.

The Locate Driver Files screen appears.

6 Select the CD-ROM drives option, clear any other checked options, and click Next.

The Driver Files Search Results screen appears. Windows ﬁnds the driver on the EtherCD.

7 Click Next to install the driver.

The Hardware Install screen appears. Files are copied. Then the Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard screen appears, displaying the message “Windows has ﬁnished installing the software for this device.”

8 Click Finish to close the wizard.

If the System Settings Change dialog box appears, requesting that you restart your computer, click Yes to restart.

The driver installation is complete for Windows 2000. Next, verify the driver installation to conﬁrm the NIC is properly installed.

3 Installing NIC Drivers and Diagnostics For Windows

Verifying the Driver Installation

1 Right-click the My Computer icon, and then click Properties.

2 Select the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager in the middle panel.

3 Double click Network Adapters and make sure the name of the 3Com 10/100 PCI NIC

appears. If a red X or a yellow exclamation point (!) appears by the name of the NIC, the

installation was not successful. See Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting the NIC” for problem-solving help.

To change conﬁguration settings, see Chapter 6, “Conﬁguring the NIC.”

Windows NT 4.0

This section describes how to install the network driver and NIC software in a PC client or server running Windows NT 4.0

CAUTION: Your computer must have the latest version of the Windows NT 4.0 service pack installed before you can install the 3Com network driver. You can download the latest service pack from the Microsoft Web site.

Installing the Driver

1 Turn on the power to the PC and start Windows NT.

2 Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account.

3 Insert the EtherCD in the CD-ROM drive.

4 Right-click the Network Neighborhood icon.

5 Select Properties on the pop-up menu.

The Network window appears.

6 Click the Adapters tab.

If networking has not been installed on your PC before, Windows NT asks you if you want to install networking. Click Yes. Refer to the WINNT.TXT ﬁle located on the EtherCD or your Windows NT documentation for instructions.

7 Click Add.

The Select Network Adapter dialog box appears.

8 Click Have Disk.

The Insert Disk dialog box appears.

9 Make sure the correct path to your CD-ROM drive appears in the entry box,

for example:

10 Click OK.

Files are copied. The Network screen appears with the 3Com NIC name listed in the Network Adapters list box.

Installing the Network Driver Using the EtherCD

11 Click Close.

If the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties screen appears, enter the requested information for your network environment. Refer to your system administrator or the Windows NT documentation for assistance. After entering the appropriate TCP/IP information and clicking OK, the Network Settings Change window appears.

If the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties screen does not appear, the installation is complete. The Network Settings Change window appears.

12 Click Yes to restart the PC.

The network driver installation is complete. Next, verify the driver installation to conﬁrm the NIC is properly installed.

Verifying the Driver Installation

1 Double-click the My Computer icon.

The My Computer screen appears.

2 Double-click the Control Panel icon.

The Control Panel screen appears.

3 Double-click the Network icon.

The Network screen appears.

4 Select the Adapters tab.

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

If the name of the NIC does not appear in the list of network adapters, the installation was not successful. See “Troubleshooting the NIC Installation” on page 57 for troubleshooting help.

6 Click OK to close the Network screen. Close the Control Panel screen and the My

computer screen.

You can also use the following alternative method to verify successful NIC installation:

1 In the Windows task bar, click Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, and then

Windows NT Diagnostics.

The Windows NT Diagnostics screen appears.

2 Select the Resources tab.

■ If ELPPx appears in the displayed list in the Device column, the driver is successfully

installed.

■ If ELPPx does not appear in the displayed list in the Device column, the installation

was not successful. See “Troubleshooting the NIC Installation” on page 57 for troubleshooting help.

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