[vortex] 3c905B configuration problem

Andrew Morton andrewm@uow.edu.au
Mon, 07 May 2001 13:34:03 +1000


agburns@bellsouth.net wrote:
> 
> My nic is a 3com 3c905B-TX integrated on the motherboard.  The reports from
> boot up loading the module, the mii-diag report and my linksys router do
> not jive with each other.
> 
> At boot it recognizes the 3c905B and states it is a 100TX interface.  Then
> the mii-diag says that auto-negiotate is not enabled and the nic is runing
> at 10 Mbps, half duplex.  If I set any of the media options, it will not
> have any effect on this report.
> 
> The only way to get the full duplex and 100mbps lights on my router to
> light up is to set " options=1 "  Which is AUI and is stated so at boot up
> when loading the 3c59x module.  I  don't know how to test the actual speed
> of my nic other than pinging a pc on the network.  the options=1 setting
> gives me the best response rate,  0.2 ms vs 0.3 ms. Similar response with
> ping -f,  But it bothers me that the module is telling me I running at 10
> mbps.  My linksys  uses switches so I should be set at full_duplex, but
> everyone says that auto-negotiate is the preferred method.
> 

The handling of this stuff was a little confused in the 2.2.16
driver - the user's attempt to override things on the insmod
command line tended to get overridden by the driver!

I suspect that if you take the 2.2.19 driver all will be sweet.

However, if your NIC's EEPROM is correctly set up then none
of this is necessary.  I bet you EEPROM isn't selecting
autonegotiation.  If you can, grab 3com's DOS-based setup
tool from ftp://ftp.3com.com/pub/nic/3c90x/3c90xx2.exe and
check those EEPROM settings.

Please let us know the outcome.  Thanks.