SUMMARY: 10/100 DE500-BA ethernet cards...

From: R. Lee Hawkins <lhawkins_at_annie.wellesley.edu>
Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 15:12:29 -0500

Hi all:
Thanks to everyone who replied to my query regarding whether the
DE500-BA card is the proper card for our workstations:

Joel_Gallun/US/DCI_at_discovery.com
"Bjorn S. Nilsson, NBI, Copenhagen" <NILSSON_at_nbivms.nbi.dk>
alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com
"Dr. Tom Blinn, 603-884-0646" <tpb_at_doctor.zk3.dec.com>

Alan had perhaps the most concise answer:

        If the particular model of Ethernet adapter is supported
        by a given version of Digital UNIX, you don't need a
        separate driver for it. Unfortunately, the Software
        Product Description isn't clear about which Fast Ethernet
        adapters are support on which systems. In V4.0D some
        systems explicitly call out the -BA, but others simply
        list the DE500.

        Before V4.0D, I suspect the -BA isn't called out because
        it didn't exist when those versions were released.

        The the "built-in" adapters are really just factory
        installed adapters in PCI slots you should be able to
        swap them and not rebuild the kernel. If they are
        built-in, then the best you can do simply not use them
        and you will need to upgrade the configuration file to
        notice the new adapters. You can use genvmunix to rebuild
        the configuration file for you, or edit by hand and rebuild.
        I recommend the genvmunix route since it is documented.

So our plan is to just install the new cards and upgrade the two systems
from 4.0B to 4.0D.

Finally, my Dec rep just returned my call and says:
        "Gee, you should have gotten Digital Unix docs with the cards.
        I'll make sure they ship to you within 48 hours."

This is at odds with what I was told by one of the respondants to my
message, that Digital Unix docs are not included with the cards, and
that I should have a) been smart enough to know that and b) I should
have known to dig into the SPD's to find out what I needed to know.
However, as Alan mentions, the SPD's are conflicting, and it would
really only take Dec one page to convey the necessary info. This seems
like a resonable request, given that they include a multipage manual for
several other OS's with the card.

Cheers,
--Lee
Received on Mon Dec 07 1998 - 20:13:21 NZDT

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