[CLUG] Bringing up eth0 on older PCs under RH5.2

[gpf2 at vincie.bizland.com]

On Mon, 28 Aug 2000, Peter Flynn wrote:

> I am trying to configure a 3C509B (notorious early PnP network card)
> and pnpdump seems to report correctly its existence and its current
> settings (irq 3, io 0x210), but when I edit these into isapnp.conf,
> isapnp gags on the (CHECK), saying it can't check a card once it's
> configured. Removing the check silences it, but ifup eth0 then just
> says it is deferring eth0 activation, even when I add the irq and io
> manually to the netconf eth0 device panel and restart.

ok. pnp is bad. disable it. then try to install that card.
i have a 3c509 here on rh5.2, its not 3c509B, but they cant be that
different.
when the card is used in win95, it automatically switches to pnp mode,
except for lately, when my card has stopped doing that :-?

first of all, you will need the 3com setup utils. i got them off the net,
so they cant be that hard to find.
theres a file pnpdsabl.bat in the root. this is it:
3C5X9CFG /PNPRST
3C5X9CFG CONFIGURE /PNP:DISABLED

so after pnp is disabled, boot linux. go:
insmod 3c509
and it should say something like:
eth0: 3c509 at 0x300 tag 1, BNC port, address  00 60 8c 80 dd 67, IRQ 10.
3c509.c:1.16 2/3/98 becker at cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov

if it doesnt, get the 3c509 diags from donald beckers site:
http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/diag/index.html
theres a file there, 3c5x9setup.c which you can compile, to scan for a
3c509 and test the eeprom space in it. theres 3c5x9setup.txt there too if
you need to take that route.

else, you should have an eth0 ready to use. ifconfig -a should show you
it.
you can then manually bring up the interface:
ifconfig eth0 up 10.0.0.4 netmask 255.0.0.0
and a success should give you:
eth0: Setting Rx mode to 1 addresses.
and add the route, by typing:
route add -net 10.0.0.0 netmask 255.0.0.0 eth0
which should not output anything.
route should show your new route, and ip shud be happy. 

> I also have a DEC 205 network card, but I can't see any driver listed.
just a search engine, and patience.

> ///Peter

good luck,
vince