I need some hardware related information to resolve a
problem with a 3com509b ethernet card (i386).
Perhaps an expert is out there.
The card in in plug-and-play mode, and I don't
want to change it, because of another
"operating system" sharing the same machine.

Without changes, the attach code prints this message
"erase pencil mark, or disable plug-n-play mode!".
Obviously, the hardware address in ROM is not
accessible in PnP mode.
That's why I modified the ISA code to scan for
plug-and-play devices before probing the normal
way. The serial number is taken as hardware address
and the (slightly modified) driver is attached.
This works so far.

The strange think is that the ep driver, when probing
the normal way, finds another 3com309 card.
(There is definitely only one.) This card has
another io and interrupt setting!!! (I could understand
if the card would respond to both methods, but in this
case I would expect equal settings.)
To be more specific, here the log:
-----------------
isa0 (root)
scanning for ISA PnP devs
csn 1: TCM5094, serial afe990b1
 Name: 3Com 3C509B EtherLink III
 subdev 0: TCM5094, flags: 2
ep0 at isa0 port 0x210-0x21f irq 11: aui/bnc/utp address 00:20:af:e9:90:b1
1 ISA PnP board(s) found
ep1 at isa0 port 0x300-0x30f irq 10: aui/bnc/utp
ep1: erase pencil mark, or disable plug-n-play mode!
-----------------

Can anybody explain this? Or tell me how to disable
the second response? (I don't have a hardware manual
for the card.)

best regards
Matthias Drochner