Subject: Re: 3c905 media support..
To: Chris G. Demetriou <cgd@pa.dec.com>
From: Andrew Gillham <gillhaa@ghost.whirlpool.com>
List: current-users
Date: 03/04/1998 19:23:37
cgd wrote:
> 
> I've got a Dell Optiplex GX Pro 200, with the same problem.  I
> reported the problem in PR 4782.
> 
> For what it's worth, at the time I submitted that PR, the latest
> release of FreeBSD worked without a hitch on that hardware (including
> the ethernet).  I would assume that FreeBSD still does.  I managed to
> work around the problem by stealing an ethernet card from one of my
> other machines, but if i hadn't had a spare, i'd have lost (and would
> still be running FreeBSD on the box).

Hmm, I installed FreeBSD 2.2.5 and 3.0-SNAP on another machine just like
mine, and the 'vx' driver only worked in 10Mbs mode.  It seemed to
work fine though.  It didn't have any media options, or 100Mbs support.
Funny thing, I didn't figure out it was only at 10Mbs until I noticed
ftp was really slow.  My switch port was configured for 100Mbs, yet it
 was working.. :-)  (and ftp was getting about 64KB/s to a local machine)

> The install notes and web pages don't mention the 3c90x, but the i386
> kernel config files do (and indicate it's supported by the 'ep'
> driver), and the driver seems to want to support it.  "Too bad that
> that support doesn't work so well (at least on our boxes)."  8-)

Exactly.  I would hate to break down at put my SMC card in..

> > I have tried this with the medium type set to "Auto NWAY", and with
> > 100Mbs/Full Duplex.
> 
> What do you mean?  You have a BIOS option, or something? (Wah!  I
> don't! 8-)
> 
> cgd

Actually I was using '3c90xcfg' from the adapter disk.  Downloaded
from 3com, since my Dell doesn't ship with floppies.  It allows you
to change the media type between Auto-NWAY/100Mbs/10Mbs, but the
current ep driver reports them all as media type "mii" I think.

Hummph, at least I'm not the only one.. ;)

-Andrew
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