[ ... 'no SQE switch' AUI<->10BT MAU ... ]

> here doesn't appear to be any switch on the transceiver at home although
> there is one on on the transceiver attached to my Sparc UPX. What does
> this switch do?

SQE stands for 'signal quality error' (am I right, folks?), and is
used by a 'station' (DECstation box in this case) to monitor network
transaction is going well.  If SQE is not functioning properly, the
station recongizes the network connection is choked.

> Also would it only effect the connection once NetBSD has
> started.

While NetBSD le0 LANCE driver does check whether SQE is working
correctly (as SQE is designed),

> I can boot kernels over the network and I can run DECStation
> Linux and telnet into the box. The network card only appears to
> malfunction when NetBSD 1.3.x tries to use it.

and DECstation PROM and Linux LANCE driver supposedly do not mind SQE
(out-of-spec practice). 

> Everything else can see and
> use the adapter without problems! I'm wondering if my adapter isn't a
> regular one. I appear to have an "out of the ordinary" mainboard BIOS
> V5.8f so I wonder if the card has a wierd revision?!

No, I don't think so.  I propose to pick up another (brand-named?)
10BT MAU which has SQE switch with it.  Mine does have it, and I'm
using SQE switch ON all the time.

Tohru Nishimura
Nara Institute of Science and Technology