Why Use LOAD LAN driver?

Use LOAD LAN driver to link the appropriate drivers with the network boards installed in your file server.

IMPORTANT:  Avoid memory conflicts. If you have installed more than 16 MB of memory, do not install a network board that uses online DMA or that is an AT bus master board. The board will corrupt the file server's memory.

If you want to use such a board, complete one of the following to remove the memory from the operating system:

Command Format

LOAD [path]LAN_driver [driver_parameter...]

Replace path with a full path. Begin with a DOS drive letter or a NetWare volume name. If you do not specify a path and volume SYS: is mounted, the operating system assumes that the loadable module is located in the SYS:SYSTEM directory. Use SEARCH to set up additional paths for automatic searching.

Driver Parameters

LAN drivers parameters may be required or optional.

• The LAN driver prompts you for required parameters if you do not specify them on the command line.
• The LAN driver does not prompt you for optional parameters; the default values are coded into the driver. To modify the default value, you must specify the new value at the command line when you load the driver.

Most drivers use one or more of the following parameters.

DMA= number

INT= number

NAME= board name

PORT= number

SLOT= number

FRAME= name

MEM= number

NODE= number

RETRIES= number

Figure 19
LAN drivers shipped with the operating system

Specifies the Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel the driver should use for the network board.

FRAME=name

Tells the Ethernet and Token-Ring drivers which type of packet header to use with NetWare. The default for Ethernet is the 802.2 standard (a length code); the default for Token-Ring is Token-Ring.

Ethernet. If you are using Ethernet drivers, replace name with one of the following:

If you select an option other than the default frame type (Ethernet_802.2), you must configure the drivers for the workstations.

Each workstation that you want to communicate with the file server needs its driver configured to the file server's frame type.

Use the following chart to determine the type of driver you can use in the workstation:

For instructions on using the DOS ODI driver, see Chapter 2, "Preparing to Install Workstation Software," in Workstation Basics and Installation.

For instructions on configuring the DOS NET.CFG file for ODI drivers, see Workstation for DOS and Windows.

Token-Ring. If you are using Token-Ring drivers, replace name with one of the following:

If you select Token-Ring_SNAP, your workstations must use DOS ODI drivers that are configured for Token-Ring_SNAP. For instructions on configuring DOS ODI drivers, see Workstation for DOS and Windows.

INT=number

Reserves a unique interrupt for the driver. Some ISA (AT bus) drivers prompt for this parameter. Microchannel computers set this parameter with the reference diskette that comes with the computer.

LS=number

Determines the number of 802.5 link stations for the Token-Ring driver. This optional parameter can be modified at the command line only when the driver is loaded.

MEM=number

Reserves a unique memory address for the driver. Some ISA (AT bus) drivers prompt for this parameter. Microchannel computers set this parameter with the reference diskette that comes with the computer.

NAME=board name

Assigns a unique name to the board's configuration. You can use this optional parameter to identify network boards when you have more than one network board of the same type installed in the file server. The name can be 17 characters long.

NODE=number

Overrides the node address setting on some network boards. Use this optional parameter only if you or someone else keeps track of and assigns node addresses. The address selected must be a valid hexadecimal address for the board. Some drivers may not support this parameter.

PORT=number

Reserves a unique I/O port for the driver. Some ISA (AT bus) drivers prompt for this parameter. Microchannel computers set this parameter with the reference diskette that comes with the computer.

RETRIES=number

Instructs the driver to retry the packet transmission a specified number of times when a packet transmission fails. This optional parameter can be modified at the command line only when the driver is loaded.

SAPS=number

Determines the 802.2 service access point stations for the Token-Ring driver. This optional parameter can be modified at the command line only when the driver is loaded.

SLOT=number

Tells the operating system which board to link the driver to. This parameter is used with microchannel and EISA computers. The I/O ports, interrupts, memory addresses, and node addresses are set with the reference or setup diskette that comes with the computer.

TBC=number

Determines the transmit buffer count for the Token-Ring driver. This optional parameter can be modified at the command line only when the driver is loaded.

TBZ=number

Determines the transmit buffer size for the Token-Ring driver. The default assigns the maximum packet size allowed by either the board or the operating system. This optional parameter can be modified at the command line only when the driver is loaded.

Additional Information

Before you can load a v3.1x driver, you must do the following:

• Configure and install the network board in the file server.
• Make sure each network board is uniquely configured.
• Load (or autoload) NMAGENT.

Third-party v3.0 drivers work with NetWare v3.1x. However, v3.0 drivers do not need NMAGENT. System messages will be displayed about old API calls. Use the driver until an updated version is available.

If you have more than one network board of the same type in your file server, or if you need to use more than one frame type, you should understand how to load drivers more than once and how to load additional frames.

Multiple Boards

Most LAN drivers can be loaded more than once. Some drivers produce multiple copies in memory. These drivers produce the entire driver code in memory for each configuration entered with the driver.

Other drivers load reentrantly. These drivers produce only one copy of code and global data in memory and then allocate a small data block of memory for parameters each time the driver is loaded. These drivers use less memory than drivers that load the entire code in memory each time they are loaded.

Logical Boards

Ethernet and Token-Ring drivers can be configured so that the same network board can communicate using more than one frame type. When you load a driver using the same parameters except for frame type, the operating system views the second loading as another board.

For example, if two frame types are loaded for one NE2000 network board, the NE2000 board is treated as two logical boards---a board for each frame type.

LAN Driver Parameters

The LAN drivers and the parameters they support are described on the following pages.

Table 1. LAN driver parameters

3C503

You can have up to four 3C503 boards in an ISA (AT) bus file server. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board (maximum: 16 times). This driver loads reentrantly.

Table 2. 3C503 driver

To change the transceiver type from BNC (thin ethernet cabling or an internal transceiver) to DIX (thick ethernet cabling or an external transceiver), load the driver with the DIX parameter by typing

LOAD 3C503 DIX <Enter>

The default is BNC. This parameter does not need to be specified. If the driver has been loaded with DIX, you can unload the driver and then reload the driver without the DIX parameter to set the driver to the default (BNC).

3C505

You can have up to three 3C505 boards in an ISA (AT) bus file server. However, the board must be installed in a 16-bit slot. You can load this driver for each board and for each frame type assigned to a board (maximum: 12 times). The driver loads reentrantly.

Table 3. 3C505 driver

IMPORTANT:  This driver uses the board's DMA. Do not use this driver in a file server that has more than 16 MB of memory installed.

You can have up to four 3C523 boards in the microchannel file server. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board (maximum: 16 times). This driver loads re-entrantly.

Set the interrupts, memory addresses, I/O ports, and transceiver type with the computer's setup or reference diskette. You must also enable the board with the reference diskette. The driver reads these settings when you enter the slot number in which the board is installed.

Table 4. 3C523 driver

NE2

You can have as many as four NE/2 boards in a microchannel file server, installed in 16-bit slots. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board (maximum: 16 times). This driver loads reentrantly.

Set the interrupts, memory addresses, and I/O ports with the computer's setup or reference diskette. The recommended setting for memory is disabled. The driver reads the settings when you enter the slot number in which the board is installed.

Table 5. NE2 driver

NE2-32

The NE2-32 driver can be loaded for as many NE2-32 boards as can fit in a microchannel file server. If your server has only three 32-bit slots, you can install three boards. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board. This driver loads reentrantly.

Set the interrupts, memory addresses, and I/O ports with the computer's setup or reference diskette. The driver reads these settings when you enter the slot number in which the board is installed.

Table 6. NE2-32 driver

NE1000

You can have as many as four NE1000 boards in an ISA (AT bus) file server if the boards are configured so that they do not conflict with other components in the file server. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board (maximum: 16 times). This driver loads reentrantly.

Table 7. NE1000 driver

NE2000

You can have up to four NE2000 boards in an ISA (AT bus) file server if the boards are configured so that they do not conflict with other hardware in the file server. However, each board must be installed in a 16-bit slot. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board (maximum: 16 times). This driver loads reentrantly.

Table 8. NE2000 driver

NE3200

You can have up to six NE3200 boards in the EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) file server. However, the board must be installed in a 32-bit bus master slot. You can load this driver for each board and for each additional frame type assigned to the board (maximum: 24 times). This driver loads reentrantly.

Set interrupts and connector types with the CONFIGURATION (or similarly named) diskette. The driver reads these settings when you enter the slot number in which the board is installed.

Table 9. NE3200 driver

You can have a maximum of two PCN2 boards in a file server, one each at the primary port addresses.

Table 10. PCN2 driver

TOKEN

You can use this driver in both ISA (AT bus) and microchannel file servers. You can have a maximum of two Token-Ring network boards in your file server.

All parameters are optional. You can modify parameters at the command line only when you load the driver. All users of the driver can set the NAME, NODE, MEM, and TBZ parameters. You should not set the other parameters unless you are a programmer.

IMPORTANT:  The shared RAM should not be set higher than 16 KB. Even though some boards can be set to 64 KB, use 16 KB. The file server will still use all 64 KB on the board.

TRXNET

This driver can be used for both ISA (AT bus) and microchannel file servers.

• An ISA file server can have as many as four RX-Net boards installed; therefore, you can load this driver four times in an ISA file server.
• A microchannel file server can have as many as six RX-Net boards installed; therefore, you can load this driver six times in a microchannel file server.

The driver loads reentrantly.

ISA parameters. When loading the TRXNET driver in an ISA file server, select values from the following table.

Table 12. TRXNET driver

Microchannel parameters. Select interrupts, memory addresses, and I/O ports with the computer's setup or reference diskette. When you load the driver, use the values from the chart below.

Table 13. TRXNET driver for microchannel computers

Load a LAN Driver in an EISA File Server

Procedure to Down the file server.

Load a LAN driver in an ISA (AT bus) File Server

Load a LAN Driver in a Microchannel File Server

Change an Optional Parameter of a Loaded Driver

Load a Driver More than Once

If you have installed more than one network board of the same type or if you need to use more than one frame type, you must load the same driver more than once. For more information on frame types, see "Frame" in Concepts.

From the procedures that follow, select the one that fits your situation.

Load the Driver for a Second Board

To load the driver a second time for an additional network board installed in the file server, complete the following steps.

Procedure

Load the Driver for a Second Frame Type

To add a second frame type to a loaded driver, complete the following steps.

Procedure

Add Multiple Frames to More than One Network Board

To add more than one frame type to a network board when the driver has already been loaded for more than one network board, complete the following steps.

Procedure

Upgrade a LAN Driver

If the developer of a LAN driver releases an updated version of the driver, you can load it without downing the file server.

IMPORTANT:  If users are logged in and running critical processes, do not upgrade the driver until they have logged out.

You should be able to upgrade the driver in less than five minutes. If a logged-in user makes a call to the file server during the process, the user receives a lost connection message. If the user waits until you finish (and you finish within 15 minutes), the user can re-establish the connection by choosing to retry.

To upgrade a driver, complete the following steps.

Procedure

Troubleshooting LAN Drivers

Most LAN drivers cannot be loaded unless the network board has a cable attached and the cabling has been properly terminated. Check the cabling. See the appropriate NetWare supplement for your network board to set up and terminate the cabling system.

LAN drivers cannot share interrupts, I/O ports, or memory addresses with any other piece of hardware in the file server.

NOTE:  The exception is the TOKEN driver, which allows you to configure two Token-Ring network boards to the same interrupt. However, the TOKEN driver cannot share the interrupt with other types of LAN drivers.

The following sections should help you prevent conflicts with other network boards, the print server, and other types of hardware in the file server.

If two network boards have been configured to the same parameter, the file server may display one of the following symptoms:

• The LAN driver does not initialize when loaded.
• The computer refuses to boot DOS or beeps when DOS is booted.
• If the driver loads and initializes, the conflict prevents the driver from broadcasting any packets.

Make sure you fill out the "File Server Worksheet" in Installation and Upgrade so that you have an accurate record of the parameters. Do not configure any network boards (except interrupts for two Token-Ring boards) to the same interrupt, I/O port, memory address, or DMA.

Another source of conflict with LAN drivers is overlapping memory addresses or I/O port addresses. Each address parameter specifies a range of bytes that begins at the parameter. (CONFIG displays the range for a loaded LAN driver.)

For example, the TOKEN driver (for a board configured to 16 KB) starts its memory address at D80000 and uses all memory from D80000 to DC0000. If you load another driver or install hardware that uses memory starting at D70000 and ending at D85000, the TOKEN driver will not initialize (because of the memory conflict).

To avoid memory address and I/O port conflicts, do either of the following:

• Map the memory ranges of all hardware I/O ports and memory addresses. Make sure that no conflicts exist. (CONFIG displays the memory range of memory addresses and I/O ports for all loaded drivers.)
• Select options as far away from each other as the software and hardware will allow. For example, if you configure the NE1000 board with an I/O port of 300, select 2E0 or 350 rather than 310 for the I/O port of the RX-Net board.

The network board configurations can also conflict with printers if your file server is also your print server. The printers attached to the file server can be configured to use the same interrupts as a LAN board.

To prevent conflicts with PSERVER.NLM, complete one or more of the following:

• Use PCONSOLE to display the interrupts selected for the printers attached to the file server. Do not configure a network board to any interrupt used by a printer.
• Change a printer so that it is polled and does not use an interrupt (see Chapter 2, "Print Server Installation," in Print Server). Polling will free the interrupt so that a network board can use the interrupt.
• Reconfigure the board's interrupt (see the NetWare supplement for the network board).

The following chart lists the interrupts and I/O ports of various pieces of hardware. If the hardware is installed, check the parameters to see if they conflict with the configuration you set for the network board.

For example, if you configure a 3C503 network board to interrupt 2 and your file server has an EGA monitor, the network board's interrupt conflicts with the monitor's interrupt.