NIC Card Problem

TMC

TMC

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  • A hardware question!

    We've been asked to perform some work on a "mature" W2000 server. The box is a Compaq Prolinea and has an onboard NIC. The external connection looks for all the world like a conventional RJ45 10/100 LAN socket.

    Therefore we assigned the server an available TCP/IP address for our LAN and plugged the box up directly to our office hub using a conventional 10/100 CAT5 cable. This cable and this configuration has always worked for all other 'visiting' boxes.

    In short the Compaq apparently won't communicate with our LAN; this is evidenced by the lack of heartbeat LED activity on the RJ45 hub socket. Furthermore, although the Compaq can ping its own TCP/IP address fine, it can't be pinged from anywhere else on the LAN.

    A little Googling reveals this onboard NIC supports 2 different LAN protocols, and we're wondering if anyone can verify which of the following acronyms would most likely be the one used by our very conventional CAT5 office LAN:
    [A] 10Base-T or 10 Base-2
    10/100 Base-TX

    The box is currently set to option and apparently this is its factory default setting.
 
Well, the standard for today would be , 10/100 Base-TX. Unless yor LAN is older in which case it might use an only 10 Mb/s 10 Base-T connection. If you open a command prompt in Windows and type ipconfig, what is the output?? Are you getting an IP address?? Maybe Windows is set up for a static IP address and you need to tell it to get an address automatically?? Check the TCP/IP settings and get back to us. ;)

Louie
 
  • Thanks for the swift reply louie55. Our LAN is younger than the server in question, and we've already tried the "10Base-T or 10 Base-2" setting just to see if there was any noticable result (there wasn't :mad: ).

    As this server is a Compaq, and an elderly one at that, we just needed some reassurance about which acronym is most likely to describe our LAN. 10/100 Base-TX is our bet as well. :D

    Rather than get any further involved with the onboard NIC and its dual protocols, we're simply going to pick up a 'normal' PCI NIC over the weekend, disable the onboard hardware, and start over with the PCI interface.

    Your other suggestions aren't related to hardware, but the thought is much appreciated. Keep in mind there's no point tinkering with SW if the HW isn't working!
 
TMC said:
  • Keep in mind there's no point tinkering with SW if the HW isn't working!
Click to expand...

Drivers are software and they help make hardware work - so thats not a rule I'd ever keep in mind ;)

Just my tuppence worth - I hope you get your problem sorted :)

Rob
 
TMC said:
Rather than get any further involved with the onboard NIC and its dual protocols, we're simply going to pick up a 'normal' PCI NIC over the weekend, disable the onboard hardware, and start over with the PCI interface.
Click to expand...

This is what I would do as well if the server is that old. Saves all the trouble, especially when you can get a 10/100 PCI ethernet card these days pretty cheap.

Also, sorry, I guess I missed the part about you gave the server an IP from your LAN subnet. So I guess a TCP/IP problem is out of the question.

Louie
 
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