3Com 3CR990-TX-97, 3CR990SVR97 Configuring the Managed PC Boot Agent MBA, Booting From the Network

120CHAPTER 6: CONFIGURING THE NIC

Configuring the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA)

This section explains how to configure the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) boot ROM to boot from the network.

For detailed information on using, configuring, and troubleshooting the MBA boot ROM, see the Managed PC Boot Agent User Guide, located with the MBA software on the EtherCD.

Enabling or Disabling the Boot ROM Setting

The default NIC boot ROM setting is Disabled. This setting must be enabled to boot from the network.

To enable or disable the NIC boot ROM setting:

1Make sure that the NIC is installed and is connected to the network and that the NIC driver is installed.

2Open the Windows Start menu.

3Select Programs, and then 3Com NIC Utilities.

4Click 3Com NIC Doctor.

The 3Com NIC Diagnostics General screen appears.

5Select the Configuration tab. The Configuration screen appears.

6Under Network Parameter, select NetBoot ROM.

7Open the Set Value list box and select Enabled to enable the boot ROM or Disabled to disable the boot ROM.

8Click OK to save the setting and exit the program.

Booting From the Network

The boot process for the MBA boot ROM varies depending on the type of PC you have (BBS BIOS-compatible or non-BBS BIOS-compatible).

If your PC was purchased recently, it may be BBS (BIOS Boot Specification) BIOS-compatible. The BBS determines how the system BIOS identifies boot devices in a PC (such as a CD-ROM drive, a hard drive, or a floppy drive), allows the user to select the boot order of these devices, and then attempts to boot from each device in the specified order.