3Com XL PCI manual Frequently Asked Questions, Question Answer

Frequently Asked Questions 4-15

Frequently Asked Questions

Table 4-2 describes some common questions and answers about the 3C905B-TX NIC.

Table 4-2Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Which PCI slot is best for my	3Com PCI NICs are designed to work in any bus
PCI NIC?	mastering PCI slot, preferably slot 1. Avoid any
	PCI slot next to an ISA slot. This is often a shared
	slot and does not support bus mastering.The
	NICs perform best in those slots that support bus
	mastering data transfers. Refer to your PC
	manual for information on which slots support
	bus mastering data transfers.

Do I have to configure the 3C905B-TX NIC?

PCI is a self-configuring bus architecture. Most of the time you only need to install the board in your PC; PCI does the rest. However, on some PCI computers, you may be required to configure the computer’s BIOS manually after installing your PCI NIC. Refer to the owner’s guide for your PC.

What interrupts should I avoid?	You should avoid using any interrupts used by
	ISA/EISA boards that do not properly support
	shared interrupts (level-triggered).
	If you do not know or are unsure whether other
	devices or adapters in your PC support shared
	interrupts, then avoid using them.
	Avoid using the same interrupt as your local hard
	drive (normally IRQ 14 for IDE drives and IRQ 11
	for most SCSI host adapters), since not all hard
	drives support shared interrupts at this time.
	Avoid using 9 because it cascades with 2.
	For Novell NetWare servers, avoid using IRQ 7 or
	15. These IRQs only support nonshared devices
	and may cause problems if they are shared
	between two devices.
Are my Fast EtherLink XL network	Yes, the Fast EtherLink XL network drivers are
drivers Microsoft-certified?	Microsoft-certified.
Are my Fast EtherLink XL Bus	Yes, the Fast EtherLink XL ODI drivers are
Master ODI drivers	Novell-certified.
Novell-certified?
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