Thread: Win98 and 3com NIC

  1. #1
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    Win98 and 3com NIC

    One of my computers is running Win98 SE and has a 3Com NIC in it. It works great, connects to the net, everything... for a while. After about 2-3 hours of being connected to my network here, it drops the connection. The only way to get it back is to restart.

    I haven't tested the ethernet connection yet, but I have tried updating the driver for the NIC.

    I just don't understand what would be causing something like this!?

    Any ideas?

  2. #2
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
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    might not be the driver, could be a firmware problem...did you check the site for a list of known bugs?
    What model NIC is it, we run mostly 3coms at school and we've never had one drop a connectin like that.

    The only reason I say it could be firmware is that firmware is read by the bios, and memory is allocated for the device. So, if the firmware is causing a problem, that would require the reboot. So, if you want to just for sheets and giggles go into your bios and check to use a PnP OS (plug and play). If it's already checked, then uncheck it, cause if windows is handling memory allocation it could do the same thing. If neither of them work, it may be time to upgrade the card.
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  3. #3
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    hmm... didn't think about that one (the PnP idea). Off the top of my head while at work, I believe it's a 905a TX card. A gateway version of the 905a.

    I don't think the PnP thing is going to work, because I almost always disable that option on any PC that I build/re-build and I've ripped this PC down and rebuilt it on my own. And I'm starting to wonder if that might be half the problem. Since I removed all the gateway software, and the gateway mobo is still in there, it could be doing weird things.

    I may have to check if there is a firmware update for it too.... although I never updated the firmware on a NIC. Is that possible?

  4. #4
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
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    anythings possible

    ::sticks screwdriver in outlet::
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  5. #5
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    hmm.. got any better ideas?? PnP was already off.

    I haven't checked the firmware thing yet, but I kinda doubt that is the problem at this point.

  6. #6
    Visionary Philosopher Sayeh's Avatar
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    Is the NIC card getting hot?

    Have you updated the NIC firmware for the card?

    Any cumulative EMI anywhere?
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  7. #7
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    And how exactly would I measure cumulative EMI?

    And no, I have not updated the firmware. I have yet to check that.

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