Contents

The following Help Topics are available:

General Description

Specific Operating System Information

DOS Installation

Windows 3.1 Installation

Card Services

Point Enabler

Windows 95 Installation

Windows 95 Card Services

Point Enabler Screens

Computer Setup Information

Ethernet Adapter Setup

Other Information

Inserting Your PC Card

Creating the Installation Directory

Select Network

ODI Network and Frame Type

For Help on Help, Press F1

Version 2.1.01

May 8, 1997


Description

The program SETUP is used to install your Ethernet Adapter under Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.  After installing your Ethernet Adapter, you need not run SETUP again.


Inserting Your PC Card

Laptop computers typically have one or two slots located on either side of the machine into which PC Cards are inserted.  The PC Card Ethernet Adapter should be removed from its plastic case before being inserted into the computer.  The top of the Ethernet Adapter has an arrow indicating which end should be inserted into the computer.

NOTE:

On some new laptop computers, a plastic card is shipped in the PC Card slots to protect them during shipment.  Before inserting your Ethernet Adapter, inspect your PC Card slots and make sure they are free of any obstructing materials.

Some laptop computers require that the Ethernet Adapter be inserted upside down.  If you have difficulty getting the card all the way in, try turning the card over and inserting it again.


Create Directory

The path C:\MHZ is only a suggested default directory where the Ethernet Adapter drivers and other support files will be copied.  It is best that the directory you use does not already exist on your system.  You can change the directory by entering any unique directory path.  If the directory specified does not exist, it will automatically be created when the files are copied to it.


Computer Setup

When installing the Point Enabler, you will need to specify this information.  If you are in doubt about which values to use, keep the default values.

Number of PC Card Slots:

This is a count of the number of slots on your computer that are intended for PC Cards (such as your Ethernet Adapter card).  Most laptop computers have one or two slots.  If your computer has a docking station, you should count its PC Card slots as well.

Memory Base Address:

A 4 kilobyte block of memory used to read the tuples (card information) on the PC Card.  This should be memory that is not in use by any other hardware device.  The available memory addresses will vary for different computer types and setups.  Check with your laptop vendor or the README.TXT file to determine the best address to use.  If you cannot find this information, you will need to experiment with different addresses to find one that works on your computer.


Ethernet Adapter Setup

LAN IRQ : The LAN portion of the card needs to have an IRQ assigned to it.  This IRQ is used to notify the LAN drivers that a packet has arrived.  If you are using both the modem and LAN portions of the combo card under DOS, the LAN IRQ needs to be on the same PIC as the modem IRQ.  This means that if the modem IRQ is less than 8, that the LAN IRQ needs to be less than 8 as well.  Likewise, if the modem IRQ is greater than 8, the LAN IRQ needs to be greater than 8.

LAN Port: This is the 16-byte register window on the I/O bus that is used by the LAN driver to talk to the LAN itself.  It is usually set at 300h or 320h, but can be set at any free location evenly divisible by 10h.  (Due to limitations of the ISA bus, the window cannot be set any higher than 3F0h.)


Select Network

See your Network Administrator to determine the network you are using and the type of wire connection.  If using a Novell (ODI) Network, you will also need to know the Preferred Server and the Frame Type currently being used.

Available Network Connection Types:

10BASE-T

The IEEE standard for a 10-megabit-per-second network on twisted pair cable.  Uses an RJ45 Connector.

Sample of 10BASE-T Connection:

10BASE-2

The IEEE standard for a 10-megabit-per-second network on a thinnet cable (thin coaxial cable).  The maximum segment length is 185 meters for standard Ethernet, or 300 meters if all devices support the Extended Length cabling standard.  Uses a BNC connector.

Sample of 10BASE-2 Connection:

Available Network Operating Systems:

Novell Netware (ODI)

Microsoft Windows for Workgroups NDIS 2 (DOS and Windows 3.1x)

Microsoft Windows for Workgroups NDIS 3 (Windows 3.1x only)

Banyan Vines (NDIS 2)

Artisoft LANtastic (NDIS 2)

Other NDIS-based network operating system

For Banyan Vines, Artisoft LANtastic, or other NDIS-based network operating systems, SETUP assumes you will be using the NDIS 2 driver.  If the network operating system requires NDIS 3, select "Microsoft Windows for Workgroups NDIS3" and see the network operating system documentation for installation instructions.


Twisted Pair Cable

Wiring consisting of two insulated wires loosely twisted around each other.  This helps reduce noise on circuits.


Thinnet Cable

A cabling scheme using RG-58 50-ohm coaxial cable.  Also called Thin Ethernet.


Network and Frame Type
ODI Network and Frame Type

Preferred Server:

Some networks have more than one file server attached.  The Preferred Server is the server chosen if more than one is available.  See your Network Administrator to determine the Preferred Server Name needed as your default.

Frame Type:

Networks send information from one computer to another in a block of data called a packet.  A packet is a group of bits (data and control characters) that are transmitted as a whole.  The packet standards are:

Ethernet 802.2

Ethernet 802.3

Ethernet II

Ethernet SNAP

See your Network Administrator to determine the frame types to use.


DOS Installation

A DOS installation program is not available at this time.  However, if you install your Ethernet Adapter using the Windows 3.1 installation program, then your Ethernet Adapter will also work under DOS.

NOTE:

If you are using the NDIS 3 driver, you must be running Windows 3.1 to access the network.  The network cannot be accessed from DOS only.


Windows 3.1 Installation

To enable your Ethernet Adapter under Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, you need to have Card Services or a Point Enabler installed.  These programs are required to enable the Ethernet Adapter.  When you run SETUP, it will automatically detect whether or not you have Card Services running, and use them if they will work.  If no Card Services are installed, SETUP will give you the option of installing a point enabler.  Because of the limitations with a point enabler, SETUP will always recommend that you install Card Services instead of installing a point enabler.  See the Point Enabler section of this help file for more information.

NOTE:

System files are backed up to Filename.M00.

Sample:  CONFIG.SYS => CONFIG.M00

Restore backup files only immediately following the Ethernet Adapter installation. Restoring these files may delete changes made to system files or programs loaded after SETUP was run.


Card Services

NOTE:

"Card Services" and "Card and Socket Services" refers to the same set of programs.  In this section, we refer to this software as "Card Services" for consistency.

This information refers to Card and Socket Services running under DOS.  If your computer is running Windows 95, check the section on Windows 95 Card Services instead.

Card Services is a system of software files that are shipped with almost every laptop computer that runs DOS.  If SETUP detects a recent version of Card Services on your computer, it will automatically use them.  If no Card Services are installed, SETUP will give you the option of installing a point enabler.  Because of the limitations with a point enabler, SETUP will always recommend that you install Card Services instead of installing a point enabler.  See the Point Enabler section of this help file for more information.

Card Services will automatically detect when a PC Card is inserted or removed, and enable it correctly.  This allows you to "hot-insert" your Ethernet Adapter whenever you need it.  With Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, hot-insertion may not work correctly -- depending on the version of Card Services you are using.  If you cannot use your Ethernet Adapter after hot-inserting it under Windows, try exiting to DOS (not just a DOS box), reinserting your Ethernet Adapter, and restarting Windows.

If you are having problems with your Card Services, we recommend you contact your laptop vendor for an updated version.


Point Enabler

A point enabler is software that activates specific resources on your computer so you can use your Ethernet Adapter.  The Ethernet Adapter must be inserted when the point enabler is run, and the point enabler must be rerun every time the Ethernet Adapter is reinserted, the computer is restarted, and possibly even when the computer goes to sleep.  To be able to use the point enabler, you must specify what resources the Ethernet Adapter will use.  Card Services, on the other hand, keeps track of available resources for you.  If you have SETUP install the point enabler, the file ENABLE will be run automatically every time you restart your computer, enabling any U.S. Robotics or Megahertz Ethernet Adapter it finds.

Because of the limitations of using a point enabler, it is highly recommended that you use Card Services to install your Ethernet Adapter.  The advantage of using a point enabler is that it uses less conventional memory.  If you need the memory used by Card Services, you can disable them and run SETUP to have the point enabler installed.

When a PC Card is reset, information about the card is written to computer memory.  This information is referred to as tuples.  These tuples are needed by Card Services or most point enablers to tell the program exactly how to configure the card.

When using the Megahertz point enabler, a 4 kilobyte block of memory needs to be available in upper memory for the PC Card to use when writing out its tuples.  If an extended memory manager, such as EMM386, is loaded before the point enabler is run, then a block of memory needs to be excluded from the memory manager's control.  For example, if you were using the EMM386 extended memory manager, and you wanted to use the block of memory starting at D000:0, then you would add the instruction X=D000-D0FF to the EMM386 command line.  You must specify a block of memory that is not being used.


Windows 95 Installation

Windows 95 includes its own PC Card installation program.  SETUP will monitor the Windows 95 PC Card Ethernet Adapter installation, giving you hints about how to proceed, and correcting any problems it finds.

SETUP also makes sure that the necessary software to use PC Card Ethernet Adapters is installed.  (See Windows 95 Card Services for more information on this.)


Windows 95 Card Services

NOTE:

"Card Services" and "Card and Socket Services" refers to the same set of programs.  In this section, we refer to this software as "Card Services" for consistency.

If you are not using Windows 95, please refer to DOS Card Services instead.

Windows 95 has built-in support for PC Cards included.  These built-in Card Services allow "hot-swapping" and automatically detect when a PC Card is inserted or removed.  It also recognizes many kinds of PC Cards, including Megahertz Ethernet Adapters.

When SETUP is run, it will detect which Card Services are installed.  If you have DOS Card Services installed, or the Windows 95 built-in Card Services are not enabled, SETUP will give you the option of installing Windows 95 Card Services.  Unless there is a special reason to keep DOS Card Services (such as compatibility with a specific PC Card), it is highly recommended that you install Windows 95 Card Services.

Reinstalling the Ethernet Adapter

If Windows 95 does not recognize your Ethernet Adapter after the installation is completed, the card needs to be reinstalled.  The following steps explain how to do this:

     1.	Press the Start button

     2.	Select Run

     3.	Type   C:\MHZ\UNINSTAL   and press ENTER

     4.	Follow the instructions

     5.	Use the Installation Guide and Installation diskettes to completely reinstall your Ethernet Adapter

Windows 95 and CardWizard

There are some conflicts with SystemSoft's CardWizard for Windows 95 and U.S. Robotics Ethernet Adapters.  If you have installed a U.S. Robotics or Megahertz Ethernet Adapter while not running SETUP on a machine with CardWizard installed, you may not have the full functionality of your Ethernet Adapter, or it may work incorrectly.  To correct this problem, follow the steps above to reinstall your Ethernet Adapter.

If this does not correct the problem, please contact your laptop vendor for assistance.