CONTACTS 
0201 - PCtown                               415 788 8696 fax 217 7731
020101 - Mr. Chris Grossman; Sales Executive
020102 - Sales Department
020103 - Mr. Kevin Duong; Technician =415 788 8699
020104 - Technical Department

SUBJECTS
37135826 MS Case No., Network Failing on
Mouse Changing to Hour Glass Access Symbol,
Ethernet Card, Fast EtherLink XL, PCI
Network Failing with CPU11
IP Address Needed for Network

0907 -    ..
0908 - Summary/Objective
0909 -
090901 - Follow up ref SDS 11 0000, ref SDS 10 0000.
090902 -
090903 - Obtained missing driver file for CPU10 from Pctown, ref SDS 0 3937,
090904 - and was able to update the network driver without the errors that
090905 - occurred yesterday.  This successful installation, however, did not
090906 - enable CPU10 and CPU11 to use Netbeui protocol.  At the suggestion of
090907 - Pctown, removed all protocols in Network Properties Configuration on
090908 - CPU10 and installed again. Netbeui continued to fail.  TCP/IP protocol
090909 - was therefore reinstalled in both CPU10 and CPU11, and seems to work
090910 - consistently. ref SDS 0 3888
090911 -
090912 - This record suggests there is an incompatibility between 3Com network
090913 - ISA and PCI cards when using the Microsoft Netbeui protocol.
090914 -
090915 -     [On 990725 installed netbui on CPU10 to connect to CPU09, per
090916 -     record. ref SDS 12 3078]
090917 -
090918 -     [On 990808 TCP/IP failed on CPU11 to Kath's computer. ref SDS 13
090919 -     6149]
090920 -
090921 -     [On 990808 used direct cable to transfer data. ref SDS 13 6933]
090922 -
090923 -
090924 -
0910 -
0911 -
0912 - Analysis
0913 -
091301 -  ..
091302 - Small Mistakes Lead to Major Impacts in Cost and Time
091303 - People Working for Computer Instead of Computer Working for People
091304 -
091305 - One result of the evident incompatibility is that TCP/IP is the
091306 - network protocol between CPU10 and CPU11, and will have to be used
091307 - when networking these systems to other computers.
091308 -
091309 - Approximately 40 hours has been expended by Welch to discover that
091310 - netbeui will not work with these two configurations, assuming it has
091311 - in fact been "discovered" and is not simply the result of inept
091312 - installation by Welch, which loss flowed from the simple effort to fix
091313 - a defective CD ROM drive under warrenty, which somehow caused the
091314 - operating system for CPU10 to fail on 990108. ref SDS 3 2636   As
091315 - well, Microsoft incurred perhaps 8 hours of lost time, and Pctown
091316 - incurred a number of hours of lost time.
091317 -
091318 - Might these losses have been avoided if the same network card had been
091319 - installed on both machines?
091320 -
091321 - For example on 980225, Pctown replaced the ISA network card with a PC
091322 - card. ref SDS 2 4171
091323 -
091324 - Might the loss have been mitigated if Microsoft had given notice on
091325 - 990118, when it was initially called, ref SDS 9 1385, that its driver
091326 - is incompatible with the 3Com network card installed on CPU10, rather
091327 - than waiting and giving that notice on 990120, as occurred here.
091328 -
091329 - Might the loss have been further mitigated if efforts to contact
091330 - Microsoft had been successful on 990112, when the problem was first
091331 - encountered, rather than having to wait until 990118 because Microsoft
091332 - Help lines were busy. ref SDS 5 0280
091333 -
091334 - Might the loss have been reduced, if Pctown had provided the 3Com
091335 - drivers it used, or should have used, to configure CPU10 in February
091336 - 1998, so that, if the operating system later failed and had to be
091337 - installed, it could be done without having to discover that Microsoft
091338 - drivers were incompatible with 3Com's ethernet card, as occurred on
091339 - 990119, ref SDS 10 2920, and then obtain them from a web site, as
091340 - recommended by Pctown on 990120. ref SDS 11 4140
091341 -
091342 - What should the user have done differently in order to help Pctown and
091343 - Microsoft accomplish the objective of deliivering a serviceable
091344 - computer?
091345 -
091346 -
091347 -
091348 -
0914 -
0915 -
0916 - Discussion
0917 -
091701 -  ..
091702 - CPU10 Network Driver Installation for W98
091703 -
091704 - Follow up ref SDS 11 0738.
091705 -
091706 - I explained that we seem to have the network running now, but on
091707 - TCP/IP, rather than netbeui. ref SDS 11 5516
091708 -
091709 - He said this requires an IP address for TCP/IP, per the record on
091710 - 970116. ref SDS 1 0876  We checked and found that there is no TCP/IP
091711 - address entered.
091712 -
091713 - Kevin feels netbeui should be used, because it is faster, but TCP/IP
091714 - is okay unless a high priced network card is being used.  He feels our
091715 - network card may not benefit from netbeui, since that is the normal
091716 - configuration.
091717 -
091718 - I asked about the error message and where we should find the files
091719 - that were missing during installation yesterday. ref SDS 11 0988
091720 -
091721 - Kevin says the files we downloaded should have created a win95
091722 - directory.  I explained this did not occur.
091723 -
091724 - Kevin will send me the files they use.
091725 -
091726 - He wants me to put them on floppy disks.
091727 - ..
091728 - He suggested removing the configuration on both machines, and
091729 - then installing them again.
091730 -
091731 -     1.  Install client for microsoft networks first.
091732 -     2.  Install netbeui next.
091733 -     3.  Install file and printer sharing
091734 -
091735 -
091736 -
091737 -  ..
0918 -
0919 -
0920 - 1700
0921 -
092101 - Received ref DRT 1 1375, saying the driver files were too big to send
092102 - via email, so he referenced me to the web site.
092103 -
092104 -    http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c90x401.htm
092105 -
092106 - I opened the site and found that is is the same site from which I got
092107 - the files last night. ref SDS 11 0490
092108 -
092109 - Called Kevin
092110 -
092111 - Advised we have the files from the 3Com web site, but when they are
092112 - installed there is a file missing, as shown in the record yesterday.
092113 - ref SDS 11 0988
092114 -
092115 - Kevin said that when he downloaded and installed the files from 3Com's
092116 - web site, they got the file we are missing.
092117 -
092118 - I therefore asked Kevin to send the file via email. ref SDS 11 0988
092119 -
092120 -
092121 -  ..
0922 -
0923 -
0924 - 2021
0925 -
092501 - Received the missing driver file via email from Pctown, per discussion
092502 - with Kevin above. ref SDS 0 7540
092503 -
092504 - Put it in directory...
092505 -
092506 -                  i: 00 02 02 01
092507 -
092508 -    ...which is disk1, per the record yesterday. ref SDS 11 1224
092509 -
092510 - It is on  both CPU10 and CPU11.
092511 -
092512 - On CPU10, ran procedure to update network card driver that was used
092513 - yesterday. ref SDS 11 0738
092514 -
092515 - There were no errors during this installation, as occurred yesterday,
092516 - so this seems to have cleared that problem.
092517 -
092518 - I then removed on CPU10 the TCP/IP link to the 3Com network card in
092519 - the Network Properties Configuration list for CPU10 and CPU11.
092520 -
092521 - Added Netbeui protocol and then started the computer to complete the
092522 - changed configuration.
092523 -
092524 - Both CPUs booted successfully, without hang ups recognizing drives on
092525 - the network.
092526 -
092527 -
092528 -  ..
092529 - Network Configuraion Failed Again
092530 -
092531 - We seem to have the same problem with netbeui.
092532 -
092533 - CPU11 sees itself, but not CPU10.
092534 -
092535 - CPU10 sees CPU11 but not itself.
092536 -
092537 - This is the same problem we had last night after the defective driver
092538 - installation. ref SDS 11 5100
092539 -
092540 -
092541 -
092542 -  ..
092543 - Removed Network Configuration on CPU10 and Installed Again
092544 -
092545 - Tried Kevin's idea of removing the entire Network configuration and
092546 - installing again. ref SDS 0 1848
092547 -
092548 - Actually did this in two passes.
092549 -
092550 - The first time I did not remove the 3Com network card device, which
092551 - was recommended on 990118. ref SDS 9 6305
092552 -
092553 - On this pass, after the system started again, the Network directory
092554 - was missing from the desktop.
092555 -
092556 - I then went ahead and removed the 3Com network entry in the
092557 - Properties Configuration list, so that only Dial Up Adapter and
092558 - TPC/IP were left.
092559 -
092560 - I booted the computer, and when it came up, w98 executed the process
092561 - of building the drivers for the 3Com network card again.
092562 -
092563 - This went correctly using the procedure of specifying the directory
092564 - locations for the updated 3Com nic drivers, until disk2 was requested.
092565 - I gave it the directory for disk2.  W98 began reading files, then the
092566 - screen crashed.
092567 -
092568 - Let it sit for about 5 minutes or so to see if it would clear itself,
092569 - then had to use Ctrl Alt Del to warn boot.
092570 -
092571 - The system came up and there is a new Network icon on the desktop.
092572 -
092573 - We got the Network screen with the password.
092574 -
092575 - I clicked on cancel.
092576 -
092577 -
092578 -
092579 -  ..
092580 - Installation Set TCP/IP Link to 3Com NIC, Netbeui Not Installed
092581 -
092582 - Configuration on CPU10 shows the same list we wound up with yesterday
092583 - after updating the driver when we got errors. ref SDS 11 6410
092584 -
092585 -        Client for Microsoft Networks
092586 -        3Com Fast Etherlink XL 10/100 Mb TX Ethernet NIC (3C905-TX)
092587 -        Dial up Adapter
092588 -        3Com TCAATDI Diagnostic TDI
092589 -        TCP/IP -> 3Com Fast Etherlink XL 10/100 Mb TX Ethernet NIC (3C905-TX)
092590 -        TCP/IP -> Dial UP Adapter
092591 -        File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
092592 -
092593 -   ...except we do not have netbeui, which was listed last night, even
092594 -   though it seemed to turn out that netbeui was not effective last
092595 -   night. per the record this morning. ref SDS 11 5516
092596 -
092597 -
092598 -  ..
092599 - Changing Protocol from TCP/IP to Netbeui for 3Com NIC Failed
092600 -
092601 - Tried again to remove...
092602 -
092603 -   TCP/IP -> 3Com Fast Etherlink XL 10/100 Mb TX Ethernet NIC (3C905-TX)
092604 -
092605 -   ...and to add back...
092606 -
092607 -   Netbeui -> 3Com Fast Etherlink XL 10/100 Mb TX Ethernet NIC (3C905-TX)
092608 -
092609 - CPU10 booted, and when it came up we have the same list of stuff in
092610 - Network Properties Configuration that is on CPU11, excpet for the
092611 - protocol that supports the 3Com PCI card.
092612 -
092613 - When CPU10 and CPU11 booted under netbeui, we have the same problem as
092614 - before. ref SDS 0 7625
092615 -
092616 - Will make one more try to remove and install netbeui on CPU10 using
092617 - the original w98 CD disk.  For convenience, we have been using the
092618 - w98 upgrade CD disk, so we could have a w98 CD disk in both computers
092619 - at the same time.
092620 -
092621 - Removed netbeui and booted the computer.
092622 -
092623 - Changed the OEM w98 CD disk that was used to install the operating
092624 - system on 990114.  Installed netbeui again on CPU10, and booted the
092625 - computer.
092626 -
092627 - This did not solve the problem.
092628 -
092629 -
092630 -  ..
092631 - TCP/IP Protocol Works with 3Com Ethernet ISA and PCI Cards
092632 - Netbeui Protocol Fails with 3Com Ethernet ISA and PCI Cards
092633 -
092634 - Restored TCP/IP link to 3Com network card on CPU10 and CPU11.
092635 -
092636 - CPU10 and CPU11 now both see themselves and each other, as expected,
092637 - based on the record from yesterday. ref SDS 11 4884
092638 -
092639 - This record seems to suggest there may be an incompatibility between
092640 - following Network Interface Cards using Microsoft NetBeui protocol...
092641 -
092642 -    CPU10    3Com Fast Etherlink XL 10/100 Mb TX Ethernet NIC (3C905-TX)
092643 -
092644 -    CPU11    3Com Etherlink III ISA (3C509b-TPO) in PnP mode
092645 -
092646 -
092647 -     [On 990725 installed netbui on CPU10 to connect to CPU09, per
092648 -     record. ref SDS 12 3078]
092649 -
092650 -
092651 -
092652 -
092653 -
0927 -
0928 -