Etherport II card

[blindowl]

I'm trying to get this Novel Etherport II card working with a IIci but without any luck. I've paired it with a CentreCOM 201TS transceiver, connected to the network with a CAT6 cable.

I've downloaded the drivers from https://www.vintageapple.org/macdrivers/network.shtml. Tried clean installs of different systems from 7.1 to 7.6. Both MacTCP and OT+TCP/IP. DHCP doesn't work and manually assigning an IP address doesn't work.

TattleTech identifies the NuBus card correctly and the Link light on the transceiver is solid green.

I've found a few other threads mentioning this card as problematic. Someone wrote the coax port is more reliable, but I don't own any coax/RJ45 adapter.

Anyone else has an Etherport II card working?

Also, there is a switch on the card, "ENET" or "CNET", what does it do? Switching between coax/AUI ports?

Thanks!

 

[MindWalker]

Also, there is a switch on the card, "ENET" or "CNET", what does it do? Switching between coax/AUI ports?

Likely so, although I would presume ENET for Ethernet (transceiver) and CNET for coaxial (or 'cheapernet') so it looks to be correct.

Old ethernet cards can have troubles if connected onto gigabit ethernet ports on modern switches. An older switch inbetween (or manually setting the port to lower speed) might be worth a try.

 

[mikes-macs]

You may want to do a "Clean Install" of your operating system. After that install Network Software Installer 1.5.1 Then the Ethernet drivers.
After restart, see if there is an "ethernet" option in either the Network, or the AppleTalk Control Panel.

 

[blindowl]

Old ethernet cards can have troubles if connected onto gigabit ethernet ports on modern switches. An older switch inbetween (or manually setting the port to lower speed) might be worth a try.

Thank you for your advise. I had an old Airport Express with 10/100 ethernet lying around, I'm now using it as a bridge.

You may want to do a "Clean Install" of your operating system. After that install Network Software Installer 1.5.1 Then the Ethernet drivers.
After restart, see if there is an "ethernet" option in either the Network, or the AppleTalk Control Panel.

Tried this just now. Installed a clean "IIci" installation of System 7.1. Then NSI 1.5.1, and then the Shiva/Kinetics/Novel drivers. I can see the "EtherTalk" device in Network, but AppleTalk over ethernet is still not working. Chooser > AppleShare list is empty.

I also copied over MacTCP 2.0.6 as it was missing and restarted. I can see "Ethernet" in MacTCP and manually assign an IP address. But it's also not working.

I think I'm giving up on this card. One last thing I will try is to install an English version of the OS, instead of Swedish. Just to rule out any weird localization issue.

 

[mikes-macs]

It may be that card only works in 24 but memory mode. It may have shipped when system 6 was the OS and therefore may only work in 24 bit mode.

 

[EIMS]

You could try my driver for this card https://www.mactcp.net/ethernet.html

I was just testing a new build of the driver that has a fix for a VM performance problem with an identical looking Novel branded Etherport II, and it was working for me.

The compatibility problems I've seen with newer ethernet switches have all been to do with Auto MDI-X, and have only happened with some cards that try and do automatic media detection. As this card has a manual switch, it shouldn't suffer from that problem.

It might be that the card or AUI transceiver is simply faulty.

 

[cheesestraws]

You could try my driver for this card https://www.mactcp.net/ethernet.html

Is the source code for your driver available? I'd like to read it.

 

[EIMS]

Is the source code for your driver available? I'd like to read it.

Source for my EtherLink NB driver is already on that page. I'll try and find some time to put the source for the Etherport II driver up there as well.

The drivers are very similar, both cards use the DP8390. Most of the differences are around the Etherport II having a different memory layout with awkward access to the card RAM using 2 byte accesses with a 4 byte stride.

 

[cheesestraws]

Source for my EtherLink NB driver is already on that page. I'll try and find some time to put the source for the Etherport II driver up there as well.

Cheers!

 

[cheesestraws]

Source for my EtherLink NB driver is already on that page

(Slight thread hijack, apologies). I don't suppose you happen to have access to a copy of the AppleTalk Connections Programmer’s Guide do you? I've been looking for literally years at this point and I haven't seen hide nor hair.

 

[EIMS]

(Slight thread hijack, apologies). I don't suppose you happen to have access to a copy of the AppleTalk Connections Programmer’s Guide do you? I've been looking for literally years at this point and I haven't seen hide nor hair.

I have an old physical copy of the "EtherTalk and Alternate AppleTalk Connections Reference". However I believe everything in that is also in newer documents like IM Networking, which is why I haven't bothered trying to scan it yet.

 

[blindowl]

You could try my driver for this card https://www.mactcp.net/ethernet.html

I was just testing a new build of the driver that has a fix for a VM performance problem with an identical looking Novel branded Etherport II, and it was working for me.

The compatibility problems I've seen with newer ethernet switches have all been to do with Auto MDI-X, and have only happened with some cards that try and do automatic media detection. As this card has a manual switch, it shouldn't suffer from that problem.

It might be that the card or AUI transceiver is simply faulty.

I just tried your driver and when installed the only interface I can choose in Network and MacTCP is LocalTalk. I also tried the DaynaPORT drivers but with them I have the same issue as with the Shiva drivers. So I guess the card/transceiver is faulty...

 

[cheesestraws]

I have an old physical copy of the "EtherTalk and Alternate AppleTalk Connections Reference". However I believe everything in that is also in newer documents like IM Networking, which is why I haven't bothered trying to scan it yet.

That doesn't sound like the same book, unfortunately. I'm looking for information on how to write ADEVs...

 

[mg.man]

I'm looking for information on how to write ADEVs...

Not what you're questing, but assume you've found this?
- https://wiki.preterhuman.net/images/1/1b/AppleTalk_Wide_Area_DevKit.pdf

 

[cheesestraws]

Not what you're questing, but assume you've found this?

Yup - but that assumes you've read the earlier documentation!

 

[mg.man]

Chicken, let me acquaint you with Egg...