Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!van-bc!skl From: skl@wimsey.bc.ca (Samuel Lam) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc Subject: Re: Packet or NDIS Driver for 3C505 and PC/TCP and CUTCP Message-ID: <1991Jun27.095058.4116@wimsey.bc.ca> Date: 27 Jun 91 09:50:58 GMT References: <559@fallst.UUCP> Reply-To: skl@wimsey.bc.ca (Samuel Lam) Organization: none Lines: 45 In article <559@fallst.UUCP>, tkevans@fallst.UUCP (Tim Evans) wrote: >ftp Software Tech Support recommended use of the NDIS driver >instead of the packet driver. They wouldn't exactly come right >out and say there is a problem with the 3C505 and their software >with the packet driver, but did insist that performance and >throughput would be better with the NDIS driver for the 3C505. A while ago, James Van Bokkelen of FTP Software did say on the net that the Clarkson 3c505 packet driver has a problem (that's not easily fixable), and I think at that time he recommended the use of the 3C505-specific version of PC/TCP instead of the Clarkson 3C505 packet driver plus the packet driver version of PC/TCP. The problem as I understand it is that the Clarkson 3C505 packet driver utilizes the firmware on the board to do the real work, and that firmware has bugs, while the 3C505-specific version of PC/TCP download its own driver onto the board and thus bypassing the bugs in the 3C505's onboard firmware. I don't think the problem is with the packet driver version of the PC/TCP kernel. My own experience with the Clarkson 3C505 packet driver is that it seems to always lockup my AT after having moved a certain (large) volume of traffic. Your "keyboard failure" symptom seems to ring a bell too, but it has been a while since I last played with that setup... The performance of the 3C505 using the Clarkson 3C505 packet driver aren't great, but I have heard on the net that the 3C505 is capable of much better performance with the Novell Netware driver. Since I don't use Novell, I don't know what the actual difference is. I haven't tried the NDIS driver (and DIS_PKT on top of it) yet, but I do plan to try that out in the near future. ...Sam P.S. In case anyone want a few spare 3C505's, my company is getting rid of ours. They are used but functional, and we would let it go for much lower than what 3COM would charge for a new one these days. --