Path: utzoo!attcan!ncrcan!ziebmef!cccapon
From: cccapon@ziebmef.uucp (Chris Capon)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: [wstef@eng.clemson.edu: Re:  Packet Driver for 3C505]
Message-ID: <1989May14.011507.16957@ziebmef.uucp>
Date: 14 May 89 05:15:05 GMT
References: <8905070036.AA28907@zaphod.ncsa.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: cccapon@ziebmef.UUCP (Chris Capon)
Organization: Ziebmef Public Access Unix, Toronto, Ontario
Lines: 19

>Seems to me that 3Com doesn't want a freely copyable packet driver for
>their 3c505 board.  Seems like an odd attitude to me.
>-russ
...
>We finally got word from 3Com about programmers documentation for the
>3C505 board.  The documentation would cost $1000.00.  Sounds a little
>outrageous to us here.  I'm still willing to write a driver for the
>505, but purchasing the documentation is rather costly and hard to justify.
>Gregg

It seems to me that 3COM is still in the dark ages.  I called them up for
technical info on their 3C501 board using the phone number supplied with
the card.  Later that day and many, many routed phone calles later I was
told that if I wanted to get that info I would have to talk to a tech
support representative and that would only cost me $150 per hour.  Nice!  I
finally  got hold of a sales representative and managed to convince him to
send me some smatterings of information.  Gosh, they really are *protective*
over there.  "You have our card... why do you need to know how to talk to it?"
*sigh*