3C90x - NIC is not detected or is not installing properly

The network card is not detected, is not installing properly, or is exhibiting slow
performance. Make sure the PCI slot supports busmastering.

Note: Multiple symptoms and multiple fixes are listed in this document.

Symptoms:
One or more of the following symptoms may occur.
- NIC not detected by operating system
- NIC not detected by diagnostics program
- Error: "Try changing the driver for this device"
- NIC is detected as an Unknown device
- NIC is not fully seated in the slot
- Error: "This device is not present, not working properly, or does not have all of the
drivers installed. Code 2."
- Error: Code 2
- Error: "This device is not present, not working properly, or does not have all of the
drivers installed. Code 10." on the General tab of the driver in Device Manager
- Can only see computers in the workgroup not the domain servers
- Cannot transfer data across the network
- Error: "This slot does not support busmastering (after loading the .lan driver)"
- Error: "Make sure adapters are in a busmastering slot"
- Error: "An incorrect configuration is set by the BIOS. Update the BIOS or try another slot"
when DOS diagnostics are run
- Error: "Error: [/TR: (100Base-TX | 100Base-T4 | 100Base-FX | mii |" when DOS diagnostics
are run
- Error: "TR: 100base-TX or 100base-T4 or mii" when DOS diagnostics are run
- No resources are assigned to the NIC
- No Resource tab in NIC properties
- No driver tab in NIC properties
- Trouble with installation
- Yellow ! under NETWORK ADAPTERS
- Error: "No 3C90X NICs are installed in this computer" when DOS diagnostics run
- Blue screen when the 3Com Windows diagnostics are run
- NIC is redetected on a cold boot
- NIC is not detected by the ECU (EISA Configuration Utility)
- PC hangs after login

Cause:
The NIC is not in a busmastering slot. All of these NICs require busmastering.
Busmastering cannot be disabled on these the NICs and they will not function
properly, if at all, if busmastering is not enabled for the slot.

In any system busmastering will not be in effect if the NIC is not seated fully in the slot.

Fix:
Seat / reseat the NIC fully in the slot. (NOTE: In some cases the NIC will 'snap' into the slot with an audible snap.)

Fix:
Move the NIC to the busmastering slot
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT
1. Click START>SETTINGS>CONTROL PANEL
2. Double-click on the Network icon
3. Remove the 3C90x driver
4. Shut down the system
5. Move the NIC to slot 1 (NOTE: On different computer models, more than one slot
may support busmastering)

Note: For the Compaq Deskpro 6300 move the NIC to slot 4
Note: For the Dell PowerEdge 2200 move the NIC to either slot 4 or 5
On some systems only certain slots are busmastering and on others only one slot is busmastering:

Use slot 1 in the following computers:
Toshiba Infinia 7130
Micron Millennia XKU
Data Express

Use slot 4 in the following computers:
Compaq Deskpro 6300

Use slots 4 and 5 in the following computer:
Dell PowerEdge 2200
Note: For the Dell PowerEdge 2200 slots 1, 2 and 3 are EISA slots. The NIC was not
detected by the ECU when the NIC was in slot 6.

Cause:
On some systems busmastering is disabled in the BIOS by default

Fix:
Enable busmastering in the BIOS
Note: This example is for a Compaq Deskpro 2000-5200MMX. See the hardware
documentation for instructions on BIOS options for other computers. On some systems
this option will appear as PCI 2.1 compliance.
1. Power on the computer
2. Press F10 to enter Setup
3. Go to the right screen for Add-in Devices
4. Arrow to PCI Boards
5. Press Enter on Enable Busmastering, to enable busmastering
6. Save changes and exit

Busmastering is disabled by default in the following computers:
Compaq Deskpro 2000-5200MMX
HP Brio

Cause:
In some, very rare, cases the slot itself may fail

Fix:
Move the NIC to another busmastering PCI slot, preferably the PCI slot closest to the
power supply. If a riser board is present, install the NIC in the PCI slot closest to the motherboard. If an AGP video card is installed, install the NIC at least one slot away
from this device.

Cause:
On some early PCI systems, manufactured before 1996, there may not be
any PCI slots that support busmastering. Sometimes the manufacturer has a BIOS
update that will enable busmastering on the motherboard

Fix:
Update the BIOS to enable busmastering for the PCI slots, if possible
Note: Most computers with a Pentium 75MHz processor, and earlier processors, were manufactured before the PCI 2.1 busmastering standard was established

Cause:
Busmastering is not supported on the motherboard. The 3C90X NICs require PCI
Specification version 2.1 (i.e. the NICs require motherboards that support busmastering).
If the motherboard was manufactured prior to PCI 2.0 specification, busmastering is not supported. There are no BIOS upgrades for these systems that will enable busmastering.

The below systems do not support busmastering:
AT&T Globalyst 362TPC
Zeos Pantera P90 with a Coral Max 3 motherboard
Mylex 486/66 motherboard
Packard Bell R515
Packard Bell R5151
Packard Bell S618
Packard Bell Force 860CD
Hewlett Packard Pavilion 3100
J-Mark motherboard Jet Board J-5MVP3 Rev 2.0

Fix:
Try a Network Interface Card (NIC) for a different bus architecture if there are no
busmastering slots available:
1. Use a 3C509B ISA NIC for ISA slots
2. Use a 3C592 EISA NIC for EISA slots