Hardware configuration

There are several ways to configure your networking hardware depending on the bus type of the adapter you are installing:

PCI

PCI hardware setup is usually very simple. In most cases, no user configuration procedures are required, although the specific setup procedures depend on the vendor's implementation. Make sure to run the Network Configuration Manager after installing PCI adapters into your system.

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NOTE: Some PCI network drivers have configurable parameters that are available through the Reconfigure window under the Advanced Options window.

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EISA and Microchannel (MCA)

For EISA and MCA adapters, run your adapter configuration utilities before configuring the driver with the Network Configuration Manager; machines of these types can automatically assign non-conflicting parameters to installed devices. Install EISA network adapters in the machine before running the Network Configuration Manager.

ISA

Many of these adapters are ``software configurable'', meaning that you can set hardware parameters from configuration programs. The Network Configuration Manager can automatically detect many software configurable adapters and assign appropriate configuration parameters to the adapter.

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NOTE: Many ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) adapters are shipped with DOS setup utilities. However, the Network Configuration Manager provides single-point configuration for software-configurable adapters such that many adapters do not require DOS setup. We recommend that you use the Network Configuration Manager for basic adapter configuration and resort to the setup utilities only if an adapter cannot be detected or configured by the Network Configuration Manager.

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Some ISA adapters are ``hardware configurable'', meaning that you must set jumpers manually on the adapter before installing the adapter in your machine. Make sure that you set the hardware to the same parameters that you assign to the driver with the Network Configuration Manager.

PC Card

PC Card hardware (also known as PCMCIA) is software configurable. The same considerations apply as discussed for ISA adapters that are software configurable. You must run the Network Configuration Manager after installing PC Card adapters into your system.

• In machines with ISA buses (ISA/EISA, ISA/PCI, ISA/PC Card), the configuration utilities generally cannot obtain the configuration information for ISA adapters, and therefore cannot check for hardware conflicts.

• If two or more ISA adapters are installed in an ISA machine, they must be set to use different I/O addresses, interrupts, DMA channels, and shared RAM regions. Otherwise your system may not be able to recognize conflicting devices.