Loading and Binding LAN Drivers

When you bind the IPXTM protocol to a board, you specify the cabling scheme's IPX external network number.

The IPX external network number is a hexadecimal number. This number must be the same for all boards cabled together that use the same frame type.

The IPX external number must be different from the number used by boards of other frame types and must be different from the addresses of other cabling systems on the network. The cabling scheme's IPX external network number must also be different from the internal network address for any node on the network.

The following procedure explains how to use NWCONFIG to load a LAN driver and bind a protocol.

  1. At the server console prompt, enter

    [LOAD] NWCONFIG

    2.

  2. Select Driver Options > Configure Network Drivers.

    3.

  3. If you want NetWare to automatically detect all the drivers that are compatible with your network boards, select Discover and Load Additional Drivers; otherwise, skip to Step 5.

    NetWare automatically finds the parameter values for the driver, loads the driver with the parameters, and then discovers the IPX protocol for the frame type supported for the driver.

    NetWare then displays the IPX internal and external network addresses in a confirmation box.

    NOTE:  In machines with PCI buses and sometimes in machines with EISA hardware, NWCONFIG might not detect all the drivers associated with the LAN adapters. In other cases, NWCONFIG might find more than one compatible driver for an adapter. When this happens, NWCONFIG displays a message listing the hardware. The message prompts you to press Enter to see a list of all available drivers for the hardware. Press Enter, then Go to Step 6.

    4.

  4. Confirm the addresses.

    After you confirm the addresses, NetWare binds the protocol to the driver.

    If you want to load additional drivers that are not autodetected, continue with Step 5.

    5.

  5. To select a driver from all the available drivers, choose Select an Additional Driver.

    The screen displays a list of all available drivers.

    6.

  6. Select the driver you want to load, or, if the driver is not on the list, press <Insert>.

    If you press <Insert> to load an unlisted driver, follow the screen prompts. If you select a listed driver, continue with Step 7.

    NOTE:  For some drivers, a message might appear indicating that the driver must be loaded manually (at the console prompt). To load a driver manually, follow the screen prompts or press <F1> for more information.

    7.

  7. Choose Select/Modify Driver Parameters.

    The screen displays a window where you can set values for driver parameters. Depending on the driver you selected, a window containing protocol options might also be displayed. The cursor is active in the protocol options window, if it is displayed.

    8.

  8. If the window containing protocol choices is displayed, check the protocol you want to use.

  9. If you checked TCP/IP, enter the IP address and the IP mask.

    10.

  10. Use the down arrow key to move the cursor to the parameter window; enter parameter values as needed.

    Press <F1> for help if necessary.

    In some cases, the system displays a pop-up list of values for the field from which you select the desired value. In other cases, you must type in a value and press <Enter> to move to the next field.

    You can also specify a specific frame type if desired. If you do not specify a particular frame type, all frame types are loaded automatically, but only those found on the network are actually bound to the driver.

  11. (Optional) To specify a particular frame type for an Ethernet driver, press <F3> to display a list of frame types. Use the arrow keys to move up and down the list. Press <Enter> to select a frame type. When finished, press <Esc>.

    12.

  12. When finished, press <F10> to save the values and exit the window.

    The system loads the LAN driver and then displays a confirmation window containing the command line to bind the protocol with the specified frame type.

    At this point, you can either confirm binding of the protocol with the specified frame type or change the frame type.

    13.

  13. To bind the protocol, press <Enter>. To display the command line with a different frame type, press <F3>, then press <Enter> when the desired frame type is displayed.

    14.

NWCONFIG automatically places the LOAD and BIND commands in the autoexec.ncf file.



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