Re: using old isa bus ethernet cards

[James Miller <jamtat@mailsnare.net>]

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003, Debian User wrote:

> >> one chip number is LG82000 ... the other is S82595FX L7093628. I
> >> searched Debian for a previous post and even googled but have not
> >> found any information on which modules to load when using antiques.
> >>
> >I had one of the latter (82595FX) but it was an Intel clone: yours
> may be
> >just a straight Intel.  It used the eepro.o module (NOT eepro100!).
> Mine
> >required a DOS program to fiddle with settings (irq, io, disable pnp) -
> >it's available at Intel's site (think it's called "softset.exe").
> Maybe
> >isapnp tools can deal with this: I didn't try that, so can't say
> for sure.
> >I was using an older Linux with this card, kernel 2.2.16, and I
> had a lot
> >of headaches getting it to work.  I finally got it working by stipulating
> >the io at boot time *and* using a module from the 2.2.19 kernel and
> >forcing it to load under 2.2.16.  Maybe later kernels/modules will not
> >have these problems.
> >
> >James
> >
>
> this machine has the 2.2.20 kernel.
>
> in a howto, i read the modules.conf file should contain:
>
>      alias eth0 eepro
>      options eepro io=0x300
>
> i did this but am still having no luck. part of my problem is that
> i am not sure which io address to use (or how to know which one is
> correct for the given isa slot). furthermore, the interrupt should
> be set. i do not see jumpers on the ethernet cards to set the irq.
>
> how can i be sure of the io address and irq?
>
Maybe cat /proc/ioports and cat /proc/interrupts ?  I don't know if
isapnptools could help here.  Or, get softset.exe from Intel's site, boot
from a DOS floppy or stick the card in a DOS machine, and use it.  It will
show you io address and interrupt and allow you to change it, if you want.
These cards are configured by software, not physical jumpers.  They are
almost surely set to be pnp, so unless you successfully use isapnptools (I
have almost no experience with it, but I know it's supposed to help with
these things) on it, you'll have to disable that.

James