Troubleshooting

If the adapter can’t connect to the network, read this section and review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and the PCI Troubleshooting section below.

Make sure the cable is installed properly.

The network cable must be securely attached at both RJ-45 connections (adapter and hub). The maximum allowable distance from adapter to hub is 100 meters. If the cable is attached and the distance is within acceptable limits but the problem persists, try a different cable.

Check the LED lights on the adapter.

The adapter has two diagnostic LEDs, one on each side of the cable connector. These lights help indicate if there’s a problem with the connector, cable, or switch/hub.

LED Meaning
ACT/LNK
On		 The adapter and switch are receiving power; the cable connection between the switch and adapter is good.
ACT/LNK
Off		 The adapter and switch are not receiving power or there is a driver configuration problem.

If the LED is off:

  • Make sure power is connected to the PC. If power is connected and the LED is still off:
  • Make sure the WOL cable is attached and power is applied to the computer.
  • Make sure the network cable is attached at both ends.
  • Make sure you’ve loaded the network drivers.
  • Check all connections at the adapter and the switch and make sure both ends are connected.
  • Try another port on the switch.
  • Make sure the duplex mode setting on the adapter matches the setting on the switch.
  • Make sure you have the correct type of cable between the adapter and the hub. 100BASE-TX requires two pairs.
  • Make sure you’ve loaded the correct network drivers.
ACT/LNK
Flashing		 The adapter is sending or receiving network data. The frequency of the flashes varies with the amount of network traffic.

If the ACT/LNK LED does not flash, the cause could be:

  • The network may be idle. Try accessing a server.
  • The adapter may not be transmitting or receiving data. Try another adapter.
  • Make sure you’re using two-pair cable for TX wiring.
100
On		 Operating at 100 Mbps.
100
Off		 Operating at 10 Mbps.

Make sure you’re using the correct drivers.

Make sure you’re using the drivers that come with this adapter. The driver file name always contains the letter B (for example, E100BODI.DOS). Drivers that support previous versions of this adapter don’t support this version of the adapter.

Make sure the switch port and the adapter have the same duplex setting.

If you configured the adapter for full duplex, make sure the switch port is also configured for full duplex. Setting the wrong duplex mode can degrade performance, cause data loss, or result in lost connections.

Testing the Adapter (Diagnostics)

Test the adapter by running diagnostics. For DOS or Windows 3.1, run the Diag100.EXE diagnostics program on the PRO/100 S adapter disk. For Windows NT*, Windows 95 and Windows 98, run PROSet by double-clicking the PROSet icon in the Windows Control Panel. To run diagnostics, select the adapter and click the Diagnostics tab, then click Run Tests. For additional information, click Help in the PROSet window.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The server hangs when the drivers are loaded.

Change the BIOS interrupt settings. See PCI Installation Tips for more information.

If you are using EMM386, it must be version 4.49 or newer (this version ships with MS-DOS 6.22 or newer).

Diagnostics pass, but the connection fails or errors occur.

At 100 Mbps, use Category 5 wiring and make sure the network cable is securely attached.

At 100 Mbps, connect to a 100BASE-TX hub/switch (not 100BASE-T4).

For NetWare, make sure you specify the correct frame type in your NET.CFG file.

Make sure the duplex mode setting on the adapter matches the setting on the switch.

The Wake on LAN feature is not working.

Make sure the WOL cable is attached and that power is being applied to the computer.

Check the BIOS for its WOL setting. Some computers may need to be configured for WOL.

Make sure the network cable is fully attached to the adapter.

 

If none of these works, check the Late-breaking News document that came with the adapter or check the Intel support Web site. See Intel Automated Customer Support for information on connecting to Intel's online services.

PCI Configuration Troubleshooting

Some PCI computers require additional steps to configure a PCI adapter. Try the following if you are having problems configuring the adapter:

Here are some examples of BIOS Setup program parameters:

PCI slot #
 Slot where the adapter is installed (1-3) 
Master
 ENABLED 
Slave
 ENABLED 
Latency timer
 40 - 80 
Interrupt
 Choose any one of several that the BIOS Setup provides. 
Edge-level
 Level

The exact wording of the parameters varies with different computers.

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem Solution
Your computer can't find the adapter
  • Make sure the adapter is seated firmly in the slot.
  • Try a different PCI busmaster slot. See your server's documentation to identify busmaster slots.
  • Try a different PRO/100 adapter.
Diagnostics pass but the connection fails
  • Try running the Sender-Responder diagnostic test.
  • Make sure the network cable is securely attached.
An adapter stopped working after you installed the PRO/100 adapter
  • Make sure the cable is connected to the PRO/100 adapter and not to another adapter.
  • Check for a resource conflict. See PCI Configuration Troubleshooting.
  • Make sure both adapters are seated firmly in the slot.
  • Check all cables.
The adapter stopped working without apparent cause
  • Try reseating the adapter.
  • The network driver files may be damaged or deleted. Reinstall the drivers.
  • Try a different PRO/100 adapter.
  • Try enabling or disabling the auto-negotiation setting on the link partner (this setting must be set the same on both the switch and the adapter).  NOTE: The adapter's LNK LED may light even if communications between the adapter and its link partner have not been properly established. Proper configuration of link partners consists of both sides being set to either auto-negotiate or set with the same speed and duplex settings.
The Link LED does not light
  • Make sure you've loaded the adapter driver.
  • Check all connections at the adapter and the switch.
  • Try another port on the switch.
  • Try enabling or disabling the auto-negotiation setting on the link partner (this setting must be set the same on both the switch and the adapter).
RX or TX LED does not light
  • Make sure you've loaded the network drivers.
  • Network may be idle; try logging in from a workstation.
  • The adapter isn't transmitting or receiving data; try another adapter.
In NetWare, the following message is displayed:

"IPX received an incomplete packet from network 00001011:00A0C9AADFC3. 85 incomplete packets received."
  • This message occurs when NetWare's internal routing mechanism mistakes the Intel iANS driver's probe packets for NetWare RIP packets. To prevent this message from displaying, make sure that IPXRTR.NLM is loaded on every NetWare server on the LAN. For more information on IPXRTR, see Novell's documentation or their Support web site (support.novell.com).