Note: This article pertains to Mac OS X Server versions 1.x, which were released prior to May 2001.
Introduction:
This driver replaces the old driver named "SwitchEthernet". The old driver SwitchEthernet works only with DEC21140 based cards. Some of the adavtages of this new driver are:
1. It supports a wide variety of DEC2114x cards, like DEC21140, DEC21143.
2. It parses the SROM information and eliminates the need to manually supply some of the information like CSR12 values in Default.table.
3. Supports the features like Auto-detection and auto-negotiation.
Cards supported:
Znyx DEC21140 based 1port, 2port, 4 port cards and D-Link DEC21143 based 1port and 4port cards.
Cards not supported:
The Adaptec's multi-port cards, which have only one SROM, donot work with this driver. We give an error message.
Known Problem:
The auto-detection doesnot work reliably for 4 port cards. It works well with single port cards. It is recommended to plug-in the wires before starting the machine.
How to use the Driver:
In order to make the driver recognize the card, make sure the Card Matching name is listed in Default.table. We currently have the strings: "Matching" = "pci1011,9 pci1186,1101 pci1186,1110"; in the Default.table to take care of Znyx DEC21140 cards and D-Link DEC21143 based cards. if you want to try any other card, you can add the appropriate name to the above list.
The driver is loaded automatically, as it is listed in /etc/startup/0500_Devices file. The old driver "SwitchEthernet" is also provided in
/private/Devices/SwitchEthernet.config.