Systems with SMC NICs Hang When Using SMCMAC.DOS of NCADMIN

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

Network Client Administrator (NCADMIN.EXE) allows you to create Network Installation Startup Disk and Network Installation Disk Set of the Network Client version 3.0 for MS-DOS and Windows. After you create and use the Startup Disk or Disk Set for a Standard Micro Systems Corporation (SMC) Ethercard or Starcard network interface card (NIC), the client computer stops responding (hangs).

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you use the SMC Ethercard or Starcard (SMCMAC.DOS) driver with the NWLink IPX Compatible Protocol.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem:

1. Replace the SMCMAC.DOS driver in the Startup Disk and Disk Set with the SMC8000.DOS driver that is shipped with the SMC network card.

2. Modify the Network Client PROTOCOL.INI and the SYSTEM.INI files to replace references to SMCMAC and SMCMAC.DOS with SMC8000 SMC8000.DOS. For example:

   PROTOCOL.INI ------------

   [network.setup] version=0x3110 netcard=MS$SMC8000,1,MS$SMC8000,1 transport=ms$ndishlp,MS$NDISHLP transport=ms$nwlink,MS$NWLINK lana0=MS$SMC8000,1,ms$nwlink lana1=MS$SMC8000,1,ms$ndishlp

   [protman] drivername=PROTMAN$ PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP

   [MS$NDISHLP] DriverName=ndishlp$ Bindings=MS$SMC8000

   [SMC8000] ADAPTERS=SMC8000 BINDINGS=MS$SMC8000

   [MS$SMC8000] drivername=SMC8000$ irq=5 iobase=0x300 ramaddress=0xD000 ; maxrequests=8 ; maxtransmits=12 ; receivebuffers=12 ; receivebufsize=256 ; receivechains=12 ; maxmulticast=16

   [ms$nwlink] drivername=nwlink$ FRAME=Ethernet_802.2 BINDINGS=MS$SMC8000 LANABASE=0

   SYSTEM.INI ----------

   [network drivers] netcard=smc8000.dos transport=ndishlp.sys devdir=A:\NET LoadRMDrivers=yes

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

The SMC NICs discussed here are manufactured by Standard Micro Systems Corporation, a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.