Auto Negotiate

[bowler]

I am running a Netware 5 network with WIN95/98 workstations, 3Com 3c905 NIC's and 3Com switches and hubs.

A workstation will be working fine on the network. One day the user will turn it on and it will not see the network. I go into the 3c90xcfg util. and change the media type from auto-negotiate to 100BASET. The workstation sees the network then.

Why doesn't the auto-negotiate media type on the NIC work with the switch? The port on the switch is set to auto negotiate also. THANKS!

 

[DrGreen26]

Ok, hehe..you are going to like this one. 3Com as well as any other vendor, has problems with auto-negotiating. Rule of thumb, if it never changes, don't negotiate it.

3Com equipment has reported issues with suto sensing etc.

You should also NEVER auto detect protocols. Doing this will cause each workstation to generate over 900 packets to "GUESS" the protocol that is used on the network. Ihave even heard horror stories of workstation launching protocols that were not even present on the network and started using them. Once you get one workstation using netbeui, it doesn't take long for the next one to use..as an example that is...

PC's are most prone to detecting wrong speeds and protocols, since servers are usually static you will almost never have a prblem unless the nic card flakes out.

I would hard set the ports on the switch and staticaly set the workstations. THis way there is no questions asked, and it makes it easier to troubleshoot problems since you by default use one setting.



Mark C. Greenwood, CNE
m_jgreenwood@yahoo.com

CNE 4.11 and CNE 5 certified. BS Degree in MIS. Working in the industry for 8 years.

I work with NT servers, NDS for NT as well.