Chicken & the egg: Compaq BDC & Onboard NIC... 1

[Redfox1]

I would like to know what other possible workaround I could do in the following case:

Suppose you are installing a BDC on a Proliant 800 G1 with the SmartStart CD. For some reason this server MUST be a NT 4.0 Terminal Server -no Citrix
(It will server a small department of 10 users and only participate with 1 other NT domain/trust)

Since the SmartStart CD 5.x does not have assisted support for NT 4.0 TSE the NT 4.0 TSE install won't have drivers for the onboard NIC card; The drivers that ARE meant to work with NT 4.0 REQUIRE Service Pack 5! BUT because you ARE building a BDC it MUST contact the PDC to get a copy of the SAM during later parts of the setup.

I solved it by installing a plain SMC 1244TX nic with the NT 4.0 NIC drivers and not even worrying about the onboard nic (until SP5 was applied.)

Does anyone else have a different solution? I'd like to know about it... Am I the ONLY one facing such a task? (I realize that a PDC/BDC combo on a TSE 4.0 Server is HIGHLY discouridged... but only in high load situations <I think.>

David Nemeth

 

[QuiltedCamel]

Can you not install a desktop as the PDC, then install the server as a member (or a BDC) and then promote it and remove the desktop from the domain ?

Messy - but it would work.

 

[Redfox1]

Well, yes and no. I see what your suggesting, but the part that you indicate &quot;then install the server as a member (or a BDC)&quot; is what I'm having problems with to begin with. I need the TSE 4.0 as a BDC not a member. (Member server would be the easiest: install SP5 after the install, setup the NIC, and THEN add it to the domain.)

(Assumtions: already have a PDC for that domain.)

Thanks for the reply though.

 

[MrTickle]

Use the driver disks for the NIC during the text protion of the NT install. Alternativly get the install to search for the NIC, the Compaq NIC's are often detected as Intel.

 

[Redfox1]

I have done a test in which I used the SmartStart SSD disk drivers (created the support disks); AND you are right about the NIC cards sometimes being detected as an Intel NIC. In both instances the drivers don't activate until SP5 has been installed... The drivers actually say that sometime when the TCP/IP settings are starting...

 

[d3crypt4]

You need to be careful with some of the later boxes on the Intel NIC side - you're right, they do detect as Intel, but they'll also BSoD if you try to go through the Start Network phase of setup with them installed as such. I tend to just push them in as MS Loopback or quickly drop in a 905TX card if I have the time (which is even better) and then sort out the internal NIC later.

 

[Redfox1]

Again, the MS Loopback is a good way of installing TCP/IP & a NIC to satisfy the Network needs of NT Terminal Server 4.0:

BUT:

It doesn't solve the problem since the box will still FAIL to connect to the PDC to replicate the SAM! Ultimately the purpose of this is to build a 4.0 TSE BDC...

(You're right about using Intel drivers too...)

Yes, installing a different NIC before beginning the setup (like a 3C90x) will solve the problem... but are there any other solutions?