Need technical answer on driver issue for LAN card

[poaking]

I am hoping someone here can help me. I own a company tha distributes hardware, and recently aquired a lot of A7012A's (HP Dual portgigabit ethernet cards). They were earmarked for a client who was going to use them in a Windows enironment. The cards are equipped with an Intel chipset (FW82546GB), but HP's site shows them as an HP/UX Open VMS card. I need to know if the Intel chipset is compatible with windows by default, and if not, where I can find drivers to allow this card to be used with Windows (2000 server, NT etc.). Any help is greatly appreciated, as I am stuck with these if I cannot resolve this problem. On Intel's site there are Windows drivers for this chipset. Does this mean it is compatible?

regards,

POA

 

[Lienori]

Since HP don't have a windows driver, I'm somewhat doubtful about the Intel driver working (why needlessly limit your client base for a product?). All I can recommend is that you try installing one in a windows machine, with Intel's windows drivers.

 

[poaking]

I appreciate your response. I am curious though as to the comment about limiting my client base. My thinking is that if it can be used with Windows as well as HP/UX that I would be broadening my target audience?

In any case, I will try to install one and see if it works. Is the chipset what determines compatibility? If a driver is not available and the card does not work with windows, can a driver be written for it?

Thanks again,

POA

 

[Lienori]

Sorry, what I meant was, why would HP only advertise it as an HP-UX card (and limit THEIR potential customer base), if it WAS capable of being used under windows.

I hope it does work for you. As for a driver being written, I really don't have enough experience with them to comment. I don't see why it couldn't, but it probably wouldn't be a 10 minute job.