NIC card headaches..Why? 2

[Leon399]

I knew when I bought Win 2000 Pro that it was possible I would run into some problems and incidents that I didn’t have in WinME. I specifically waited until I bought a new PC to even truly think about buying Win2000. To further insure (or so I thought) that I would have minimal problems, I made sure that all the hardware in this Gateway Essential 933 was on the HCL and that it would work with the proper installation of needed drivers.

For the most part I’ve done okay. The problems I have encountered have been the normal learning curve type of things. The configurations of both hardware and software all look normal and properly set. All is not fine however, somewhere in my NIC card. I’ve encountered a big problem with the card that may actually force me to revert back to ME. Seeing what was spent on 2K this really wouldn’t be what I want to do. Maybe someone can help save me from that drastic and gut wrenching ( J ) move.

The card is a Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter(LNE100TX v4) and on the surface all seems fine. The card registers as active and as working properly with no conflicts. The driver for the card (Downloaded right from Linksys) is the apparent latest one available. The card actually works fine for periods of time. Then, out of nowhere it seems that the card dies out on me with an error as follows: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. The error reports as happening in the file NDIS.SYS. The error also reports that the machine is BEGINNING DUMP OF PHYSICAL MEMORY.

Another problem with the card I have found came when I tried to play Video poker through the Pogo games on NBCI.com. I go through all the steps and it loads the game fine until the very last moment. I see the game screen start to appear and the ** POOF ** gone. The computer goes into full system reboot. I tried the games using a regular dial up connection with the internal 56k modem and the game loaded fine and played fine so I know the problem lies somewhere in this NIC card.

Not sure where I can look to solve this. I’ve looked at a few of the knowledge bases on Microsoft and other places and find that though this error seems ‘popular’ there is no one definitive fix. All I can hope for now is for some kind soul to see this post on one of the forums I will post it to and maybe point me in the right direction. Or maybe it will end up ME here I come again! J TIA.

 

[Cyfu]

Hey guys just wanted to let you all know that my problem has been solved. The NDIS.SYS driver associated with my Linksys NIC was the culprit. So I went out and bought a D-Link DGE-500T Ethernet Adapter. It's well worth it to spend a little more money on a more reliable NIC. No more random reboots during my downloads from mIRC.

 

[Guest_imported]

alcatel alcan5wn.sys problems?

http://www.usbman.com/Drivers and Patches.htm#1 - E

 

[denodave]

I have had similar errors using a LinkSys NIC but the errors became broader in scope, so I ran diagnostics on my RAM and that was the problem. At least so far as I can tell. I removed a D-Link unit for the fact that I couldn't get the machine into standby mode due to the driver's interference, but the LinkSys unit does the same. Anyone have any input on how to work around the standby issue?

Also think it's important to note that the post mentioning the fact that this is an IRQ LEVEL problem was the sharpest yet. But what to do about it? Email me! denodave@yahoo.com
Real men pray...especially techies!

 

[Guest_imported]

I have an alcatel speedtouch pro ADSL router, and i cant get it to work with DCC sends in MIRC. Can you help?

Thanks,
Jonny

 

[NateUNI]

Anyone have a fix for this problem, except for buying a darn new nic....Thanks...Teck support is bad for linksys

 

[dinosnake]

THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE LINKSYS CARD ITSELF - but the drivers.

Note very, very carefully - Linksys has 5(!) different versions of the same 100TX card - each one with different chipsets, and each one requiring its own drivers.

I discovered this one out after a full day of debugging - I thought I had the correct driver, but after carefully checking the physical card against the Linksys site I discovered that I had the wrong chipset drivers. Changing the drivers fixed everything. Be extra, extra careful. You must yank the card and compare it to pictures on the Linksys site to get it right!

DO NOT download from the Linksys site until you confirm that the drivers are correct for the chipset!! The easiest links for drivers on the Linksys site is for version 5 cards. If you have a different one then they will cause problems. And do not assume (as I did) that just because the card is new that you have version 5 - I bought 2 cards at the same time, and one ended up being version 4 and the other version 5!

 

[Guest_imported]

I don't see how it could be an IRQ problem considering the fact that ACPI steers all PCI-based devices to the same interrupt. ACPI compensates for interrupt load balancing because NT 5.x doesn't have that ability.

 

[anonuser]

I have the same irql BSOD problem with my Linksys100TX and it always occured in mIRC when downloading over a DCC Send. I checked out the card and it ended up being a version 5 card. Windows XP installs Version 4 drivers for all Linksys100TX cards so I downloaded the updated V5 drivers and installed. Since then, no irql BSOD! Make sure (like previous poster said) that you get the CORRECT version drivers for your card. Don't think XP is going to install them for you.

 

[Guest_imported]

I recently bought a netgear 311 NIC and cannot install it. When the system starts up, it recognizes it as an ethernet adapter - once it tries to install the drivers, it comes back with the error "the data is invalid". After trying all of the standard fixes (removing, updating drivers, BIOS PnP support, etc) it still doesnt work. I can get the drivers to install and have it show up in the device manager, but the unknown device is still there. The netgear driver (in device manager) says that the card cannot be started and cannot find the location. The unknown device is still there. If I attempt to update the unknown ethernet adatper with the netgear drivers I still get the message that the data is invalid. The system appears unwilling to bind the driver to the card. Any help would be great.

 

[dinosnake]

Please remove the entire network stack, the Unknown Device, the NIC and any .INF's (usually in \Windows\INF\Other, or \Windows\INF - see the install disk to find the name of the .INF if you have trouble). Shut down and pull the card. Restart. Does it still find the Unknown Device?

Try moving the card to a different PCI slot - could be a resource conflict. Remember not to put the NIC in the slot next to the AGP port - they share resources. Your mileage may vary...

 

[Guest_imported]

Damn! Same problem with an Linksys NC100 2.1 card, error message is DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. I only have the problem like Cyfu when I download AND upload on mirc using dcc. When my download does not hit peak (about 3 MB) Im safe but once it my bandwith gets up in the higher range WHILE Im uploading at the same time BAM! very annoying, had to keep requeueing files :\. I think I might just try Cyfu's solution and buy a darn new nic since nobody seems to have a solution anywhere. Im not in the mood to look for a needle in a haystack since Nic's are considered pretty cheap.

 

[Guest_imported]

I have the IRQL BSOD as well, but after checking on other sites, they say this problem can be caused by many different reasons. However, I also have a Linksys 100tx ver 5.1. I installed the drivers from the web site and yet I stil get the BSOD. However, my BSOD does not tell me which file the problem is in. Could this be my RAM? Can anyone help?

 

[Guest_imported]

Well, I have the same problem. I have a FA311 that will bluescreen with Driver_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL; stop 0x000000D1; FA312nd5.sys.

I am running windows XP, but this card was giving problems with windows 98 as well. Netgear's support told me today I should have built the OS without the card in it before loading the card. That was a new one too me, but one I will remember. Needless to say, I don't want to start all over again. I am wondering if I put in a different model card in, if the problem will go away.

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi there, just wanted to let you know, I also had problems with the Driver_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL; stop 0x000000D1; NDIS.SYS with my Sharp Notebook under Win2k. The System crashed when starting Eudora 5.1. The solution here was, that some email in the outbox caused the trouble. When trying to send it, which was automatically is the case when you start the program, it caused the crash. Hence manually editing Eudoras out.mbx using an ascii-editor, erasing the last email did help for now. It seems that ths is somewhat common with some email clients.

 

[Melchiah]

I have this same issue with the Linksys Card (V4) I have found that this is known issue and the fix from MS is not on their web site.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q317475

The fix is supposedly available though contacting MS support for their ever so famous $195.00 per problem rate. Oh well, guess it's time to invest in a new NIC

 

[Guest_imported]

I have winXP though... will that still work? They didnt have any drivers for WinXP so my NIC isnt upgraded i think
I really dont want to invest $$$ on a new NIC cause I'm only a kid lolz no solution @ all? =(

 

[Guest_imported]

some say they just changed the PCI slot and the problem went away
A solution maybe

 

[dinosnake]

NyCxSpyder, I would indeed try changing the PCI slot - the problem is that XP and 2000 are now virtualizing IRQ's via software through a single hardware IRQ. PnP on many motherboards is not exactly perfect PnP - they assign IRQ's to hardware based upon slot location, not upon query.

All this is why it is called Plug and Pray.

It is a lousy system - good in theory but botched in execution. The MB manufacturers cut corners by pre-assigning IRQ to card slot locations with no manual override, and then the card manufacturers make cards, and drivers, with too-limited working IRQ ranges, and Windows has stability problems with some shared interrupts - so they now virtualize additional IRQ's via software, adding to the problem.

The whole interrupt scheme of the IBM architecture has just turned into one, big mess.

Try to force your NIC to use IRQ 9, 10 or 11 - the only IRQ's that I has found to be (almost) guaranteed stable. NIC's SAY they works on other IRQ's, but not for long, it seems...

You may have to move cards, fiddle with the BIOS (if you are lucky enough to have IRQ steering in the BIOS - yet another cost-cutting move by the MB makers) or move OTHER hardware in the system around the NIC to pressure Windows and the BIOS to put the NIC where you want it (back-door the rotten thing).

You may even have to turn off IRQ steering (in the PCI Bus section of System Devices in Device Manager). But that is a last resort, as Windows does not give you a method to set the IRQs by hand, even if you want to and know what you are doing.

Grrrr...

Overall, I hate Plug and Pray.
Your mileage may vary...

 

[Guest_imported]

I had this same problem as well, and I believe I may have found a solution. I'm running win2k, and after trying different versions of the linksys drivers, the same problem with crashing still came up. I decided to try something radical and reinstalled my Linksys card with the original drivers from the disk, but I chose to install the win98 drivers, and yes, they will actually work. I also reinistalled my TCP/IP Protocols for good measure.
So far, no crashes have occured at all with this setup. Whether or not it will work for everyone is still unknown, but it worked for me. Perhaps try it if you have the problems and tell me whether or not it fixed your problems as well?

 

[dinosnake]

It seems most problems associated with NIC's - especially when running on 2000 / XP - are interrupt based. Win2000 / WinXP has special problems because Microsoft's default configuration is to assign all, or as many as it can, devices to a single interrupt, #9, and then 'load balance' from there.

'Load balancing' means to service the interrupts logically - that is, by software via the OS - rather than via hardware. One hardware interrupt and when activated the OS finds out which device is asking for service and via software answers that device.

The only, major problem with that is the bandwidth that the video subsystem and network interfaces use from the system total - they are both DMA capable, high bandwidth devices that therefore require a high level of servicing from the interrupt system. And since the interrupt system on 2000 / XP machines is software based the OS, at one time or another, cannot keep up with the demand (Windows was never designed to operate as a real-time OS) and the device fails - and takes down the entire system.

The solution, for a number of people's problems, it to make sure Windows is not IRQ sharing anything else important with the NIC. Now, some NIC chipsets are pickier about the IRQ level set than other, but on the whole I have personally found that IRQ 9, 10 or 11 are the only IRQ's that almost never give trouble to a NIC that are on them - once any IRQ sharing issues and driver update problems are resolved.

If your NIC is IRQ sharing and you are having problems I may suggest trying to change the interrupt of that NIC, or move the other device's IRQ off the NIC, first.

Now, that could be a chore in itself. Try removing the network stack and the NIC's entry in Device Manager, shut down, pull the NIC out completely, reboot, shut down, reinstall NIC, restart.

When computers start they report the BIOS IRQ settings at the first set of boot screens, before the Windows 'splash screen'. If you have problems reading it just hit the 'Pause Break' key when necessary to pause the boot sequence - hit 'Enter' to continue. Some computer BIOS's have their own splash screen to cover the POST screen output - 'Tab' sometimes works to turn that off temporalily - see you BIOS setup or motherboard manual.

If the BIOS is setting the NIC at a shared IRQ then Windows will probably keep it there, if only for convenience. In that case either move the NIC to a different slot, or if available, go into the PCI setting page of the BIOS and see if you can change which IRQ the BIOS is assigning to the slot that the NIC is in. Not all motherboards allow this.

Getting Windows to change a IRQ that it wants to use sometimes is just about as easy as bringing Elvis back to life. But, if the system is unstable because of the NIC and the NIC is IRQ sharing, moving that IRQ will most likely help immensely.

I will help all if I can (after all I'm getting you into this mess!).

Good luck to all.
Your mileage may vary...