No ethernet card device files

[mrmac228]

I've just installed Solaris 9 on a PC it has a NIC on the motherboard and now one in a PCI slot. Neither of these NIC have been configured (i.e. do not appear in ifconfig -a). I have followed the other threads in this forum where problems with NICs have been found but none have solved my issue. When forcing the system to look for the cards there are two interfaces found but as I say neither are configured.

Any clues?

Ken

 

[Annihilannic]

They won't appear in ifconfig until they have been plumbed. This won't happen at boot time unless an /etc/hostname.if0 file exists (where "if" is the name of the driver) containing the hostname associated with that interface, and that hostname is associated with an IP address in /etc/hosts.

You can test this by typing ifconfig if0 plumb[/b] and then checking ifconfig -a, obviously replacing "if" with the driver name.

For the second interface, if it has the same driver create a hostname.if1, otherwise use its driver name and interface number 0 again.

Annihilannic.

 

[mrmac228]

I get that but surely the files would exist in /dev initially?

 

[Annihilannic]

If, as in my example, the driver was called "if", there should indeed be a file called /dev/if.

What NICs are they? Do you know what the driver is called?

Annihilannic.

 

[mrmac228]

The onboard NIC is Realtek and the one in the PCI slot is D-Link. I don't know what the driver is called but I have looked in /dev/ for hme, qfe, ire files and none exist.

Don't know the actual details of the cards at the mo as work is in the way!

Ken

 

[Annihilannic]

Perhaps someone more familiar with Solaris x86 will be able to help. I can tell you they definitely won't be "qfe" (Quad Fast Ethernet) or "hme" (Happy MEal) interfaces as these are Sun SBUS cards. I haven't encountered "ire" interfaces.

Perhaps /usr/platform/`uname -i`/sbin/prtdiag will give you an idea whether the system sees the devices and, if so, what they are called.

Annihilannic.

 

[mrmac228]

UPDATE:
Even though BOTH NIC's are on the HCL, neither was installed. Having tried to use a driver that alleged that it supported the onboard NIC I am now going to reinstall Solaris. Of course on the HCL web page you can download the drivers, however I saw this about 10 minutes too late! RTWP

Thanks for you help.