[vortex] 3c905CX-TX-NM

[Donald Becker]

On Fri, 14 Jun 2002, Andrew Morton wrote:
> Donald Becker wrote:
> > ...
> > > Saved EEPROM settings of a 3Com Vortex/Boomerang:
> > >  3Com Node Address FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF (used as a unique ID only).
> > >  OEM Station address ff:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF (used as the ethernet address).
...
> > > are there any chances to get the cards working?
> >
> > Yes, but you should try everything else before thinking about
> > reprogramming the EEPROM yourself.  Even then, consider the using the
> > excellent 3Com warranty before voiding it..
>
> It's a bit fishy that two new cards are doing the same thing.
>
> Well, I assume they're new.  This:
>   Manufacture date (MM/DD/YYYY) 15/31/2027, division ÿ, product ÿÿ.
> is a bit of a problem ;)

For our readers, that data is encoded as 0xffff (all ones).

> I wonder if 3com changed something, and there's a new magic
> incantation which the driver must utter to power up the eeprom?

I don't think so.  The base problem is that the card is detected with a
PCI device ID of 0xffff, and various other registers the chip
initialized from the EEPROM itself have bogus values.  It's pretty clear
that the EEPROM has been cleared or is broken.

My question is if some program or driver has accidentally erased the
EEPROM, or if some virus is doing it.  Do we have a history
   card type,
   card history,
   running Windows or not,
    which drivers have you used?
from anyone out there with this problem?

-- 
Donald Becker				becker@scyld.com
Scyld Computing Corporation		http://www.scyld.com
410 Severn Ave. Suite 210		Second Generation Beowulf Clusters
Annapolis MD 21403			410-990-9993