3Com EtherLink 3C985B-SX Installation And User Manual - Installing The
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Installing the
Driver Software
A network device driver must be installed before the NIC can be used with your Novell NetWare system. This
chapter describes how to perform the following tasks:
■
Verify that the required OS support files are installed on the server and the NetWare pre-installation
parameters are correctly set.
■
Install the driver software in the Novell NetWare environment.
■
Reconfigure the driver software after installation, if necessary.
Because network administrators can use more than one method to install device drivers on a NetWare server, this
chapter does not attempt to provide detailed installation instructions for each method. Several commonly used
methods to install a driver on a NetWare server are listed in the table below, with brief descriptions of the
advantages and drawbacks of using each method.
NOTE: If you are installing NetWare 5.1 for the first time on the server, NetWare uses the nwconfig
program to install the NIC driver during the installation of the operating system.
Method/Program
OS Support
Advantage
Drawback
autoexec.ncf
NetWare 5.1,
NetWare 4.2
Quick, efficient
Text file interface requires you to accurately enter
parameters, using correct syntax. Cannot be used for initial
installation of NetWare 5.1 on a server.
inetcfg.nlm
(Internetworking
Configuration)
NetWare 5.1,
NetWare 4.2
Straightforward
graphical user interface,
simpler than either
nwconfig
or
install.
Doesn't allow you to modify the parameters database
manually. (See Note following the table.)
nwconfig/
install
NetWare 5.1,
NetWare 4.2
Graphical user interface
enables you to enter all
NIC parameters.
Doesn't allow you to modify parameters. To do so requires you
to remove the driver software and re-install it on the server.
If you are installing Netware 5.1 for the first time on the
server, Netware uses the nwconfig program to install the
NIC driver during the installation of the operating system.
NOTE: During the installation process, Novell’s Internetworking Configuration (inetcfg.nlm) program
requires you to bind a protocol to the driver.