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Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64

 
d0kt0r
Frequent Advisor

HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64


Hi guys,

I've got a problem. I have this HP Branded Network Adapter : HP NC373F.
Like this : http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12459_div/12459_div.pdf

I've installed the driver and plugged a fiber channel to a port in a brocade 200E switch, and it doesn't get the sync or link. So far, seems that the driver thinks that the card is a "ethernet" NIC ... Im trying to find a driver something like NC373F HBA, but I can only find the one Im using.

Fiber cables are new ... etc.

Thanks in advance!
6 REPLIES 6
Jan Soska
Honored Contributor

Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64

hello doktor,
citation from your quickspecs: "The HP NC373F is a high performance PCI Express multifunction network adapter that supports standard or low profile slots in
ProLiant servers running over a fiber-optic network environment."

As I know, Brocade 200E is FC SAN switch and you can NOT use network adapters with it...

Jan
d0kt0r
Frequent Advisor

Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the answer.

As I know, Brocade 200E is FC SAN switch and you can NOT use network adapters with it...

Hmmm, I thought, as far as the card has the LC connector on it, it could be connected to a FC switch (brocade in this case) or any other communication with LC connector on it.

For what you could want a card with LC connectors apart of connecting to a SAN?

Thanks in advance mate!
Jan Soska
Honored Contributor

Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64

Hello,

if you are able to plug something somewhere, it sometimes doesn't mean it will work. Yes, cables are compatible, but our card uses Ethernet protocol and Brocade 200E uses FC protocol.
Fibre optic is only medium where diferrent data runs...

your card can by used with some highend ethernet switches if you use optical connection instead of very common metalic 1gbps contections...(common in servers)

Jan
d0kt0r
Frequent Advisor

Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64


Thanks for the answer Jan.

Another lesson learned. A pity they doesn't have the option to be Fabric Compatible.

Do you have around which HP models are compatible of what Im looking for? Connecting to a Fabric Switch (IE Brocade 200E)?

Thanks!
Jan Soska
Honored Contributor

Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64

hallo,
basically, you have 2 options:
1) locate and read your server quickspec, there is always list of compatible SAN HBA's from HP, based on Qlogic, Emulex and Brocade chips.
2) go to www.hp.com/go/san click on Host Bus Adapters and choose acccording your needs. But you still need to check compatibility with your server, so option 1 is preferable, use option 2 for geting more info about HBA's

Jan
rick jones
Honored Contributor

Re: HP NC373F PCIE MFN Driver for Windows 2008 x64

"For what you could want a card with LC connectors apart of connecting to a SAN?" A gigabit Ethernet network over fibre optic cable of course :) "Back then" when that NIC first appeared, LC style connectors were more or less all there was for fibre-optic communications (well, there were ST/barrel connectors but...)

As you now see, just because the connector is the same does not mean the protocol is the same, or they share the same "physical" characteristics. This holds true in other places as well - one can run 10GbE or InfiniBand through a CX4 connector. Similarly, in the same form-factor of connector one can have either short or long-range optics for Ethernet, and the two cannot be mixed.
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