PCI 10/100 Mbits Ethernet card for PWS 433AU / Tru64 5.1b

[Loic Domaigne]

Hello everybody,

I would like to add an additional PCI 10/100 Mbits ethernet card in my PWS Digital 433 AU.

I am running Tru64 5.1B (Noncommercial Tru64 UNIX Technology Enthusiast package) and I would like to know which ethernet cards are supported.

I know that cards like de500 or de600 would work, but I'd like to know if there exists other compatible cards (I mean, non necessarily Digital ones) that would be easier to obtain.


Thanks in advance,
Loic.

[Han Pilmeyer]

You could take a look at the /etc/sysconfigtab file and look at some of the PCI/vendor identifiers for the bcm device. You may get an idea there. NO guarantee that those will work though. I'm sure those were never tested on the PWS 433 AU or even any other system if you don't buy an HP approved one.

[Al Licause]

According to our documentation, the only network cards that were tested and approved for use on the 433 were the 4xx and 5xx series network cards using the tulip driver. Also included are the fddi devices....but no third party cards with the exception of the ATM cards.

[Steven Schweda]

I'm away from my (powered-off) Tru64 systems
right now, but according to
SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$CONFIG.DAT on my VMS (V7.3-2)
system, the "DE600-AA i82558 100BaseTX", the
"DE600-AA i82559 100BaseTX", the "DE602-AA
i82558 100BaseTX", and a bunch more all use
the same driver (SYS$EIDRIVER), so I'd look
through the PC junk bin for a card with an
Intel 82558 or 82559 chip, and give it a try.

"Not supported on a PWS xxx" could simply
mean that no one bothered to test it, as
support for the Intel chips may have been
added after the PWS was out of production.

I'm pretty sure that I've used one of these
cards (probably non-DEC/Compaq, or perhaps
Compaq, but pulled from some PC) in a PWS
500a[u] and/or an XP1000, certainly running
VMS, and probably running Tru64 (but no
bets). The local junk store has a pile of
such cards for under $5, so it shouldn't cost
much to run the experiment.

[Steven Schweda]

The PCI card in my Tru64 XP1000 is a Compaq
NC3121, and has an Intel SB82558B chip.

The console (like VMS) calls it EIA0, and
auto-negotiates just fine. Tru64 calls it
"ee0", and seems just as happy.

It's not proof, but I'd be a little amazed
if a similar card did not work in a PWS.

[Loic Domaigne]

time to close this thread and give points.