Mandrake 10 - 3C589C PCCARD NIC - no connection

Installed Mandrake on a Compaq Armada 1750 laptop yesterday using the
NIC built into the docking unit. Want to remove docking unit (it's sooo
clumsy).
So I got hold of an old 3Com Etherlink III 3C589C PCCARD Combo LAN
adapter.
Mandrake detects it and adds this line to the /etc/modules.conf:
alias eth1 3c589_cs
Boot shows that eth1 comes up, but I get no IP from my DHCP server.
I suspect that the card uses the BNC (10BaseT) connector instead of the
RJ45 (TP) one.
Question:
Where can I configure the card to use the TP connector instead???

I am a Linux newbie right now (once had a RH 6 system running on a
stationary PC but that hard disk vaporized and I have been off Linux
since 5-6 years...)

Any hints welcome

> So I got hold of an old 3Com Etherlink III 3C589C PCCARD Combo LAN
> adapter.
> Mandrake detects it and adds this line to the /etc/modules.conf:
> alias eth1 3c589_cs
> Boot shows that eth1 comes up, but I get no IP from my DHCP server.
> I suspect that the card uses the BNC (10BaseT) connector instead of the
> RJ45 (TP) one.
> Question:
> Where can I configure the card to use the TP connector instead???
I can't answer that one. The card does work with a 10BaseT connector,
as you suspected. The part number is 07-0405-000, if that helps.

bosseb wrote:

> Installed Mandrake on a Compaq Armada 1750 laptop yesterday using the
> NIC built into the docking unit. Want to remove docking unit (it's sooo
> clumsy).
> So I got hold of an old 3Com Etherlink III 3C589C PCCARD Combo LAN
> adapter.
> Mandrake detects it and adds this line to the /etc/modules.conf:
> alias eth1 3c589_cs
> Boot shows that eth1 comes up, but I get no IP from my DHCP server.
> I suspect that the card uses the BNC (10BaseT) connector instead of the
> RJ45 (TP) one.
> Question:
> Where can I configure the card to use the TP connector instead???
>
Try going into "module configuration" on the Mandrake control centre,
"hardware" wizard (select your NIC module). I suppose the module supports
some "media type" parameter.
In case of emergency, get a dos setup tool from the 3com site
--
Longhorn error#4711: TCPA / NGSCP VIOLATION: Microsoft optical mouse
detected penguin patterns on mousepad. Partition scan in progress
*to*remove*offending*incompatible*products.**Reactivate*MS*software.
Linux woodpecker.homnet.at 2.6.10-mm1[LinuxCounter#295241,ICQ#4918962]

Can't find "module configuration"...
I have scouted around a bit but there is no place I can see where one
can configure the parameters of a network card or add one for that
matter.
Right now it is like this:
During boot the pcmcia driver comes up and discovers the 3C589C card
But then there is an ERROR stating that there is some unknown character
or data when loading 3c589_cs and it fails completely...
It goes away too quick so I can't write down the message accurately
too.
So now I can't even see the darn card inside Mandrake anymore.
Sigh, this Linux thing seems so difficult. :-(

Just to test things I brought the card to work and put it into an XP
laptop to check that the hardware is OK. Immediately XP discovered the
new hardware, installed the driver for it and in about 10 seconds I had
a network connection using TP cable through the card...
This sure beats the hell out of Linux/Mandrake!

bosseb wrote:

> Can't find "module configuration"...
> I have scouted around a bit but there is no place I can see where one
> can configure the parameters of a network card or add one for that
> matter.

Would be mcc - hardware. A "detecting hardware" will pop up and then you see
a list of your discovered hardware on the left side. Select the network
card and you see a description righthands, with - hopefully - a "configure
module" bar downside. When you hold the mouse for one second on a field of
that form that will pop up, you see a brief description (at least
sometimes).

> Right now it is like this:
> During boot the pcmcia driver comes up and discovers the 3C589C card
> But then there is an ERROR stating that there is some unknown character
> or data when loading 3c589_cs and it fails completely...
> It goes away too quick so I can't write down the message accurately
> too.

There is /var/log/messages or "dmesg". I suggest you press esc at the boot
screen (the blue one with "linux") and then type "linux 3". Then, logon as
root and type "service network restart". After you see the error and get
the prompt again, type "dmesg|less".

> So now I can't even see the darn card inside Mandrake anymore.
> Sigh, this Linux thing seems so difficult. :-(
>
> Just to test things I brought the card to work and put it into an XP
> laptop to check that the hardware is OK. Immediately XP discovered the
> new hardware, installed the driver for it and in about 10 seconds I had
> a network connection using TP cable through the card...
> This sure beats the hell out of Linux/Mandrake!

Oh. This time got some onboard intel nics on new asus mainboards with sata
(office computers). Windows will find a driver but prompt for some missing
file. No matter, even if pointed to the driver cd, after installing the
driver you got a yellow exclamation mark and nonfunctional device. While
Mandrake or knoppix or even a bootfloppy (Barts ... with network support)
just works. So, a simple dos floppy beats the hell out of win2k .
--
Longhorn error#4711: TCPA / NGSCP VIOLATION: Microsoft optical mouse
detected penguin patterns on mousepad. Partition scan in progress
*to*remove*offending*incompatible*products.**Reactivate*MS*software.
Linux woodpecker.homnet.at 2.6.10-mm1[LinuxCounter#295241,ICQ#4918962]

I just got hold of the /var/log/dmesg file. Had to su to be able to
read it, copied it to my home dir and then started mail and mailed it
to mu XP PC (where I am now).
When I read the file I don't see any reference at all to the fatal
error listied on the boot screen, in fact the word pcmcia or 3c589 are
not even in the file anywhere.
So not being an expert I cannot really decode this file.
Could paste it here but it is 7.5 kb, so it would not be polite I
guess...
Any idea what I would be looking for?

I will try the ESC and linux 3 trick later and see if that gives
anything else..

/Bo