PCI 10/100 and netboot

[Peter Debus <pdebus@turing.une.edu.au>]

I am using netboot-0.7.2 and trying to find a PCI 10/100 card
which can work with netboot.

I have been attempting to get the SMC9432TX card working but with little 
success. All appears OK up until netboot appears not to receive the
bootp reply. The packet driver loads fine, netboot finds the packet driver,
netboot issues the bootp request, confirmed by TCPDUMP, server receives
request and replies, confirmed by TCPDUMP, netboot never receives
the reply and just keeps resending bootp request. As a test I compiled
the CRYNWR packet dump utility into the bootrom code. The utility
detects the packet driver and dumps all packets on the wire, confirming
the packet driver is receiving packets OK. When the utility is aborted
netboot sends the bootp request but never receives the reply as previously 
stated. There appears to be a breakdown between netboot and the packet
driver whilst receiving packets. Any comment or advice on getting the
SMC9432TX to work with netboot would be greatly appreciated.

Having said all this I am looking at alternative 10/100 PCI cards.
Another card I have looked at is Digital's DE500-BA, however this cards
packet driver is 62kB. Is netboot still limited to a 64kB footprint?
Doing a "make bootrom" suggests there is.

I will soon receive 3com's 10/100 PCI card. Are there any tricks I need
to know to get this card working with netboot.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Debus
Computer Systems Administrator
School of Mathematical Computer Sciences
University of New England
Armidale NSW 
Australia

Ph: 61 267 73 2412 Fax: 61 267 73 3312