Modem / Network interface card diagnostcs?

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Hokuszpok
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Modem / Network interface card diagnostcs?

#1 Post by Hokuszpok » Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:35 am

PC-problems diagnosed by me in last years, were caused by HDD (60 %), LAN card (35 %), and Sound card (5%) damage.
I think, that it is a good idea to implement some NIC diagnostic apps on UBCD. There are different DOS apps for Realtek / 3COM / Intel NIC, and Broadcom also have some command line utilites for testing it's cards...

Icecube
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#2 Post by Icecube » Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:29 am

Can you post some links to programs that you have found so that Victor or other people can see which programs are worth to include in UBCD?

Hokuszpok
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#3 Post by Hokuszpok » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:28 am

Icecube wrote:Can you post some links to programs that you have found so that Victor or other people can see which programs are worth to include in UBCD?
Realtek:
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dow ... TypeID=3#3

ftp://210.51.181.211/cn/nic/RSET8139.508.zip
(I have also an old version for 8019 cards (ISA), what seems to be no longer available)

Intel:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... S&lang=eng
(this is for example, you may search the site for other DIAG utilities...)

3COM:
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/3c905.htm
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/ ... 3c90x2.exe
(this is for example, you may search the site for others)

Broadcom:
http://manuals.fujitsu-siemens.com/serv ... erdiag.htm <-example by Fujitsu-Siemens
--Broadcom has only command line applications--

http://www.modemdoctor.com/modemd70.zip
http://www.modemdoctor.com/

Etc. Use Google for more information.
Last edited by Hokuszpok on Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

as702
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#4 Post by as702 » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:24 am

do these said applications require the network card driver be installed?

Hokuszpok
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:59 am
Location: Hungary

#5 Post by Hokuszpok » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:33 am

as702 wrote:do these said applications require the network card driver be installed?
In general no, this is why the most requires a clean DOS boot (without EMS manager for example)
Today there are a lot of Windows-based diag apps, working with drivers installed, but the DOS applications are using "direct-hardware calls"..

as702
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#6 Post by as702 » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:32 am

sounds good. if someone(?) could collate a broad-as-possible list of binaries i could set about testing/implementing them as a future release candidate for victor to look over.

Hokuszpok
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Location: Hungary

#7 Post by Hokuszpok » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:43 am

Ssst... Now I see the mistakes I made...
(Please excuse me for my poor english)

Let's talk about LAN Card diagnostics:
If your Internet browser restarts often, or you find problems with your DLS Internet connectoin, that may be caused by the Ethernet card malfunction.
Each card type have it's own diagnostic program (if have), you can test your card whith the coresponding. If you find errors, you may replace the card (if the card is integrated on mobo, you may disable it under BIOS settings, and you can use a new PCI LAN card)...

It is important to know what kind of card you have, to select the corresponding application. So, for first use a system information software, or read the PC-s manual, you may also take a look in the machine...

Realtek chips are used by many manufacturers, but you can use the same program for the corresponding chip. Realtek chips are marked with a 4-digit code, and the diagnostic programs are named as RSET<4digit number>.EXE, where the 4-digit number must be the same found on the chip.

Whith RSET*.EXE you can:
-get information about the card settings
-make settings in the card's CMOS, set the function mode like Full duplex, half duplex, legacy mode, PNP mode, if is a combo card you can select the used connection type, etc-
-In PNP mode you can enable / disable IRQ-s, and I/O ranges used by card.
-You can test the card, using its internal loopback
-You can test the connection with another PC, whitch also uses a Realtek card. You must set one of the cards as a "transmitter", and the other as a "receiver". If you start the diagnostics, it will run until you stop it....
RSET*.EXE runs under DOS (FreeDos, or similar), whithout any LAN driver installed, and whithout any EMM/EMS manager. HIMEM is allowed, but not required.
Newer Realtek cards have a Windows-based diagnostic software.

3COM:
As I know, 3COM is the first, who releases a Windows-based diagnostic application, called "NIC Doctor" (NIC stands for Network Interface Card).
I never used a DOS-based 3COM diag utility, only I know that exists...
The Windows-based NIC Doctor runs with LAN drivers installed, and with it you can:
-Get information about the card type, and status
-Monitor the LED signals, and traffic.
-Set some function modes, buffes sizes, etc.
-Perform diagnostics on the card, or the LAN connection if there is another 3COM card on the LAN. NIC Doctor can find the remote 3COM card, and perform a connection test with it, whithout any user interaction on the remote PC or server...

SMC:
I have no information about any SMC diagnostic utility...

Intel:
Intel have a "Network card identification" sotfware, so if you know that you have an Intel card, you can use this for get the exact type of the card. There are many types of Intel Ethernet cards, grouped in families, and there are many test programs, one for each family. Newer Intel cards have Windows-based diagnostic programs.
The DOS-based diagnostic programs runs unde pure DOS(FreeDos, or similar), whithout LAN drivers, and without any EMM/EMS manager. Himem is allowed, but not required. I don't remember that Intel progams are supporting LAN connection tests whith another PC...

Broadcom:
Broadcom cards also are grouped by family, each family has it's own version of the diagnostic utility. These are command line utilities, whith different switches for each test type - using these is a quite difficult. Broadcom's test software is called Xdiag. The different versions are released on boot-cd iso images, each is bigger than a floppy, the biggest is about 8 MB..
Xdiag runs under DOS (FreeDos, or similar)

Next time I will go to find links to these programs.

Good night, going to sleep...
Last edited by Hokuszpok on Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

as702
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#8 Post by as702 » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:25 am

the features you mention would prove invaluable. i'll await your update and take a look.

:)

Hokuszpok
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:59 am
Location: Hungary

#9 Post by Hokuszpok » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:52 pm

Here you can find all available Realtek
diagnostic utilities:

10/100M Fast Ethernet
---------------------
PCI
RTL8100B(L); RTL8100C(L); RTL8101L; RTL8139C(L); RTL8139C(L)+;
RTL8139D(L); RTL8100(L); RTL8130/RTL8139B(L)
ftp://61.56.86.122/cn/nic/RSET8139.508.zip

PCIE
RTL8100E; RTL8101E; RTL8102E-GR
ftp://66.104.77.130/cn/nic/RSET8136.104.zip

The RTL8150L(M) USB Ethernet controller does not have DOS Diagnostic tool


10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet
-----------------------------
PCI
RTL8110SC(L)
ftp://61.56.69.18/cn/nic/rset8169(102).zip

RTL8110S-32; RTL8110SB(L); RTL8169SB(L); RTL8169SC(L); RTL8169
ftp://210.51.181.211/cn/nic/rset8169(101).zip

PCIE
RTL8111B; RTL8168B; RTL8111; RTL8168; RTL8111C
ftp://202.65.194.212/cn/nic/RSET8168.107.zip

Old (ISA) cards:
****************
10M Ethernet
------------

RTL8019AS
ftp://66.104.77.130/cn/nic/rset-8019(330).zip

RTL8029AS
ftp://152.104.238.19/cn/nic/rset-8029(302).zip

RTL8002
Not found

RTL8008
ftp://210.51.181.211/cn/nic/rset8008.exe

RTL8009
Not found

RTL8012
Not found

Also searched 3COM's site, but found only Windows-based utilities...

to be continued
Last edited by Hokuszpok on Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

Hokuszpok
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:59 am
Location: Hungary

#10 Post by Hokuszpok » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:52 am

Continuing the list of available DOS-based Ethernet card
diagnostic utilities

Update:
Found that Intel's diagnostic tools have support for testing LAN connections using data flow from a PC to other.
Just select the [Networking menu\Setup as Responder], after this
select on the remote PC the [Test Adapter\Change Test Options] menu,
and Enable the Network Test.

To download the Intel tools, use these links:
(Each download is a compressed executale, and also contains detailed
information about using the tools)

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... s&lang=eng
OS independent diagnostic utility for Intel Modems and Fax Boards

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... S&lang=eng
Diagnostic tools for following network adapters:
EtherExpress™ PRO/10+ PCI Adapter
Intel® 10 Gigabit CX4 Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® 10 Gigabit XF LR Server Adapter
Intel® 10 Gigabit XF SR Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® 10 Gigabit XF SR Server Adapter
Intel® 8254x Ethernet Controllers
Intel® 8255x Ethernet Controllers
Intel® 8256x Ethernet Controllers
Intel® 82573E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Intel® 82573L Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Intel® 82573V Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Intel® PRO/100 M Desktop Adapter
Intel® PRO/100 S Desktop Adapter
Intel® PRO/100 S Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/100 S Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/100 VE Desktop Adapter
Intel® PRO/100+ Adapter
Intel® PRO/100+ Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/100+ Management Adapter
Intel® PRO/100+ Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 CT Network Connection
Intel® PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 GT Quad Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 MF Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 MF Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 MF Server Adapter (LX)
Intel® PRO/1000 MT Desktop Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 MT Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 MT Quad Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 MT Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PF Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PF Quad Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PF Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PT Desktop Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Low Profile Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 PT Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 XF Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 XT Low Profile Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/100B Adapter
Intel® PRO/10GbE CX4 Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/10GbE LR Server Adapter
Intel® PRO/10GbE SR Server Adapter

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... S&lang=eng
Diagnostic tools for following network adapters:
EtherExpress™ 16 Adapter
EtherExpress™ PRO/10 and PRO/10+ ISA adapters

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... S&lang=eng
Diagnostic tools for following network adapters:
Intel® 82541ER Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Intel® 82551ER Fast Ethernet Controller
Intel® 82559ER Fast Ethernet Controller

I think that I found all available DOS-based downloads on Intel' site.
Next time I will list the Broadcom's dowloads.

Hokuszpok
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:59 am
Location: Hungary

#11 Post by Hokuszpok » Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:05 am

Continuing with Broadcom links

NetXtreme Desktop/Mobile
*************************
chipsets: 5702, 5705, 5751, 5752, 5753, 5754, 5755, 5756, 5782
and:
NetLink 57xx
************
chipsets: 5781, 5786, 5787, 5788, 5789
and:
NetXtreme Server
****************
chipsets: 5700, 5701, 5703, 5704, 5714, 5715, 5721, 5780

http://www.broadcom.com/support/etherne ... =570x-diag

Note from the site:
"How to run User Diagnostic for a BCM57xx NetXtreme Device:
1.Create a bootable CD using the b57udiag ISO file
2.Boot to DOS using this CD
3.Choose option one on the FreeDOS 1.0 Final Cut CD menu
4.Choose option "Install to HD using FD setup
5.Run FreeDOS from CD ROM (return to command prompt)
6.cd to b57diag and run b57udiag "

?? :-O ?Install to HD?

NetXtreme II
************
chipsets: 5706, 5708
http://www.broadcom.com/support/etherne ... r=NX2-diag

NetLink 4401
************
chipsets: 4401
http://www.broadcom.com/support/etherne ... =4401-diag

The End.
-I don't know about any other brands.-
waiting for comments :))

as702
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:14 am

#12 Post by as702 » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:32 am

well, that's certainly enough fat to chew on for now. i'm just finishing off FDrev1.2 and setting up a skeleton disc for UBCD for victor to look over. Once finished, i'll endeavour to check out the aforementioned bin files.

(-:

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