Need help w/3Com Ethernet board for PC's

[D.B. Robinson]

[line eater sacrifice]

We here at Foxboro are using the 3Com IE-34-0780 ethernet controller
board in our PC clone machines and the EtherShare software to talk
MS-DOS on our desks.

Some of us would like to run Venix instead.

There is a technical description document from 3Com named "IE Ethernet
Controller/Transceiver External Reference Specifications" and within
that, it references Appendix A for using the board under interrupt
control.  Our problem is that we don't have that appendix.  And we have
just learned from the New Hampshire office of 3Com that they don't have
it either.  In fact, from everything we have heard, it seems that
Appendix A WAS NEVER WRITTEN.

Now everything would still be ok if the board worked reasonably, but
after many readings and many more attempts at coding a solution, we are
only slightly furthur ahead than when we started.  This board is
FLAKEY.  Resetting the board (without the interrupt request bits set)
WILL produce an interrupt - SOMETIMES...  Transmission of a packet WITH
the interrupt request bits set sometimes NEVER interrupts... Sometimes,
upon receipt of an interrupt all the BUSY bits are still set (why then
did we GET an interrupt?)...

We contacted 3Com in California and they referred us to the local sales
office in New Hampshire.  The person there said she would try to get
the Appendix, although the copy she had did NOT have it.  Then we were
informed that the appendix had never been written. When we informed her
of the priority/urgency of this project she said she would try to put
us in touch with someone with the desired information.  We expected a
call from someone at 3Com.  Nope.

In the middle of last week we were contacted by a company called
(forgive us if we spell it wrong - we have only had voice communication
so far) Valinor (also of New Hampshire) which claims to be 3Com's
LARGEST distributor.  The man we talked to was very nice, but the first
thing he told us was that since we had not bought the boards from him
[we bought the boards as part of a system from Zenith...], there would
probably be a charge in our dealings somewhere... (everybody likes to
make money :-)).  We communicated our problem and what we needed in the
line of support and he said he would get back to me.  We also
communicated the extremely high priority of this work.  In the last two
days (Friday and Monday) we have tried to contact him twice and all we
got was ringing.  We thought that we had been given his direct line
since there was no secretary or answering machine - until we called
directory service and found that the number we were dialing was the
main telephone number for the company...

<<<<<<<<<< FLAME ON >>>>>>>>>>

Is anybody from 3Com on the net and listening?

When we called 3Com to talk to somebody about this document, we were
told that they need a P.O.  just to talk ( $45.00 ).  All we want (for
now) is their COMPLETE document. We have already paid good money for a
couple HUNDRED of their boards and we were planning on buying more
(maybe not, now).  We are willing to pay good money for the manual for
this board (assuming it is NOT what we already have).  New boards are
NOT a valid solution due to the investment in the ones we currently
have.

We are getting the royal runaround.  And we NEED this information.

This is no way to treat your customers 3Com.

<<<<<<<<<< FLAME OFF >>>>>>>>>>

If any of you out there in the net have managed to get this information
(how to talk to this board under interrupt control) please let me hear
from you.

We will summarize if response warrants.

3Com - We're listening.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Warren and Doug

(e-mail to cybvax0!foxvax5!dbr please)
------------------------------
Warren Brown
Douglas Robinson

The Foxboro Company
Department 350			cybvax0!foxvax5!spec2	(Warren Brown)
38 Neponset Avenue		cybvax0!foxvax5!dbr	(Doug Robinson)
Foxboro, MA 02035		617/543-8750