System Builder Tip: Asus P4C-800 3Com NIC Install

The P4C-800 was the very last Asus board we ever sold.

We had a bunch of systems built around the boards and pretty much all of them came back.

Therein lies the reason behind our conversion to Intel only for our system products.

Here, we are rebuilding a system based on a P4C-800.

The NIC driver will not install. It is the 3Com 3C940 based on board adapater. No matter what we try, it just is not happening.

Here is what we came up with:

1. Regedit
2. HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI
3. Find the Ethernet properties - VEN_1148&DEV_4320...
4. Right click on the key and Permissions
5. Add yourself with Full permissions
6. Find and modify CompatibleIDs by adding the line: VEN_10B7&DEV_1700
7. Modify the HardwareID by adding the line: VEN_10B7&DEV_1700
8. Close RegEdit
9. In Device Manager uninstall the Ethernet Adapater
10. Rescan for hardware - right click the computer at the top and "Scan for changes..."
11. Select Advanced and choose the 3Com driver yourself from the CD
Do not reboot the system during this process. Just delete the adapter and install the 3Com drivers from there.

And, if it is important, such as in the case where the computer is directly connected to an ISP that registers the MAC address, they come up as all zeros. So, one needs to set the MAC address for the NIC too.

1. Right click on the NIC and Properties
2. Click the Configure Button
3. Advanced Tab
4. Network Address
5. Click the radio button beside the data and enter: 02-60-8C-AA-BB-CC
• The last three numbers can be made up. the 02-60-8C is 3Com's vendor code.

Once those two settings have been taken care of, one is good to go!

Thanks to advil about half way down page 2 for this: P4C 800 Deluxe Lan not working.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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