Laptop can't see 3Com PC card

[rfisher]

Right - trying to get my broadband connection set up.

I've got an old 3Com 3C589D PCMCIA2 card which I was hoping to use to connect to my router.

When I plug it into the PCMCIA2 slot it is only seen as an unknown device.

I've tried adding new hardware in control panel but it just says it's plug and play and is installed.

I've downloaded some Dell drivers from download.com and used those. All that happens is that the test programme says my system is ok.

What am I missing here?

I need to have the card seen in device manager as a network adapter but I can't think of how to do this.

Help!

[GreenV8S]

You need to install the driver for the card. The usual instructions are that you need to do this before you install the card the first time. If you're lucky, you might find you can download the driver from the 3Com website.

[thepassenger]

What operating system and do you have a floppy drive?

http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tool
Has drivers for Windows 95, Windows 95 OSR 2.x, Windows 98, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0, so I'm surprised anything more modern (newer Linux kernels, Win2k) would at least have a driver built in.

[rfisher]

Yes - I've tried the 3com site drivers but that didn't work.

Think I've got a bit more of a complicated problem than just the driver as I can use add new hardware, specify network adapter, 3com, 3c589d etherlinkIII and windows ME loads up a driver from its own directory. Still not working though even after a reboot.

Can I scrap my current network settings and reload again to find my modem and network card as if they've just been added?

Really cross 'cos my ADSL line is now up and running but I can't access it - having to use a payg dial-up!

[deva link]

Into what are you trying to install it?


Could it be the card is incompatible with the machine? I forget the details now, but the cards changed from 5V to 3V at some point and so did the slots they connect to, so perhaps you've got a compatibility problem?

Having said that, it must be a heck of an old laptop if it doesn't have ethernet built in.

Edited by deva link on Sunday 3rd September 18:56

[deva link]

Oh, and how to you know the ADSL link is working?

What happens when you open a dos window and type winipcfg ?

[rfisher]

Laptop is an Acer Travelmate 210T - around 4 years old.

Actually has an ethernet socket blanked off at the back.

When I opened up my network properties I could see the 3com card listed under network adapters together with my dial up adapter.

I deleted that hoping that the system would then find it again but it hasn't.

[thepassenger]

4 years old it should work, what happens when you insert the card do you get any prompts... new hardware wizard or some such opening?

I think, but not sure, that the default settings for WinME is to set an adapter to have a static assigned adress until told otherwise (i.e. go in to Network connections, double click the link, properties of TCP/IP, select dynamic on both IP and DNS).

[rfisher]

When I put the card in I just get the icon on the taskbar showing an external device is present (the same one you get with USB devices).

When I double click on the icon it says 'unknown device at location 0 on 02Micro 0Z6812/6912 CardBus Controller'.

I think I've had this 3com card installed on this machine in the past and have changed somthing or added something since that's messed it up.

How do I find and delete any loaded drivers so the ME sees it as a new device and reinstalls the card as if it's not seen it before?

(Very grateful to all for replies - this has me stumped)

[rfisher]

Only other thing I can find is the IO read data port for ISA plug and play enumerator doesn't have any resources assigned although device manager says it's working.

If I manually assign memory for it it comes up blank again after reboot.

The default memory that's assigned conflicts at 0374 - 0377 which is used by the ALi M5229 PCI bus master IDE controller and secondary IDE controller (dual fifo).

[aldi]

Highlight in device manager

remove

physically remove & re-insert card

should give you a popup to find the drivers, point to the ones you downloaded.

[rfisher]

aldi said:

Highlight in device manager

remove

physically remove & re-insert card

should give you a popup to find the drivers, point to the ones you downloaded.

Great idea but just reloads the PCMCIA and Cardbus slot drivers. Still sees the card as an unknown device.

Thinking the 3com card is f@cked.

I'm stumped.

Is PH?

[aldi]

Remove the question mark, not the PCMCIA and Cardbus drivers.

[rfisher]

There is no question mark next to any device in device manager.

Before inserting the 3com card there is just the PCMCIA cardbus controller showing.

When I insert the card it's seen as a PCcard not a network adapter.

In fact I think my whole network setup is knackered as I can't see how to load up a dial up adapter in network setting for my modem so I lost my dial up last night after I removed the du adapter to see if that would load on its own.

Having a good time here - not.

Restored the system last night so my dial up should be back on tonight when I get back from work.

Any more ideas?

Thinking just upgrade to WinXP.

[aldi]

rfisher said:

There is no question mark next to any device in device manager.
Before inserting the 3com card there is just the PCMCIA cardbus controller showing.
When I insert the card it's seen as a PCcard not a network adapter.

Strange, this probably won't work but highlight the icon that only appears when the card is in place, properties, update driver, 'let me choose..'/'have disk', browse to the ones you downloaded & unzipped and choose the one from the list that seems most appropriate, i.e. the 3c589d pcmcia driver.