Microsoft KB Archive/95139

{| = WG0670: The Intel SOFTSET Utility =
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Last reviewed: May 1, 1997

Article ID: Q95139 3.10 WINDOWS kbnetwork kbfile kbappnote kbtlc The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1

The Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) Application Note titled &quot;WG0670: The Intel SOFTSET Utility&quot; contains the Intel SOFTSET utility, which is provided by Intel Corporation for use with its EtherExpress(TM) line of network adapter cards. This utility is used to configure the network interface card (NIC) and diagnose potential hardware problems.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:


 * Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
 * The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
 * Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
 * Microsoft FastTips Technical Library
 * Microsoft Product Support Services

For complete information, see the &quot;To Obtain This Application Note&quot; section at the end of this article.

THE TEXT OF WG0670
Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File) WG0670: THE INTEL(R) SOFTSET(TM) UTILITY Revision Date: 12/92 Disk Included The following information applies to Microsoft Windows(TM) for Workgroups version 3.1.
 * INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY   |
 * ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an           |
 * Application Note) IS PROVIDED &quot;AS IS&quot; WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY     |
 * KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO   |
 * THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A    |
 * PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the    |
 * accuracy and the use of this Application Note. This Application   |
 * Note may be copied and distributed subject to the following       |
 * conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and   |
 * all pages must be included; 2) If software is included, all files |
 * on the disk(s) must be copied without modification [the MS-DOS(R) |
 * utility DISKCOPY is appropriate for this purpose]; 3) All         |
 * components of this Application Note must be distributed together; |
 * and 4) This Application Note may not be distributed for profit.   |
 * Copyright 1992 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.        |
 * Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows        |
 * is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                          |
 * Intel is a registered trademark and EtherExpress and SOFTSET are  |
 * trademarks of Intel Corporation.                                  |
 * trademarks of Intel Corporation.                                  |

INTRODUCTION
The enclosed WG0670 disk contains the Intel SOFTSET utility, which is provided by Intel Corporation for use with its EtherExpress(TM) line of network adapter cards. This utility is used to configure the network interface card (NIC) and diagnose potential hardware problems. Microsoft does not provide this utility with Windows for Workgroups because SOFTSET is not normally required for the proper operation of Windows for Workgroups.

THE INTEL ETHEREXPRESS ETHERNET ADAPTERS
The Intel EtherExpress adapters are software-configurable Ethernet cards. They contain no hardware jumpers, DIP switches, or other means for configuring the NIC. EtherExpress holds its settings in an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) chip. These settings are dynamically adjustable. This means that regardless of the NIC's settings, you can override the adapter settings by using the software.

Windows for Workgroups adjusts the settings of the EtherExpress adapter during the boot of the host machine. For this reason, SOFTSET is not necessary for configuring EtherExpress with Windows for Workgroups and consequently is not included with the released product.

For example, EtherExpress has a default configuration of:

I/O Base  300h IRQ       3 RAM       None If you select IRQ 5 during Windows for Workgroups setup, this IRQ setting will override the programmed setting in the EtherExpress EPROM. NOTE: Configuring the EtherExpress adapter with Windows for Workgroups will not change the settings on the NIC EPROM. The reconfiguration will take effect only after the Windows for Workgroups network device drivers have loaded.

ETHEREXPRESS ON AN EISA MACHINE
Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) machines attempt to determine what type of hardware is installed during their boot process. Because the EtherExpress adapter is not configured for Windows for Workgroups until its device drivers load, you can have EtherExpress installed in an EISA machine and have EtherExpress conflict with another NIC. While this does not impede the operation of Windows for Workgroups, the conflict will cause errors during the boot process of the EISA machine.

In this situation, using the Intel SOFTSET utility to change the settings of the EtherExpress adapter will help you bypass boot difficulties. By running SOFTSET, you can change the conflicting settings on EtherExpress to cause it to hold different settings at boot time. Again, this will not interfere with the operation of Windows for Workgroups.

RUNNING SOFTSET
You cannot run SOFTSET if the EtherExpress adapter is in use. Therefore, no network drivers can be loaded when you run SOFTSET. The easiest way to configure EtherExpress with SOFTSET is by booting from a system (bootable) disk. To create a system disk, then boot your machine from it, and then run SOFTSET, do the following:

NOTE: Steps 1 and 2 are not necessary if you already have a system disk. If you have a system disk, place that disk in drive A and skip to step 3. Insert a blank floppy disk in drive A. To create a system disk, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press enter: format a: /s With the system disk in drive A, reboot your machine. Place the enclosed WG0670 disk in the appropriate drive. Change to the drive that contains the WG0670 disk. Type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press enter: softset SOFTSET will present the following options: Option        Description --        ---

Automatic     When you select this option, SOFTSET will present setup         two choices: the BNC and DIX connectors. If you are using one of the Microsoft starter kits, or add ons, you should probably choose BNC. Otherwise, you need to know what type of connector your machine is                using to connect to the network.

BNC connector = Coaxial cable, RG-58, or thinnet DIX connector = 15-pin connector, RG-11, RG-8, or thicknet

Manual setup  This option allows knowledgeable users to configure the EtherExpress adapter to values appropriate for their systems. Alterable settings are:

I/O address Interrupt Connector type Force 8-bit operation Boot ROM address Amount of RAM to map RAM start address

To change a value, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight your selection and press enter.

Run           There are two forms of diagnostics available under diagnostics   this option. Run Diagnostics On Board can be run on                any machine containing an EtherExpress adapter. Run Diagnostics On Network and Set Up As Diagnostics Responder require at least two machines connected with the appropriate cabling.

Run Diagnostics On Board allows you to test the Ethernet adapter itself for potential defects.

Run Diagnostics On Network and Set Up As                Diagnostics Responder allow you to test whether the media connecting the two machines that contain EtherExpress adapters is functional. This is                particularly useful in configurations where the cabling or connectors are suspect in networking problems. Running these tests from a machine experiencing problems will help locate these problems.

To perform this test, do the following steps:

1. Select Run Diagnostics On Board to ensure that the Ethernet adapter itself is functioning correctly.

2. Install the EtherExpress adapter in two machines.

3. Connect the machines with the appropriate cabling.

4. Start SOFTSET on both machines.

5. On one machine, choose Set Up As Diagnostics Responder.

6. After this machine has been set up with this option, choose Run Diagnostics On Network on the second machine.

NOTE: If the SOFTSET diagnostics fail, repeat these steps after troubleshooting general network hardware issues.

View current  This option allows you to view the current settings configuration of the EtherExpress adapter.

Save          This option allows a LAN administrator to save a  configuration  configuration to a file for use with other to file       EtherExpress adapters.

Load          Choosing this option allows you to load a  configuration  configuration previously saved to disk. This can from file     also be accomplished from the MS-DOS command line by using the following command

softset /load=

where filename is the name of the configuration file you want to load.

Exit SOFTSET  Choose this option to quit SOFTSET.

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE
You can find WG0670.EXE (size: 80208 bytes) , a self-extracting file, on the following services:   Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon. Click Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter kbfile #|WG0670.EXE (size: 80208 bytes), and click GO! Open the article, and click the button to download the file.   Internet (anonymous FTP) ftp ftp.microsoft.com Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. Get WG0670.EXE (size: 80208 bytes)   Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL Download WG0670.EXE (size: 80208 bytes) 

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: ARTICLE-ID: Q119591 TITLE    : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services You can have this Application Note mailed or faxed to you from the automated Microsoft FastTips Technical Library, which you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) 936-4200. NOTE: The FastTips Technical Library is available only to customers within the U.S. and Canada. If you are unable to access the source(s) listed above, you can have this Application Note mailed or faxed to you by calling Microsoft Product Support Services Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific time at (425) 637-7098. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area.
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