3Com EtherLink
EtherLink PCI Network Interface Card User Guide
Configuring the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) 

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Configuring the Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA)

This section explains how to configure the 3C905C-TX-M and 3C905B-TX-M NICs' Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) boot ROM to boot from the network.

     

     

    For detailed information on using, configuring, and troubleshooting the MBA boot ROM, see the Managed PC Boot Agent User Guide, located with the MBA software on the EtherCD.

Enabling or Disabling the Boot ROM Setting

The default NIC boot ROM setting is Enabled. This setting must be enabled to boot from the network.

To enable or disable the NIC boot ROM setting:

  1. Make sure that the NIC is installed and is connected to the network and that the NIC driver is installed.
  2. Open the Windows Start menu.
  3. Select Programs, and then 3Com NIC Utilities.
  4. Click 3Com NIC Doctor.
  5. The 3Com NIC Diagnostics General screen appears.
  6. Click the Configuration tab.
  7. The Configuration screen appears.
  8. Under Network Parameter, select Boot PROM.
  9. Open the Set Value list box and select Enabled to enable the boot ROM or Disabled to disable the boot ROM.
  10. Click OK to save the setting and exit the program.

Booting From the Network

The boot process for the MBA boot ROM varies depending on the type of PC you have (BBS BIOS-compatible or non-BBS BIOS-compatible).

If your PC was purchased recently, it may be BBS (BIOS Boot Specification) BIOS-compatible. The BBS determines how the system BIOS identifies boot devices in a PC (such as a CD-ROM drive, a hard drive, or a floppy drive), allows the user to select the boot order of these devices, and then attempts to boot from each device in the specified order.

Refer to your PC documentation if you do not know which type of PC you have.

BBS BIOS-Compatible PCs

To enable a BBS BIOS-compatible PC to boot from the network using the MBA boot ROM:

  1. Make sure that the NIC boot ROM setting is Enabled.
  2. See the previous section, Enabling or Disabling the Boot ROM Setting, for instructions.
  3. Set the MBA manually as the first boot device in the PC BIOS.
  4. Refer to your PC documentation for instructions on accessing and configuring the PC BIOS.
  5. Reboot the PC.
  6. The MBA attempts to boot from the network using the default boot method PXE.
    To change the default method or any other MBA configurations, press Ctrl+Alt+B when the following message appears:
    Initializing MBA. Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure...
    If the network boot fails, the following message appears:
    Network boot aborted, press any key to continue
    The BIOS continues to the next device in the boot order (for example, the local hard drive).
     

     

    To cancel the network boot, press Esc anytime during the network boot process.

Non-BBS BIOS-Compatible PCs

To enable a non-BBS BIOS-compatible PC to boot from the network using the MBA boot ROM:

  1. Make sure that the NIC boot ROM setting is Enabled.
  2. See Enabling or Disabling the Boot ROM Setting for instructions.
  3. Change the MBA default boot setting from Local to Network.
  4. To change the default boot setting or any other MBA configurations, use the MBACFG utility located on the MBA utility diskette or press Ctrl+Alt+B when the following message appears:
    Initializing MBA. Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure...
     

     

    For more information on using, configuring, and troubleshooting the MBA boot ROM, see the Managed PC Boot Agent User Guide, located with the MBA software on the EtherCD.