At 08:10 AM 02/02/2000 , Brad Loomis wrote:
>Hi all,
>I have Pacific Bell coming on Friday to install DSL, yeah!! What I need to
>know is do I have somewhere to add their NIC?
>Here are my present IRQ settings:
>00 System Timer
>01 Keyboard
>02 Programmable interrupt controller
>03 Com 2
>03 Com 1
>04 USR INT FAX INT PnP
>05 SB 16 PnP
>06 Floppy Disk controller
>07 ECP printer port
>08 System CMOS/ real time clock
>09 Starfighter AGP
>09 IRQ Holder for PCI steering
>10 Intel USB Host controller
>10 IRQ Holder for PCI steering
>11 NE2000 Compatible
>12 Mouse
>13 Numeric Data Processor
>14 Intel PCI Bus Master IDE controller
>14 Primary IDE Controller (dual fifo)
>15 Adaptec AHA-2940UW PCI SCSI controller
>15 IRQ Holder for PCI steering
>
>I recently disabled my second IDE channel in the CMOS as I no longer have
>any IDE drives in my machine. I am however to this point still saddled with
>a Toshiba ATAPI CD drive. Otherwise I would have disabled the Primary IDE
>controller as well.
>The NE2000 is an ISA card, for access to my Novell 4.11 server. My question
>is where can I install their NIC? Can I share an IRQ with something here? I
>have two open PCI slots and no open ISA. Cards are, PCI, Adaptec, ISA, USR
>modem, ISA SB 16, ISA NIC. I suppose the NE2000 is the most expendable at
>this point if I have to remove something.
>Thanks,
>Brad Loomis
>Los Angeles, CA

You have numerous options.  It depends on the NIC you use of course.
You can turn off the ECP on your printer port and free up IRQ7.
You can use a com port by disabling one not in use, IRQ3
You can pickup a NIC that does not use an IRQ, (they are around)
You can share the NIC IRQ with your video card, (this works sometimes)
You can share the NIC IRQ with your existing NIC card

Lots of possibilities...  load the card and see how Windows wants
to play with it first...  then go from there.   I would recommend either
a 3com or Intel card...  they are a bit more pricey but tend to offer more
options for configuration.

Personally, I would supply and configure my own card before they
get there to avoid letting Pacific Bell's tech tinker around inside your
PC.

      Bob Wright
The NOSPIN Group

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