Slow NIC detection

[Daan]

@Martin Zugec

How long does it actually take to detect the network card?

I also use VPC 2004 Sp1 and it takes about 35 sec. to detect the network card.

[Martin Zugec]

2Daan: Heh, about 45 minutes

2mls15000: Nope, you are talking about Host OS... But when you install XP to VPC, it will use dlink/intel virtual driver

You can have a look to device manager

[mls15000]

I never had to install a nic driver in vpc. I was told that during my training sessions with MS that VPC doesnt use drivers, it's all virtual, which makes testing unattended setups difficult if you want to test a driver installs.

[Martin Zugec]

2mls: Yep, its true for OS, but I think you need driver for VPC

[Daan]

I think it's a driver problem, have you added/removed drivers?

Have you already tried rebuilding a BartPE without adding/removing drivers? if so, does the problem remain?

[mats]

Virtual pc and Vmware uses virtual hardware that is true but to get that virtual hardware to work you will need drivers for it.

XP has theese drivers built in straight out of the box but a stripped PE doesn't and therefore you will have to add the nic driver for Intel 21140-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter.

that is net21x4.inf and dc21x4.sys

[Martin Zugec]

I know and I got that drivers...

I just did a fresh bartpe installation - problems remains.

So there must be another problem somewhere -

1.) PE is build from czech OS

2.) I am using VirtualPC 2004 SP1

[Martin Zugec]

Hmmm, I tried to build BartPE from my MSDN EN XP and it works great...

Looks like problem with CZ version

[iperoni]

Looks like problem with CZ version

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same problem here, Spanish version

Network take tooooooooooooooooooo much to load (20-40 min)

[Martin Zugec]

Try EN version...

[wonka]

I've had a very similar experience.

Going strictly with WinPE 2005 (all legit and properly licensed).

Virtual PC 2004 SP1 is pxe booting off a RIS server using the RFGB floppy image, it loads all of the files it needs to boot (effectively this means it passes tftp textmode downloading, gets the binl service reply for which driver to use, downloads dc21x4.sys.. runs right up to loading the ntoskrnl.exe.. then produces the WinXP gui complete with beamers.. 14 shots.. and goes toes up.. it produces a Blue Screen of Death).

The error message is rather obscure but documented in the Microsoft Technet as Debug error 0xBB with parameter 0x3 which means [ DHCP IOCTL to TCP failed].

On some Intel boards I've had 7,15,25 minutes an then a successful boot. I'm pretty sure it's driver related.

Sure wish we could get a handle on how to fix this.

Edited August 29, 2005 by wonka

[wonka]

a b c

Edited August 29, 2005 by wonka

[mats]

You say intel board

Not by any chance a PIII? They had serious issues with theri nic:s and auto speeds. Firmware helps in some cases. hard locked nic speeds helps in some cases. The best way to fix it? Build your image from server2003sp1 media and use the ramboot feature

[Martin Zugec]

2wonka: Did you try to use InfCacheBuilder?

[wonka]

Hi,

Thanks for answering Mat.

Nope all P4, some Xeon Nacona trials.. depending on what I could get my hands on. No PIII processor based gear.

Although the Xeon boards with e100 nics were the worst at 25 minutes for the NIC drivers to load under WinPE 2005.

I strongly suspect something in the drivers and its driving me crazy

I've thought about it, and wonder if maybe the drivers aren't tested for hyperthreading and multiprocessor compatibility. A friend is recommending running a Kernel Debug or Driver Exerciser session to "watch" the drivers and see which specific call they are taking so long to execute.. I may go down that road.. but Kernel debugging seems a lot to learn to solve this problem.

The fastest darn NIC card I have is a PCI Intel Desktop Pro 100/S adapter (cheap) loading on a uniprocessor machine with hyperthreading turned off at 40 seconds from power on to WinPE desktop... from 40 sec to 25 minutes?.. I would think Intel would be very concerned.