Re: Twinax Hubs/UTP & CA/400 -- MIDRANGE-L

This is a dup post from another thread (RE: Help with Client Access) but it
applies here as well.  Synapse doesn't care if you are using UTP or real twinax.

There have been enough cases I have come across now in my role as technician
where the old style twinax cards (IBM style with IRQ and shared RAM
requirements) will just not function for no apparent reason in some PC's
with CA/400 for 95/NT.  I am now suspecious about the cards which were
designed for PC AT 286 computers.  

In every case where this has occurred, the Synapse (www.synapse.com) WinTwin
adapter, which uses no hardware IRQ, no DMA, no DOS TSR, and no shared RAM,
has solved the problem.  Synapse recently worked with Wall Data to port the
Wall Data Rumba router to the Synapse twinax adapter for the same reason.
It runs under Windows 3.1x, Win95, Win98, and WinNT.

The secret is the 64K of RAM on the card and the 65C02 microprocessor that
handles the polling to the host.  It comes with the Synapse WinAPPC software
(dsp,prt,xfer,rtr) or board/pigtail only for thoses using other APPC software.

I sell and support this solution because it solves the problem.

Jerry



>FYI: An IBM APAR that may be of interest.  The fix mentioned MAY or MAY
>NOT solve the problem you are having.  It didn't help in my situation
>for the Windows95/NT Client, although the option to turn off address
>checking in the Windows 3.1 Client (file PCSTDLC.DAT) did solve the
>problem for Windows 3.1 at my site.
>
>
>
>Item SA66465
>
>  APAR Identifier ...... SA66465       Last Changed..97/08/12  
>  CA400WINOPT-COMM-NETSOFT-TDLC-RC=000000FD UNPREDICTABLE RESULTS
>  WITH TWINAX HUBS AND UTP
> 
>  Symptom ...... UR UNPRED            Status ........... CLOSED  PRS
>  Severity ................... 3      Date Closed ......... 97/08/12
>  Component .......... 5763XD100      Duplicate of ........
>  Reported Release ......... 312      Fixed Release ............
>  Component Name 5763 CA400 WIN       Special Notice
>  Current Target Date ..97/08/20      Flags
>  SCP ...................
>  Platform ............
> 
>  Status Detail: APARCLOSURE - APAR is being closed.
> 
>  PE PTF List:
> 
>  PTF List:
> 
> 
>  Parent APAR:
>  Child APAR list:
> 
> 
>  ERROR DESCRIPTION:
>   If using:
>   A. Client Access for Windows 95/NT Client (V3R1M0, V3R1M1
>      and V3R1M2) -and-
>   B. Running on Windows 95 PC  -and-
>   C. Using the NetSoft Router, Twinax link type and the VxD adap
>      adapter handlers (PDLWATV.VXD and VDNSWQ.VXD) -and-
>   D. With hardware connectivity to AS/400 via Unshielded Twisted
>      Pair (specifically, Unshielded Twisted Pair cabling with
>      baluns and some type of twinax patch panel or hub)
> 
>   Unpredictable results may occur. This problem occurs on all PC
>   adapters, but is most prevalent on PCI bus types.
> 
>   When making this connection, the Netsoft Router's Event
>   Event Log viewer may report one or more of the following
>   messages:
>        TWINAX-16 (any return code), or
>        RT000B return code 1C
>   The Twinax Adapter Handler pop up box may display 'Open
>   Twinax station failed and one of the following return codes:
>       000000FB or
>       000000FC or
>       000000FD.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  LOCAL FIX:
>   Bypass the hub using real twinax cable.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  PROBLEM SUMMARY:
>   If using:
>   A. Client Access for Windows 95 (V3R1M0, V3R1M1 or V3R1M2)
>    -and-
>   B. Running on Windows 95 PC
>    -and-
>   C. Using the NetSoft Router, Twinax link type and the VxD
>      adapter handlers (PDLWATV.VXD and VDNSWQ.VXD)
>    -and-
>   D. With hardware connectivity to AS/400 via Unshielded Twisted
>      Pair (specifically, Unshielded Twisted Pair cabling with
>      baluns and some type of twinax patch panel or hub)
> 
>   Unpredictable results may occur. This problem occurs on all PC
>   Twianx adapters, but is most prevalent on PCI bus types.
>   When making this connection, the Netsoft Router's Event
>   Event Log viewer may report one or more of the following
>   messages:
> 
>     TWINAX-16 (any return code), or
>     RT000B return code 1C
> 
>   The Twinax Adapter Handler pop up box may display 'Open
>   Twinax station failed' and one of the following return codes:
> 
>     000000FB or
>     000000FC or
>     000000FD.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  PROBLEM CONCLUSION:
>  Per II10307, the return codes indicate a polling or address
>  checking problem.  Client Access was written to the original
>  Twinax specification and is working as designed.
> 
>  Since the connection will depend heavily on the hardware being
>  used, Client Access cannot guarantee that it will work on all
>  hardware (especially hardware that changes the definition of
>  Polling and Address Checking).  Newer twinax hardware (patch
>  panels etc.) change the polling and address checking.
> 
>  The current Adapter Handlers for use in Windows 95 will not be
>  changed to support these various definitions.  But, Client
>  Access is working on replacing these adapter handlers in future
>  releases with a newer adapter handler that should be more
>  tolerant of the different hardware specifications.
> 
>  Until that newer version is released, a version of the current
>  VxD adapter handler will be made available that turns off
>  address checking and waits longer for Polls.  Using this version
>  of the VxD adapter handler could result in Workstation Address
>  conflicts.  In addition, this version of the VxD Adaptor handler
>  still may not resolve the problem.  This version is available
>  "AS-IS" and may not be serviced nor updated.  Obtain this VxD
>  from the following internet FTP site:  ftp.software.ibm.com in
>  directory
>   /as400/products/clientaccess/win32/v3r1m2/files/twinax
>  The files are PDLWATWV.VXD and README.TXT.
> 
>  Local Fix Options:  1.  Use VxD adapter which turns off address
>  checking 2.  Use real Twinax cabling.  3.  Wait for future Mod
>  level of CA/400 for Windows 95/NT
>     client which will include support for UTP/Hubs
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  TEMPORARY FIX:
> 
> 
>  COMMENTS:
> 
> 
>  MODULES/MACROS:   NONE
> 
> 
>  SRLS:      NONE
> 
> 
>  RTN CODES:
> 
> 
>  CIRCUMVENTION:
>  Use real Twinax cabling and no Hubs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  CA400PIN
> 
> 
>  MESSAGE TO SUBMITTER:
>
>
>... Neil Palmer                                     AS/400~~~~~      
>... NxTrend Technology - Canada     ____________          ___  ~     
>... Thornhill, Ontario,  Canada     |OOOOOOOOOO| ________  o|__||=   
>... Phone: (905) 731-9000  x238     |__________|_|______|_|______)   
>... Cell.: (416) 565-1682  x238      oo      oo   oo  oo   OOOo=o\   
>... Fax:   (905) 731-9202         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
>... mailto:NPalmer@NxTrend.com          http://www.NxTrend.com
>
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>


Jerry Draper, Trilobyte Software Systems, since 1976
Specializing in connecting PC's, Windows, MAC's, and LAN's to the AS/400
Representing Synapse, Apple, IBM, UDS, MI, DCI, Netsoft, etc.
(415) 457-3431; (415) 258-1658fax; jdraper@wco.com

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