Description  13
Network Controller
✏
NOTE
To ensure EMC product regulation compliance, the end system must be used
with a shielded LAN cable.
The server board includes a 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX network solution based on the Intel 82559
single chip Fast Ethernet PCI Bus Controller.  As a PCI bus master, the controller can burst data at
up to 132 MB/s.  The controller contains two receive and transmit FIFO buffers that prevent data
overruns or underruns while waiting for access to the PCI bus.  The controller has the following:
•  32 bit PCI bus master interface (direct drive of bus), compatible with PCI Bus Specification,
Revision 2.1
•  Chained memory structure with improved dynamic transmit chaining for enhanced
performance
•  Programmable transmit threshold for improved bus utilization
•  Early receive interrupt for concurrent processing of receive data
•  Onchip counters for network management
•  Autodetect and autoswitching for 10 or 100 Mbps network speeds
•  Support for both 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps networks, capable of full or half duplex, with back-to-
back transmit at 100 Mbps
Network Teaming Features
The network controller provides several options for increasing throughput and fault tolerance when
running Windows NT
†
 4.0, Windows
†
 2000 or NetWare
†
 4.1x or newer:
•  Adapter Fault Tolerance (AFT) - provides automatic redundancy for your adapter.  If the
primary adapter fails, the secondary takes over.  AFT works with any hub or switch.
•  Adaptive Load Balancing (ALB) - creates a team of 2 - 4 adapters to increase transmission
throughput.  Also includes AFT.  Works with any 10Base-TX or 100Base-TX switch.
•  Fast EtherChannel
†
 (FEC) - creates a team of 2, 3 or 4 adapters to increase transmission and
reception throughput.  Also includes AFT.  Requires an FEC-enabled switch.
To set up an option, read the instructions in the Windows NT 4.0 or NetWare 4.1x readme files.