Getting EtherLink III Cards (3C589C, 3C589D) To Work in a Mac Laptop

Thanks to Jon Glass, who mailed me a Farallon driver and instructions on how he modified it (thanks to his contact!), which works with the 3C589 series. I have further modified the driver to properly identify the card and have some useful information on it in the Extensions Manager.

Here are some known gotchas:

• This driver does not work with most of the Megahertz cards, and it does not support NICs based on the 3C589E. You must use a different driver for these devices. If someone can get me the four-character code for the 3C589C/D based Megahertz cards, I can tweak a separate driver for them, but there are too many internal differences in the 3C589E to support cards based on it. The Dell-branded C/D EtherLink III cards *are* compatible with this driver.

  EXCEPTION: It does seem that the 3Com Megahertz (note full name -- not just "Megahertz") badged cards DO work, provided they are 3C589C or 3C589D. This includes XJACKs. Those simply badged "Megahertz" do NOT, but most of the latter are not 3C589-based. More datapoints are needed; please write in your results.

• This driver does not support combo-modem cards, but it *does* support combo 10Base2/10BaseT cards, providing that they are 3C589C or 3C589D based.

• At least one user has reported a working configuration with a 3C589B, but don't take this as guaranteed yet.

• On several systems, a system error occurs ONLY THE VERY FIRST TIME after you install the extension and reboot. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CLICK THE RESTART BUTTON ON-SCREEN -- do NOT hard reset your PowerBook with Ctrl-OpenApple-Reset or any other method! If you don't observe this, the PowerBook seems to have trouble finding its System Folder. Don't reboot with extensions off -- it isn't necessary as it only happens the very first time, and has only been reported on a few systems. After this, the driver reportedly works just fine.

  I have received a couple reports that a subminority of this small minority didn't even get a system error, just a white flashing window. Obviously, if you don't get a Restart button, you have no choice but to three-finger it. However, if you do get a Restart button on the bomb window, you *must* click it to properly consummate the installation.

• Works best on:
  • PowerPC NuBus PowerBooks

    Best tested on the 1400 thus far, with increasing evidence of compatibility with the 5300. I use a 3Com EtherLink III in my personal PowerBook 1400+G3/333, and have done so for several years.

  • 68K NuBus PowerBooks

    There are field reports that it also works with the 190, although I don't have a 190 of my own at the moment. Also, I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work on a Blackbird (520, 520c, 540, 540c, 550c) with a card cage either (useful if your internal Ethernet has died), but my 540c doesn't have a card cage to test with. If anyone wants to try this, please send me a datapoint.

• Reported problems on:
  • OpenFirmware (non-NuBus) PowerBooks

    This means pretty much everything after the 1400 with a PCMCIA slot, including the 3400 on up. At the very least, the driver doesn't seem to reliably work on these later models, and at worst, you may get a system crash. If you want to try this on an OpenFirmware-based PowerBook, back up your System Folder first.

    For this reason, I can't test this in Classic mode under OS X, but I would be very surprised if it worked.

• Will never work on:
  • Intel-based laptops (MacBook Pro, Intel iBooks, ...)

    Never going to happen, at least not with this driver; it's 68K code, it's firmly grounded in Classic MacOS, and if it doesn't work with OF, how the sam heck will it work with EFI? :)

  Check the list of working and non-working configurations below.

• Known conflicts with other Ethernet drivers: if you get a constant recurring system error (not counting the known issue above which only happens once), or if the card doesn't seem to work or even be recognized, disable all other Ethernet PC card drivers including but not limited to Apple Built-In Ethernet, Asante FriendlyNet and especially a real Farallon driver. (The "Apple Enet" extension seems to be safe [note: "Apple Enet" is not "Apple Built-In Ethernet" -- they are different extensions], and you shouldn't disable non-Ethernet-card extensions.)
  • EXCEPTION! At least one particular Ethernet and networking extension may be needed in your system folder (EtherTalk Phase 2), and for certain PowerBooks the Farallon Skyline driver is also needed to get the 3Com driver to work (see this note).

  If you have an uninstaller, use the uninstaller instead of disabling the extension in the Extensions Manager. This means any code resources inserted into the System file by these conflicting extensions are cleaned up, too. Otherwise, use the Extensions Manager as usual.

  If you find other Enet extensions that can safely coexist, or if your results vary, I would like to know about them so that we can have multiple card support one day (knock on wood).

Orinoco and Farallon side by side??

I spend a few day's trying to get 3Com's 589D EN card working on my PB5300 under OS 8.6[...]

What worked well out was the following workaround:

1. LOCK the System-file in the system folder (and make a back-up to be sure !)
2. Drop the 3ComEN-extension in the Extension folder of the System folder.
3. Restart the PB5300 - all should work, except that the 3ComEN extension won't work yet.
4. UNLOCK the System-file.
5. Restart the PB5300 - half way the start-up, the computer will stop and restart on its own.
6. Now the start-up will run normally, and: after dubbel clicking the 3ComEN-icon, ther is a new choice under the "Connect Via:" menu in the AppleTalk menu: "Alternate Ethercard"

Works nicely together & alongside a Orinoco wifi-card (simultaneously) and the OS 8.6 hacked iTunes!

I have not verified this, but there's hope of getting this driver to coexist with some wireless drivers. Please, back up your System folder if you wish to try this trick first!

Known Working

Also thanks to Bill Grady who made multiple tests of OS/driver pairings on his 1400, and to Dan Fackler for the same on the 5300 (and the Skyline tip).

• 1400, OS 9.1, 3C589C (with G3/333, this is my personal PowerBook)
• 1400, OS 9.1, 3C589D (thanks Dan)
• 1400, OS 9.1, Dell-branded 3C589D (thanks Garry)
• 1400, OS 9.1, 3C589D (thanks Robert)
• 1400, OS 9.1, 3C589D (thanks Gil)
• 1400, OS 9.1 (French/Canadian), 3C589D-TP (also a G3; thanks Vincent)
• 1400, OS 9.1?, 3C589D (thanks Tim B; initial crashes but resolved on second shot without Skyline)
• 5300, OS 9.1, 3C589D (thanks Dan F; this required the Skyline driver)
• 5300, OS 9.0.4, 3C589D (thanks Dan F; this required the Skyline driver)
• 5300, OS 9.0.4, 3C589D (thanks Scott B; Scott did this without Skyline, but relates an initial crash, revived his System Folder, restarted, second crash, waited a couple minutes, and rebooted 100% working ... odd ^^;; )
• 5300, OS 9.0.4, 3Com Megahertz 3CXE589D (3CXE589DT) (thanks Mikael; this required the Skyline driver; he says, "I installed your driver, the skyline driver, and copied Ethertalk Phase II from the old 7.5.5 system folder ... Thanks a ton, you rock!")
• 1400, OS 8.6, 3C589D (with G3/333, thanks Rob)
• 1400, OS 8.6, 3C589C (thanks Leif)
• 1400, OS 8.6, 3C589D (thanks Brian; initial system error on first boot, then worked fine)
• 1400, OS 8.6, [model coming] (thanks Run)
• 5300, OS 8.6, 3C589D (thanks Dan F; this required the Skyline driver)
• 1400, OS 8.5, 3C589C (thanks George)
• 1400, OS 8.5, 3C589D-TP (thanks Patryk, initial crash then worked)
• 1400, OS 8.5, 3C589D (thanks Gerald, initial crash but resolved with Skyline)
• 5300, OS 8.5, 3C589C (thanks Brian)
• 1400, OS 8.1, Dell-branded 3C589C (dual 10b2/10bT, thanks Greg)
• 1400, OS 8.1 (French/Canadian), 3C589D (thanks Dany)
• 1400, OS 8.1, 3C589-TP (thanks Ross; initial system error on first boot, then worked fine)
• 1400, OS 8.1, 3C589D (thanks Bill)
• 1400, OS 8.1, 3C589D-TP (thanks JLB; extension error noted after startup, went away after that)
• 5300, OS 8.1, 3C589D (thanks Julian; connected happily to a Cube running Panther)
• 5300, OS 8.1, 3C589B (not C or D!; thanks Andre, also worked on 7.6.1)
• 5300, OS 8.1, [model coming] (thanks Tom)
• 5300, OS 8.1, 3C589D "I got connected in five minutes" (thanks Juha)
• 5300, OS 8.1, Dell-branded 3C589 [model coming] (thanks Stephen)
• 190, OS 8.1, 3C589D (thanks Jason N; running without conflict with RAMDoubler 9.1)
• 1400, OS 8.0, 3C589D (thanks Bill)
• 5300, OS 7.6.1, 3C589D (thanks Colin; initial Sad Mac, then booted on the second try)
• 1400, OS 7.6, 3C589D (thanks Bill)
• 5300, OS 7.5.5, 3C589D (thanks Scott B)
• 190, OS 7.5.5 (D), 3C589C (thanks Stefan)
• 190, OS 7.5.5, 3C589D (thanks Ted)
• 5300, OS 7.5.2, 3C589D (thanks Dan F)
• 190, OS 7.5.2, Dell-branded DF63-3C589D (thanks Chris)

Troubleshooting

If you got a system error, did you remember to click the Restart button on the system error (see known issue above)?

If your system is not finding its system folder, please try these workarounds and let me know if any work for you.

• Reboot from your system CD. Go to the Startup Disk control panel and select your hard disk again. Close the Startup Disk window, and *then* restart your system.
• Reboot from your system CD. Go to your System Folder and drag the System file out to your desktop. After the system has moved it there, drag it back to the System Folder. Now, reselect the Startup Disk as above, and try again.
• Reboot from your system CD. Remove the old System Folder and rename your backed-up System folder to "System Folder" (you did dupe it in the Finder, right?). Make sure the System Folder is blessed (has a MacOS logo appear on it). Then go to the Startup Disk control panel, select your hard disk again, and restart.

Dan Fackler discovered that the Farallon Skyline driver can fix crash bugs on the 5300, and this may also work for the few 1400s that are problematic as well. He says,

When booted into System 7.5.2(OEM System on this PB) your driver works flawlessly, but the EtherTalk Phase 2 extension must be present.

Under OS 8.6 and 9.1(I'm assuming that this holds for OS 8.5 and 9.0.4 as well... [a later note from Dan said that 9.0.4 also suffers from this]), the Skyline driver AND EtherTalk Phase 2 must be installed. I suspect the critical Farallon component is the "Wireless PC Card" extension. The machine will crash hard on the first startup attempt(no graphic, text or Restart button), but the 3-fingerd salute(Command-Control-Powerkey) starts the machine and all loads properly thereafter. Built-in Ethernet must be removed.

Remove the Built-in Ethernet extension, put the 3Com driver in your Extensions folder, make sure the EtherTalk Phase 2 driver is present, then run the Skyline installer, and restart.

The Farallon Skyline driver Dan used can be downloaded locally: FarallonSkyline.sit (423K)

Not Working (Yet?)

• 1400, OS 8.5, 3C589D -- second noted crash; may be secondary to RAM size (his unit has only 16MB). Waiting for corroboration. (thanks Bill)
• 1400, OS 8.6, [waiting for card] -- first significant nasty crash on the 1400s (sigh). This may be related to the known issue with improper reboots after installation, but I have not heard back from this user. Please contact me ASAP! (thanks Wayne)
• 3400, OS 9.1, 3C589 -- Card is recognised, but it's just not working. Checking extension conflicts. (thanks David)
• 3400, OS 8.1, 3C589D -- nasty system crash. Back up your System Folder before trying this yourself. (thanks Ted L)
• 2400c, OS 9.0.4, 3C589C -- nasty system crash. Back up your System Folder before trying this yourself. (thanks Francine)
• 2400c, OS 9.1, 3C589C and 3C589D -- extension doesn't load. (thanks Pawel)
• 2400, OS 8.6, 3C589D-TP -- nasty system crash. Back up your System Folder before trying this yourself. (thanks Gareth)
• Wall Street G3, OS 9.1 -- nasty system crash. Back up your System Folder before trying this yourself. (thanks Tom)

Downloads

3ComENetDrv.sit (11K)

If you get a system error immediately after installation on the first reboot, remember, click the Restart button -- don't hard reset your system, and don't restart with extensions off. If you get an outright system crash, please try one of the workarounds, or try installing the Farallon Skyline driver (explanation above).

Please submit successful or unsuccessful tests on your system to ckaiser@floodgap.com, including the Mac model, OS, type of card (the exact brand name and model number, such as "EtherLink III 3C589D" or "Dell 3C589 something or other"), and any other useful details. In particular, I would like to hear from XJACK users. Even if you have a known working configuration listed above, please send it anyway so that we have more datapoints! :-) If you are reporting a driver failure, please include how much RAM you're using, and any interesting extensions.