What are you trying to achieve? The packet driver seems to have loaded just fine, although that bogus MAC address is a bit weird. After loading it, you need to use some software that actually calls it (like Arachne, for a browser). If what you are trying to do is access files on a Windows machine or something like that, then you shouldn't even be loading that packet driver: you have to install a MS Network client and the NDIS 2.0 driver for it... I'd guess the latest incarnations of Microsoft Network Client even includes the drivers for the NE2000, as it was a pretty common card back then.

Agree with the bogus MAC-address, it's weird. Perhaps your card is not working properly or configured incorrectly.

Basically if you want networking you'd go for either IPX or TCP networking. The IPX-protocol has been used for DOS games but most games from that era run on a 486 or Pentium-class machine. You can use the TCP-protocol, which needs the packet driver you are using now, to acquire an IP-address (DHCP) and connect to FTP-servers or IRC-chatrooms. Check out Brutman's webpage for a number of applications that can work on the TCP-protocol. On my 286-20MHz I use an FTP-client to connect to a Windows-based FTP-server; it allows me to copy files between old and new computer systems without problems.

As long as your MAC stays like this and is not displayed correctly, the card will not work.
I don't know what's wrong in your case, in 2 similar cases where the cards were working on other pc's I solved it by playing with the configuration and changing IRQ/port.
btw, are you sure the card is configured for the address you use? The driver is correct and probably the best you can find, except from the original one of course.

Need a NE2000 setup/config program
If it's software set, rather than jumpered, you may need to find a setup that can configure it

hi,

thanks for your replies and sorry for the delay.
i've found various drivers, config and diag tools for the card, played around with them but didn't manage to get rid of the MAC address problem.
Various tools have detected the card and one diag tool reported an error which may be caused by invalid mac address. the other tests of that tool passed.

i'll try the card in another computer... could my card be damaged somehow or are there tools for manipulating the mac address? i remember using such a tool on a RTL8029 PCI card for physically changing the mac address of the nic...

edit: what I'm trying to achieve is connect the pc to my network via tcp/ip to share files and folders (using windows)...

nemail wrote:

edit: what I'm trying to achieve is connect the pc to my network via tcp/ip to share files and folders (using windows)...

You`ll need to install the Microsoft Network Client software for that... but it will probably not work untill you sort out this MAC issue

If it was me I would try getting it working in Win9x first. Even the Win95 drivers were pretty good and you'll be able to check the MAC address, resources, and if it even works.
NE2000 is a standard like IBM compatible and some brands were more compatible then others. Does the card have any markings of who actually made it? Then you might be able to find the correct dos drivers for the card.

Run nicscan (http://www.georgpotthast.de/sioux/packet.htm) and see if it gives you any other information.

hi

just to let you all know, i've not found the time yet to continue playing around with that issue. some day I'll definitely will and then I'll let you know what turns out...

Hi, I had the same problem. I found If I added the command line like this it worked.

ne2000 0x60 10 0x300

Im my case my ISA network card is set to: IRQ 10 and I/O Base: 300. Change those values as per your cards settings. But the thing which made mine work was adding the format to the base address as follows: 0x300. When I only used 300 for the base address it did not recognise the packet driver. Good luck.