the RTL8139 Network cards have subversion lettering this one is RTL8139D I would like to hear from anyone whos windows Millennium has rejected this version

8139B, -C, -D, as well as 8100L all use the same driver on linux (8139too). 8139C+ is a different chipset (8139cp).

st31276a wrote on 2026-01-31, 09:02:

8139B, -C, -D, as well as 8100L all use the same driver on linux (8139too). 8139C+ is a different chipset (8139cp).

I can appreciate your comment that 8139C+ is a different chipset however, I need to know if this situation happens to people on windows namely 98SE and Millennium 😀

Eish.

Point I'm trying to make is that it looks like you are using the right driver, there should be no sane reason why it would not work.

I guess right click -> enable doesn't do anything useful.

Might it conflict with something else?

My approach to dealing with people's Me problems back in the day was to install 98SE for them.

I've tried many driver sources and the trouble is I Re-installed Windows Me and even with no drivers installed the system is determined that use of this RTL8139D hardware is disabled by a windows driver.
I have further determined my VIA chipset motherboard is malfunctioning that on POST it says "check system health" before booting windows and one of the memory slots appears to be damaged because any suitable ram sticks will cause beep code errors.
I am thinking the motherboard system is locked down because of a malfunction and that may be what is causing this issue. The motherboard was supposed to be *never used* but I doubt that especially when it came in a worn out box with anti static bag with puncture marks.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-02-04, 08:39:

The motherboard was supposed to be *never used* but I doubt that especially when it came in a worn out box with anti static bag with puncture marks.

Never used but definitely abused

Other things you can try:

Try a linux live cd. It might bypass a buggy BIOS.

Try the NIC in a different motherboard that can run 98/ME.

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think either the eBay seller is a scammer or was scammed. I think I will try this network card on another pc I have in the shed a Pentium 4 system that I know works well only I don't use it because no AGP slot.

The Motherboard listing (I think everyone should know)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/167975864971

I thought it was a neat find until reality set in.

It hasn't been a good time on eBay I spent 6 weeks on this project got parts from China, Germany and Poland.
So now I have a Pentium iii CPU without a motherboard.

I am planning on a Pentium 4 motherboard now especially that I have an AGP 8X GPU from Poland and 4GB 400MHZ DDR RAM from China without their Pentium 3 home anymore.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-02-04, 16:26:

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think eit […]
Show full quote

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think either the eBay seller is a scammer or was scammed. I think I will try this network card on another pc I have in the shed a Pentium 4 system that I know works well only I don't use it because no AGP slot.

The Motherboard listing (I think everyone should know)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/167975864971

I thought it was a neat find until reality set in.

It hasn't been a good time on eBay I spent 6 weeks on this project got parts from China, Germany and Poland.
So now I have a Pentium iii CPU without a motherboard.

I am planning on a Pentium 4 motherboard now especially that I have an AGP 8X GPU from Poland and 4GB 400MHZ DDR RAM from China without their Pentium 3 home anymore.

If you mean CN11: ATX +12V Power Connector, are you sure it's been removed...early release versions of the board are pictured as missing this connector (with just the solder pads present)

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2026-02-05, 02:19:

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-02-04, 16:26:

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think eit […]
Show full quote

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think either the eBay seller is a scammer or was scammed. I think I will try this network card on another pc I have in the shed a Pentium 4 system that I know works well only I don't use it because no AGP slot.

The Motherboard listing (I think everyone should know)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/167975864971

I thought it was a neat find until reality set in.

It hasn't been a good time on eBay I spent 6 weeks on this project got parts from China, Germany and Poland.
So now I have a Pentium iii CPU without a motherboard.

I am planning on a Pentium 4 motherboard now especially that I have an AGP 8X GPU from Poland and 4GB 400MHZ DDR RAM from China without their Pentium 3 home anymore.

If you mean CN11: ATX +12V Power Connector, are you sure it's been removed...early release versions of the board are pictured as missing this connector (with just the solder pads present)

On the underside of the motherboard it looks even more convincing but here we see something removed the circuit board laminate and the pads aren't machine uniform. It looks really fresh underneath. But what I need proof of is if this motherboard was optioned with it with on board LAN which isn't optioned.

That looks like factory solder fill, the handling damage is just coincidentally nearby

This is the underside view looks like craters where pins have been extracted through the front.

and this is where a NIC would solder on note all the components that join it up on the motherboard are there

it is suspicious to me.

the I/O backplane has a hole where NIC would be

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-02-05, 03:43:

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2026-02-05, 02:19:

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-02-04, 16:26:

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think eit […]
Show full quote

I just discovered that not only was it *never used but abused* it has had had its AGP PRO power connector removed so I think either the eBay seller is a scammer or was scammed. I think I will try this network card on another pc I have in the shed a Pentium 4 system that I know works well only I don't use it because no AGP slot.

The Motherboard listing (I think everyone should know)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/167975864971

I thought it was a neat find until reality set in.

It hasn't been a good time on eBay I spent 6 weeks on this project got parts from China, Germany and Poland.
So now I have a Pentium iii CPU without a motherboard.

I am planning on a Pentium 4 motherboard now especially that I have an AGP 8X GPU from Poland and 4GB 400MHZ DDR RAM from China without their Pentium 3 home anymore.

If you mean CN11: ATX +12V Power Connector, are you sure it's been removed...early release versions of the board are pictured as missing this connector (with just the solder pads present)

On the underside of the motherboard it looks even more convincing but here we see something removed the circuit board laminate and the pads aren't machine uniform. It looks really fresh underneath. But what I need proof of is if this motherboard was optioned with it with on board LAN which isn't optioned.

I can appreciate it could be an option not included same as the LAN but the damage tells me the sales pitch should be *never used but abused*

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-02-04, 12:38:

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-02-04, 08:39:

The motherboard was supposed to be *never used* but I doubt that especially when it came in a worn out box with anti static bag with puncture marks.

Never used but definitely abused

I like that 😀

LAN was an option (LSI 80223) but the AGP Pro power connector will have been a manufacturing update, introduced on later production runs. The attached pic is the only one I could find with the LAN option (power connector too) but a google search shows most pics without LAN, either with power connector or without (silkscreen / solder pads only)...

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-01-31, 08:31:

the RTL8139 Network cards have subversion lettering this one is RTL8139D I would like to hear from anyone whos windows Millennium has rejected this version

I have TP-LINK TF-3239DL (RTL8139D) and it worked out of the box.

Windows ME recognized it as "Realtek RTL8139(A) PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter" and installed the built-in driver.

Also TP-Link branded driver (Realtek) works without issues.

This probably isn't the best card for retro build, like all ethernet cards without hardware offloading. Pentium 3-733 (Coppermine S370) shows a network copy speed of only 4 MB/s (over FTP).