Windows XP no longer supports ISA Non Plug & Play Network Adapters !

If you have a new system (maybe just a few years old) with PCI-network card, you are OK.
if you have an older system and if you are still using ISA- network cards (for example in a system
acting as print-server or fax-server or as gateway to a cable-modem or ADSL line, systems with
low network traffic where “old” 10base2 or 10baseT network cards still do a proper job) and
you like to upgrade to Windows XP, you need to check a few items BEFORE upgrading :
My system uses an ISA 3C509 to interface to my ADSL-modem, but during the upgrade to
Windows XP, the 3C509 was not detected.
Since I had the same problem with Windows 2000 Prof, I thought that I could install do a
manual network card selection/installation (similar to Windows 2000 Prof.) :
(advance warning : a special installation is required , shown at the end of this document )

	In the Control-Panel : “Add Hardware” It will first search for some new hardware, but not find any ISA Network card.
	Confirm, that the hardware (the network card) is already installed.
	Since I am not connecting any hardware to a serial port or USB, but a new device, I selected “Add a new hardware device”. The next screen (no screen dump) allows to search automatic or to select manual : I tried automatic and nothing was found, so I tried again with manual selection. then select from the list of hardware type : Network Adapters:
	Bad surprise: no possibility to select any ISA Non-Plug & Play network adapters !

It is time to make a compatibility test.

1) Use the Windows XP Installation CD-ROM : when inserted, it shows (via Autorun) :

“Check system compatibility” will get you:

First, I run on my systems the “Check my system automatically“.
Below the result of my older system with an NE2000-compatible network adapter:

I would be able to fix the issue with memory and free up some disk-capacity,
I did found out about the “un-supported NetBEUI protocol” and to find out more about
my 3C509 and NE2000 network adapters, I visited the “Hardware Compatibility List” ( HCL )
on the Microsoft Website (www.microsoft.com/hcl):

I entered under “Search for the following” the type of my network adapters.
Result or my search for 3C509 and NE2000 :
Windows XP will only support the Plug & Play versions of these ISA network cards !
Windows XP will not support anymore the ISA non-Plug & Play version, which are configured
either via jumpers or via a software configuration utility (see details of supported versions )
I understand, that limiting network adapter support to PCI and ISA-PnP-card ( which are
configured by Windows XP ) will make the system more stable ( users can make mistakes when
trying to configure ISA Non-PnP Network cards, either configuring the network card itself or configuring Windows
with the proper values of the network adapter) and it will therefore reduce support efforts for Windows XP,
but it will force now the users to yunk these old, but reliable ISA network adapters.
At this time, I do not know, on whether this is the final statement of Microsoft on this subject,
or whether they will allow a download of drivers from their website (I could not find anything
on the Microsoft website).
If you have any info on this, I would appreciate to get an e-mail ( [email protected] ).

I could resolve my problem with the 3C509: I was using the 3C509 Plug & Play , which I had
configured to act as Non-Plug & Play (to be able to control the settings myself).
I reconfigured my 3C509 now to work again as Plug & Play version :

On the next restart of Windows XP, it found the
3C509 ISAPNP: the “Found New Hardware” did run as
an icon in my taskbar and installed the network driver.

below is the result of the search for some popular and widely used ISA Network cards:
3C509

Type	Company Name	Product Name
Network/Ethernet	3Com	3Com EtherLink III ISAPNP Ethernet Adapter (Generic 3C509b) [ISAPNP ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3C509 EtherLink III Parallel Tasking Adapter – ISA (Coax, TP and Combo) [ISA ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3C509B EtherLink III Parallel Tasking Adapter – ISA (Coax, TP and Combo) [ISA ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink 10 ISA Combo NIC (3C509B-COMBO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink 10 ISA TP NIC (3C509B-TP) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink 10 ISA TPC NIC (3C509B-TPC) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink 10 ISA TPO NIC (3C509B-TPO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509) in EISA mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509-Combo) in EISA mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509-TP) in EISA mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509-TPC) in EISA mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509-TPO) in EISA mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509/3C509b) in ISA mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509/3C509b) in Legacy mode [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509/3C509b) in Legacy mode [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b) [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b) [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b) in EISA mode [eisa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b) in EISA mode [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b) in PnP mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-Combo) [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-Combo) [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-Combo) in EISA mode [eisa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-Combo) in EISA mode [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-Combo) in PnP mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TP) [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TP) [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TP) in EISA mode [eisa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TP) in EISA mode [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TP) in PnP mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPC) [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPC) [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPC) in EISA mode [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPC) in EISA mode [eisa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPC) in PnP mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPO) [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPO) [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPO) in EISA mode [eisa ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPO) in EISA mode [ ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	3Com EtherLink III ISA (3C509b-TPO) in PnP mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-TP) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-TPC) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-TPO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III (3C509b) compatible in PnP mode [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III 16-Bit ISA Combo NIC (3C509B-COMBO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	Etherlink III 16-Bit ISA Combo NIC (3C509B-TP) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	Etherlink III 16-Bit ISA Combo NIC (3C509B-TPC) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-COMBO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-TP) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-TPC) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III 16-Bit ISA Ethernet Adapter (3C509B-TPO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	Etherlink III 16-Bit ISA Network Interface Card (3C509B-TPO) [ISA]
Network/Ethernet	3Com Corporation	EtherLink III PCI BUS Master Adapter (3C509B-TPO) [PCI]

However, there is a method to install such an Etherlink III 3c509 non-Plug&Play network cards under Windows XP.
NE2000

Type	Company Name	Product Name
Network/Ethernet	Generic	NE2000 Compatable PCMCIA Ethernet Adapter (Generic) [PCMCIA ]
Network/Ethernet	Generic NE2000	NE2000 Compatible ISAPNP Ethernet Adapter (Generic) [ISAPNP ]
Network/Ethernet	Generic NE2000	NE2000 Compatible PCMCIA Ethernet Adapter (Generic) [PCMCIA ]
Network/Ethernet	Microdyne	Microdyne NE2000plus Ethernet Adapter [ ]
Network/Ethernet	Microdyne	Microdyne NE2000plus Ethernet Adapter [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	Microdyne	Microdyne NE2000plus PCI Ethernet Adapter [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	Microdyne	Microdyne NE2000plus PCI Ethernet Adapter [ ]
Network/Ethernet	Microdyne	Microdyne NE2000plus PCI Ethernet Adapter [pci ]
Network/Ethernet	National Semiconductor Corp.	National Semiconductor NE2000+ Infomover or compatible [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	National Semiconductor Corp.	National Semiconductor NE2000+ Infomover or compatible [ ]
Network/Ethernet	National Semiconductor Corp.	National Semiconductor NE2000Plus Infomover or compatible [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	Novell, Inc.	NE2000 Compatible [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	Novell, Inc.	NE2000 Plus [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	Novell, Inc.	Novell/Anthem NE2000 [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	Novell/Anthem	NE2000 Plus [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	Novell/Anthem	Novell/Anthem NE2000 [isa ]
Network/Ethernet	Novell/Eagle Technology	NE2000 [ISA ]
Network/Ethernet	Socket Communications	Socket EA PCMCIA (NE2000 Compatible) [PCMCIA ]
Network/Ethernet	ZENITH COMPUTERS LIMITED	Zenith Data Systems NE2000 Compatible [N/A ]
Network/Ethernet	ZENITH COMPUTERS LIMITED	Zenith Data Systems NE2000 Compatible [ ]
Network/Ethernet	ZENITH COMPUTERS LIMITED	Zenith Data Systems NE2000 Compatible [isa ]