I have tried to install a network starter kit in my 2 pcs, but the NIC card is not being recognized in my older machine. Celeron 300 M/B - FIC VL-603 ver 1.2 - 2 PCI slots Award BIOS PCI/PNP 686 Win 98 The card works fine as I tested it in the new pc, and the PCI slots in the old pc both work as I tried both of them with my SB Live card. I have flashed the bios with a file fixing a PCI problem but with no luck. The card is a FA311 Fast Ethernet PCI card by Netgear, model SB105. I have tried PNP detection and manual installation. Can anyone offer any suggestions for this problem - is the older pc just too out of date, will I have to get a new motherboard or can I get an older NIC card, and if so will it be compatable with the kit I allready have???? Many Thanks in advance if anyone has some answers.

Try removing any other PCI cards in the older machine that you don't absolutely need to boot. Then just try the nic card by itself and see if it works. I run the same card in an old 166Mhz Pentium without any problems. ASUS VX97 MB.

Boot into DOS and use the config utility that came with the card on disk. Make not of the IRQ and memory range and after you install the driver in Windows, manually change the resources in Device Manager. Sometimes Windows has a mind of it's own and chages the IRQ so you need to go into your BIOS and force the correct IRQ on your card.

Does windows see the card but gives a yellow flag, or can't windows see the card? Somethimes there is a program that removes the standard windows drivers. This is needed sometimes to get a card working normally. Read the documentation to find out if this is needed

One more thing - the kit came with the cards and a 5 port hub - on the pc that is recognising the card, the relavant indicator light on the hub comes on as soon as the pc is turned on. The light has never come on on the hub for the older pc - the card it self IS working, as it tested fine in the newer pc?!! I have allready tried it as the sole PCI card with no luck. Windows doesn't see the card at all - it has never been detected in this older machine. I'll try forcing the IRQ in BIOS and see if that helps. Thanks for your help so far.

The fact that there is no light flashing on the hub is probably because it is not getting any signal from the nic (or computer, whatever...) You probably already checked if the card was seated proparly? Johan