# Networking FreeDOS - Packet driver installation

## Overview

      (Picture of Packet driver)

      Packet drivers work as an interface between the hardware (the network
      interface card) and the TCP/IP Kernel (which is also called "protocol
      stack"). One sort of TCP/IP Kernels work as an external program that
      can be called and used by various network applications. Other TCP/IP
      Kernels are already built into network applications, a web browser for
      instance or a ftp-client. We will learn more about these kernels
      a bit further in this wiki.
      Most of us will use the packet driver for TCP/IP networking. And
      that's it. But packet drivers are multiprotocol drivers - so TCP/IP
      isn't the only kernel that can work atop of it. As you can see in the
      figure above (in the dark grey fields), it is also possible to run
      Novell NetWare over of a packet driver: Specialized drivers like
      IPXPD.COM or PDIPX.COM support IPX over the packet driver interface.
      The NetBEUI protocol can't be used on top of a packet driver though,
      as the packet driver interface is too different from NDIS.

#### [Main menu] [top] [Where to find them] [Installing a packet driver] [Reboot]

## Where to find them

      The first place to look for a packet driver should be the installation
      medium that came with your card. Packet drivers often have the letters
      "PD" in their names, so the packet driver of a 3Com 3C589 PC-Card is
      called "3C589PD.COM" and the driver of the D-Link DFE-670TXD PC-Card
      is called "DFE670PD.COM". Look for a directory "PKTDRV" on the CD or
      floppy that came with your card.
      If there is no such driver on your installation medium or you don't
      have any, try searching the web. For ISA and PCI network cards there
      is a chance a packet driver can be found at Russell Nelson's Crynwr
      website (see: http://www.crynwr.com/project) - a resource of public
      domain packet drivers. PCMCIA drivers seem to be rare there, though.
      Georg Potthast provides a collection of PCI card packet drivers (see:
      http://www.georgpotthast.de/sioux/packet.htm) and a tool called
      NICSCAN.EXE (see: http://www.georgpotthast.de/sioux/pktdrv/nicscan.zip)
      to determine the chipset of PCI network cards. He made the experience
      that packet drivers are often the same for a large number of models by
      the same manufacturer, so he recommends not to try finding a packet
      driver specific for your model number.

#### [Main menu] [top] (Where to find them) [Installing a packet driver] [Reboot]

## Installing a packet driver

      To install a packet driver, add a line like this to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
      (example for the 3c589 PCMCIA card):
        LH 3C589PD.COM 0x60 5 0x300
      In the example above the driver is loaded into high memory by using the
      command "LH". The first option ("0x60") sets the software interrupt
      (vector) used by the driver. The most frequently used packet driver
      software interrupt number is 0x60. The second option ("5") sets the
      IRQ, the third option ("0x300") sets the I/O port. Some drivers only
      need the vector and find the other values by themselves. Most packet
      drivers can be unloaded after use with the option "-u".

#### [Main menu] [top] [Where to find them] (Installing a packet driver) [Reboot]

## Reboot

      That's all. You don't need any other driver (ODI or NDIS). After
      successfully installing a packet driver, you can now install your
      TCP/IP applications with an internal kernel (WatTCP) or install an
      external TCP/IP Kernel (NTCPDRV).

      (Picture: Boot messages packet driver)

#### [Main menu] [top] [Where to find them] [Installing a packet driver] (Reboot)

      Copyright © 2007 Ulrich Hansen, Mainz (Germany), modified 2011
      by W.Spiegl.
      For more information see here.

      Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
      under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
      any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
      A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
      "GNU Free Documentation License"