Re: NIC identification with PXE?

On Fri, 27 May 2005, H. Peter Anvin wrote:
> > We use PXE and Etherboot to install FreeBSD 4 systems.  Until recently
> > all of these systems used Intel EtherExpressPro1000 82540EM NICs so all
> > that was necessary was to have the DHCP server reply with the
> > "e1000.zpxe" file.
> > 
> > Now systems that use Broadcom Tigon 3 5721 NICs are being introduced
> > which require the "tg3.zpxe" file.
> > 
> > Is there a mechanism by which the DHCP server can automatically
> > determine the model of NIC that is being used so that it can reply with
> > the matching file?  We use a custom DHCP server which can be modified if
> > necessary.
> 
> No, but you can build an Etherboot binary which contains both drivers.

Or use the undi.zpxe driver, which uses the underlying PXE ROM to drive 
the network card and so should work with both.

Or use Etherboot ROMs, which do actually send the PCI IDs of the NIC to 
the DHCP server, so that it can automatically determine an appropriate 
file to send back.

Michael



-------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by Yahoo.
Introducing Yahoo! Search Developer Network - Create apps using Yahoo!
Search APIs Find out how you can build Yahoo! directly into your own
Applications - visit http://developer.yahoo.net/?fr=offad-ysdn-ostg-q22005