Updating Boot Agent for Intel PRO/100 VE network card

[Andie]

I have some old Viglens with Intel Pro/100 VE network adaptors on their Viglen 500S motherboards. These don't respond to RIS (I get a message saying that information about the network card isn't available and the session terminates). I have managed to trace some possible solutions to this via the Microsoft and Intel websites. What I think I need to do first is to update/install something called the Intel Boot Agent, which as far as I can tell resides in some ROM on the card and needs to be flashed??? The problem is that the network card is part of the motherboard, and there is a lot of info about downloading the latest card driver and possibly updating the BIOS for the motherboard to support the Boot Agent. I have managed to download a couple of BIOS files from the Viglen ftp site for the 500S motherboard, and also what looks like the NIC exe file for that motherboard. But the dates on one BIOS and the NIC pre-date the purchase date of the computers, so would not be any newer than we have. Plus doing this kind of thing is completely new to me, and may have serious results for the computer I try it on.

Anyone out there had to do something like this themselves, and can give me some help? Anyone got experience of these network cards or the Intel Boot Agent?

[Geoff]

If the nic is part of the motherboard then the boot agent is contained in the main motherboard bios. Thus doing a bios update will update your boot agent. If there are no newer bios images on the system manufacturers site, I would try and identify the make and model of the motherboard and try and get updates directly from it's manufacturer.

[Ric_]

The problem you describe sounds more like you need to create the oem folder in your ris image and upload the drivers to there.

[Andie]

The problem you describe sounds more like you need to create the oem folder in your ris image and upload the drivers to there.

I know what you mean, but the problem appears before I even get to taking or sending an image. It's not to do with setup, it's just getting the client to talk to the server in RIS to actually take/send an image. The setup currently on these machines had all the drivers installed properly. But the machine is now on a new domain and server, capable of RIS, and so far I haven't been able to get as far as taking an image of the new configuration using RIS/Ghost. I have had to use the old server, Ghost boot floppies and a multicast session.

If the nic is part of the motherboard then the boot agent is contained in the main motherboard bios. Thus doing a bios update will update your boot agent. If there are no newer bios images on the system manufacturers site, I would try and identify the make and model of the motherboard and try and get updates directly from it's manufacturer.

Thanks. The machine was bought from Viglen, and the delivery note says the motherboards are Vig500S, so I had looked on the Viglen ftp site; one of the BIOS files there, I think, has a newer date and I have downloaded it. If the date isn't any better, would I have to open up the machine to see the exact manufacturer? Also, (sorry, basic question) how do I use the downloaded BIOS to do an update? Is it the same as running any exe file or is there a special procedure I need to follow?

[PeterW]

By looking at the version numbering the board is probably ASUS, either a quick call to Viglen or pop the lid off of one of the machines and read the model number from the PCB.

[Geoff]

Indeed it sounds like a rebranded board. I would also be tempted to pop the lid and hunt around the PC for the real manufacturers make/model.