The Broadcom 440X 10/100 Integrated Controller has PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment)
support. PXE is a software module that allows your networked computer to boot
with the images provided by remote servers across the network. The Broadcom
PXE driver complies with the PXE 2.1 specification and is released with both
monolithic and split binary images. This provides flexibility to users on different
environments where the motherboard may or may not have built-in base-code.
PXE operates in a client/server environment. A network consists of one or more
boot servers that provide boot images to multiple computers through the network.
Broadcom PXE implementation has been tested successfully in the following environments:
Linux® Red Hat® PXE server. Broadcom PXE clients are able
to remote-boot and utilize network resources (NFS mount, and so on) and
to do Linux installation. In the case of a remote boot, the Linux universal
driver binds seamlessly with the Broadcom UNDI (Universal Network Driver
Interface) and provides a network interface in the Linux remote-booted client
environment.
Microsoft® Windows 2000. Using Windows Remote Installation
Services (RIS), Broadcom PXE clients are able to perform remote installations
from the network.
Intel® APITEST. The Broadcom PXE driver passes all API compliance
test suites.
DOS UNDI. Universal NDIS seamlessly binds with Broadcom UNDI to
provide NDIS2 interface to the upper-layer protocol stack. This allows computers
to connect to network resources in a DOS environment.
To set up PXE client for Broadcom 440X 10/100 Integrated Controller:
Select and program the proper PXE image.
Enable/disable the PXE driver with the provided Broadcom DOS utility.
Setup the BIOS for the boot order.
Selecting/Programming the Proper PXE Image
PXE is released with three different images. They are described as follows:
b44pxe.lom. This is a monolithic image that consists of both PXE
base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the adapter where
motherboard does not have built-in BC. However, an adapter programmed with
this image is still operational in the motherboard's BIOS with built-in
BC. The BC on the adapter is not used.
b44undi.lom. This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only
(split implementation). This module should be programmed on the adapter
where the motherboard's BIOS has built-in BC.
basecode.lom. This is a BC image that consists of BC code only
(split implementation). This module should be programmed on the motherboard's
BIOS.
The PXE image can be programmed to the adapter's serial EEPROM or the motherboard's
BIOS LAN on Motherboard (LOM). For LOM, the PXE image has to be integrated into
the OEM BIOS. For the adapter, the PXE image is programmed into the EEPROM during
the manufacturing process.
If the Broadcom adapter is on the motherboard (LOM), the MBA needs to be installed
as a part of a motherboard BIOS code upgrade. Contact the motherboard manufacturer
to program (flash) MBA images to the motherboard's BIOS.
Boot Method
By default, PXE detects if the BIOS supports BBS (BIOS Boot Specification).
If the BIOS supports BBS, then PXE uses BBS as the boot method.
PXE Speed
By default, PXE is set to auto-negotiate.
Setup BIOS
To boot from the network with PXE, make PXE the first bootable device under
BIOS. This procedure depends on server BIOS implementation. Refer to the server's
user manual.
The current version of Windows 2000 does not include a network driver for the
Broadcom 440X 10/100 Integrated Controller. To do remote installation with PXE,
include a network driver for the Broadcom 440X 10/100 Integrated Controller
as a part of the client's installation image on the server. Please refer to
Microsoft Article ID Q246184, How to Add Third-Party OEM Network Adapters
to RIS Installations.
DOS UNDI/APITEST
To boot in DOS and connect to a network for the DOS environment, download the
Intel® PXE PDK from the Intel website. This PXE PDK comes with a TFTP/ProxyDHCP/Boot
server. The PXE PDK can be downloaded from Intel at http://www.intel.com/support/network/adapter/pro100/bootagent/30619.htm.
Red Hat Linux
Red Hat® Linux® 8.0 (or later) distribution has PXE server support.
It allows users to do a complete Linux installation over the network. Similarly,
Red Hat 8.0 is also distributed with boot images—boot kernel (vmlinux)
and initial ram disk (initrd). They can be found in the Red Hat CD disk#1:
/images/pxeboot/vmlinux
/images/pxeboot/initrd.img
Initrd.img distributed with Red Hat 8.0 does not have a Linux network driver
for the Broadcom 440X 10/100 Integrated Controller.
Refer to Red Hat documentation for how to install PXE server on Linux.
In this version, it prompts you to insert a driver disk for drivers that are
not part of the standard distribution. You can create a driver disk for the
Broadcom 440X 10/100 Integrated Controller from the Red Hat CD-ROM or from the
support website. Refer to the Linux Readme.txt file for more information.
A remote boot does not require a standard Linux network driver for the Broadcom
440X 10/100 Integrated Controller. After the PXE client downloads the Linux
kernel and initial ram disk, the Linux universal driver that came with the Linux
distribution will bind with the UNDI code of the PXE to form a Linux network
driver.
Windows NT® 4.0 Remoteboot Server
For instructions on setting up the Windows NT 4.0 Remoteboot Server, refer
to Remoteboot
(Chapter 15) from the Microsoft TechNet website.
