[K12OSN] Still foiled by Broadcom 5751s in PXE mode

["Terrell Prudé, Jr."]

Trae Elmore wrote:

>The clients in my Dell Precision 370 lab still aren't booting properly. They are booting in PXE mode. They pull an address and begin to load the client kernel, however the th3 module isn't inserting properly and the result is a kernel panic.
>
>I have found nothing helpful on the web so far in resolving this further.
>
>I am using PXE because the client machines have no floppy drives.
>
>I really need to get this working in the next two weeks before classes start.
>
>Any help on getting the Dell clients working would be appreciated. Otherwise I may be forced to spend the money on a Windows Terminal Server setup, which is what the local Microwhore has been preaching for a month.
>
>Trae Elmore CCNA, CNE, MCP
>Program Chair of Computer Systems Networking
>trae.elmore at marshall.tstc.edu
>(903) 923-3361
>

I don't know about specifically Dell Precision 370's, but I have had a 
similar experience with Dell Optiplex GX1's that use built-in 3Com 
3C905s.  The problem was faulty PXE booting code; Dell is infamous for 
having networking problems of various types with their buggy BIOS, 
including PXE booting.  Flashing the BIOS to a newer firmware version 
fixed the problem for me.  Don't know if this will help you or not.

--TP