What to do without PXE

[mjwigham]

I have created an unattended CD before, that joined the domian and installed all required software, but would like to use RIS, basically to save on burning multiple CD's.

Most of my PC's have PXE option, but some old ones do not.

Tried the boot disk, but the required drivers are not installed, and i know I cannot add NIC drivers, so what do i do ??

Can I make my own floppy that boots to the same screen that the new PC's do when i press F12 ?

I had heard that there is a method using Bart's boot disk, but never used boot disks before, so i need an idiots guide, if possible.

MJW

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Would it not be easier to pick up a couple of cheap PXE capable NICs from ebay, etc. and just work from them?

I don't know of another way of getting onto the RIS server via F12 than using a PXE boot disk/on-board ROM

Cheers,

Andy

[RogueSpear]

It's to my understanding that Bart's Network Boot disk will simply provide a DOS environment with network connectivity. I don't believe you could do what's necessary to jump start a RIS install with that boot disk. I think PXE is required. Another thing is that PXE support is required in the computer BIOS in order to do a diskless PXE boot. For your older computers, this is almost certainly impossible.

I still have a ton of P2 and P3 class workstations with 3Com 3C905B/C NICs in them and they work great a RBFG generated floppy disk. The only thing you have to remember is to disable the option "PnP OS" in the BIOS, which has no effect at all on the PnP enumeration of your hardware during setup.

You shoujld be able to find those NICs for around $20 (US) a piece these days.

Edited October 20, 2005 by RogueSpear

[cluberti]

You can't add NICs to the boot disk (as you already know), and you can't access the RIS server without booting to the network via PXE (or another network boot ROM, like the 3COM boot ROM). Thus, you HAVE to have a network card that is either on the floppy, or (better) can PXE boot. Those are the only options. Pick up a few PXE-capable NIC's and put them in the machines with the non-compatible NIC's.