Using the IFADAP.EXE Utility

The IFADAP software for DOS (IFADAP.EXE) recognizes which network adapter is installed inside a PC. You can use it to program CONFIG.SYS so that the device drivers that load depend upon the type of adapter inside the PC. This is a useful tool for network administrators whose networks include a variety of adapters. IFADAP recognizes all Madge adapters plus many other manufacturers’ EISA, Micro Channel, PnP, PCI, and PCMCIA adapters.

If you run the utility from AUTOEXEC.BAT, it returns system error levels for each different Madge adapter. This allows you to write AUTOEXEC.BAT files that, for example, load drivers from a particular Madge software release for one type of Madge adapter and from another Madge software release for another type of Madge adapter. (IFADAP returns system error levels for other manufacturers’ adapters too.)

Note: For information about the options you can use with IFADAP.EXE, refer to ifadap.txt. (Use the Back button to return to this page.) Refer also to the information about WHATADAP.EXE which includes two further options that you use when you run IFADAP.

Using IFADAP.EXE for DOS from CONFIG.SYS.
Using IFADAP.EXE for DOS from the command line

Using IFADAP for DOS from CONFIG.SYS.

To run IFADAP from CONFIG.SYS you must use a device line with the following syntax:

device=IFADAP.EXE CARD=<adapter> [options] <DDname> [DDoptions]

The meaning of this syntax is that the device driver <DDname> will be installed if the IFADAP program discovers the adapter you specify.

The following sample device line loads the Madge driver, MCBND.DOS, if the program finds a Madge CardBus adapter in the PC:

device=ifadap.exe CARD=CARDBUS mcbnd.dos

You can include on the IFADAP device line any parameters that a device driver takes. For example:

device=ifadap.exe CARD=IBM EMM386.EXE X=CC00-CDFF

This example loads EMM386.EXE with a certain range of memory excluded if IFADAP finds an IBM adapter in the PC.

Using IFADAP for DOS from the command line

The syntax for the IFADAP command line is as follows: IFADAP [options]

For information about the options you can use with IFADAP.EXE, refer to ifadap.txt. (Use the browser's Back button to return to this page.)

If you run IFADAP and specify no options, the program searches for any of the adapters it knows about. You can limit the search by using the CARD= option to specify the adapter. And you can further define the adapter by using the RAM=, IO= and SLOT= options. Finally, you can also use the BUS= and BID= options (for more information about these, read the documentation for WHATADAP.EXE)

When you run IFADAP from the command line, the program sets environment variables and returns an error level for the adapter it finds. You can use these environment variables and error levels in a batch file.

If you have multiple adapters inside a PC then the program sets environment variables and an error level for the first adapter it finds. If you want the program to report multiple adapters in the PC, you must use the /MULTI option.