Using the IFADAP.EXE Utility

The IFADAP program detects network adapters attached to a computer and allows the selective loading of device drivers depending upon whether a particular adapter is present. It is intended to be used to create boot configurations which will load drivers depending on the adapter hardware located in the computer. The program can be run as a device driver from config.sys or from the command line/batch file. Two versions of IFADAP.EXE are provided, one for DOS and one for OS/2.

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).

Using IFADAP.EXE for DOS from config.sys
Using IFADAP.EXE for DOS from the command line
Using IFADAP.EXE for OS/2

Using IFADAP for DOS from config.sys

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

This will install the device driver <DDname> if the specified network adapter is found.

For example,

device=ifadap.exe CARD=IBM dxmc0mod.sys

This will load dxmc0mod.sys, if an IBM adapter card is present.

Any parameters which the specified device driver takes can be placed after the device name. For example,

device=ifadap.exe CARD=SMT16/4 ifadap.exe CARD=IBM dd.sys /a /b

This example shows how to load dd.sys with the /a and /b parameters if a Madge Smart 16/4 Ringnode AND an IBM adapter are present.

Using IFADAP for DOS from the command line

IFADAP [options]

For information about the options you can use with IFADAP.EXE, refer to IFADAP.TXT (Use the Back button to return to this page).

If IFADAP is run with no options, then it will search for an adapter of any known type. A particular type of adapter may be specified using the CARD= option along with the RAM=, IO= and SLOT= options, in which case IFADAP will only search for and report this type of adapter.

When you run IFADAP from the command line, environment variables are set and an errorlevel returned to reflect any adapter found. Environment variables and errorlevels set by IFADAP may be tested in a batch file. If multiple adapters are present then environment variables and the errorlevel are set to reflect the first adapter IFADAP locates.

Multiple adapters will not be reported to the screen unless the /MULTI option is supplied.

Using IFADAP.EXE for OS/2

Since an OS/2 application is unable to perform certain operations necessary to locate some classes of adapter (interfacing with Card Services to locate PCMCIA adapters, for example), a helper device driver is required. This device driver, MDGHLP.SYS, is loaded from config.sys. If this device driver is not loaded, the functionality of IFADAP will be restricted to locating adapters which can be found without the aid of MDGHLP.SYS and adapters with software running on them.

When IFADAP is run, if MDGHLP.SYS is not detected or is an incompatible version, a warning message is displayed.

For example:

In config.sys:

device=<path>MDGHLP.SYS
(Where <path> is the location of the MDGHLP.SYS file, eg. C:\OS2\)

Command line (batch file) usage:
ifadap [options]

Using IFADAP for OS/2 with software running on adapters - LSS 5.0(0) and later OS/2 network drivers for Madge Smart Ringnodes can be detected by IFADAP when they are running on an adapter. When IFADAP detects an adapter with software running, it avoids probing the adapter hardware since this may cause the adapter to be reset. Adapters located with software running are reported as such. IFADAP.exe for OS/2 is unable to detect pre-LSS 5.0(0) drivers running on an adapter. It is therefore recommended that IFADAP is not run if the computer contains Madge adapters with pre-LSS 5.0(0) drivers running.