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I bought a used Cybernet Elite II ZPC for pretty cheap for use on a small desk (really just a slightly enlarged shelf) which is part of a built-in book case. For those who may not know, the ZPCs were small form factor rigs before small form factor was really even thought of: ZPC stands for Zerofootprint Personal Computer.
Basically, the whole computer is stuffed into a slightly oversized keyboard. The only external connections are the AC-DC PSU, Network cable, Mouse and monitor connections.
It has one PCI expansion slot OR a laptop optical drive: mine came sans an optical drive so I had to boot it over the network to install an OS; this is where my problems started. The onboard SIS900 PCI adapter's PXE ROM was a bit out of date and would not accept a TFTP server referral address from the DHCP server. "No problem", I thought, "I'll just download a newer firmware and be on my way..." Except there was no newer firmware anywhere at Cybernet's website.
OK, Plan B; I contact their support desk: maybe they don't have BIOS updates posted to avoid to have to deal with random people trying to update the BIOS (like me): the support tech who answered my inquiry gave me a one sentence answer: "The Elite-II does not support PXE booting." Really? In the Owner's Manual, Section 1.7 on Page 4 Cybernet specifically mentions PXE booting as a means to put an OS on the PC.
Alrighty then, Plan C; I replied to the support's email "solution" (for which I really do not expect an answer back) basically telling them to read their own manual. I checked the BIOS date: 04/11/2002, and went ahead and made a copy of it. Then I went looking around for other SIS630S-based machines...as it turns out, ASUS made quite a few Boards for Compaq and HP using this chipset. I finally found a board, the ASUS CUSI-M, which had the same network adapter - and a newer version of the SIS900 PXE firmware.
I used a utility called awdbedit.exe to view and extract the ROM files from the ASUS CUSI-M BIOS. I then used CBROM 2.15 to insert the new Network PXE ROM into the OEM Elite BIOS. A slightly nervous BIOS flash followed by what seemed like an eternity as it rebooted...then a BIG sigh of relief after I heard it POST correctly, which was followed by an instantly successful PXE boot.
No PXE support indeed.... Bastages.
Basically, the whole computer is stuffed into a slightly oversized keyboard. The only external connections are the AC-DC PSU, Network cable, Mouse and monitor connections.
It has one PCI expansion slot OR a laptop optical drive: mine came sans an optical drive so I had to boot it over the network to install an OS; this is where my problems started. The onboard SIS900 PCI adapter's PXE ROM was a bit out of date and would not accept a TFTP server referral address from the DHCP server. "No problem", I thought, "I'll just download a newer firmware and be on my way..." Except there was no newer firmware anywhere at Cybernet's website.
OK, Plan B; I contact their support desk: maybe they don't have BIOS updates posted to avoid to have to deal with random people trying to update the BIOS (like me): the support tech who answered my inquiry gave me a one sentence answer: "The Elite-II does not support PXE booting." Really? In the Owner's Manual, Section 1.7 on Page 4 Cybernet specifically mentions PXE booting as a means to put an OS on the PC.
Alrighty then, Plan C; I replied to the support's email "solution" (for which I really do not expect an answer back) basically telling them to read their own manual. I checked the BIOS date: 04/11/2002, and went ahead and made a copy of it. Then I went looking around for other SIS630S-based machines...as it turns out, ASUS made quite a few Boards for Compaq and HP using this chipset. I finally found a board, the ASUS CUSI-M, which had the same network adapter - and a newer version of the SIS900 PXE firmware.
I used a utility called awdbedit.exe to view and extract the ROM files from the ASUS CUSI-M BIOS. I then used CBROM 2.15 to insert the new Network PXE ROM into the OEM Elite BIOS. A slightly nervous BIOS flash followed by what seemed like an eternity as it rebooted...then a BIG sigh of relief after I heard it POST correctly, which was followed by an instantly successful PXE boot.
No PXE support indeed.... Bastages.
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