upgrade from hub to switch

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

Well, I have been bizzi since yesterday to replace a hub which connects my webserver and fileserver.Unfortunately, I havent come up with any solid clue so far why the webserver rejects to get connected to the network when I use the switch.

The switch is here, I am more thinking of software issue as the device works fine tested with 2 computers so far that fileserver and my laptop.

Thanks for the help, if you need more data pls let me know.Here are some few data of the webserver while connected using hub:
#cat /etc/conf.d/net

alex.blackbit · Advocate Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 2397

szczerb · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:34 am Post subject:

Maybe the port on the switch that you're trying to connect the server to is borked?

Anyway, give us some more info about your network's topology and how exactly the problem manifests, because it seems like it's getting an adress. Or is it the one to give addresses?

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

szczerb · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:34 am Post subject:

Maybe you accidentally set more then one interface of the network with the same mac? And the switch ignores the second one instead of sending it both ways or going into hub mode like it should? And are you sure the cable is healthy? Other then that I have no idea...

EDIT switch -> hub

ndse2112 · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 100

Are your interfaces and/or switch ports hardcoded to a speed/duplex or are they set to autoneg?

Try setting the interfaces in your machine to autoneg and see if they will get a link.

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

I think I have found the problem, but still dont know how to solve.
I think with the 3Com switch, a slight delay happened and the dhcplient get a weard IP address(old lease or something).I have seen this on the messeages generate as it can be seen here below:

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

ndse2112 · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 100

Jun 17 18:18:45 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: Link beat detected.
Jun 17 18:18:47 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: Executing '/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action eth0 up'.
Jun 17 18:18:48 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: client: eth0: dhcpcd 4.0.7 starting
Jun 17 18:18:48 webserver dhcpcd[13017]: eth0: dhcpcd 4.0.7 starting
Jun 17 18:18:48 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: client: eth0: broadcasting for a lease
Jun 17 18:18:48 webserver dhcpcd[13017]: eth0: broadcasting for a lease
Jun 17 18:18:50 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: client: eth0: carrier lost
Jun 17 18:18:50 webserver dhcpcd[13017]: eth0: carrier lost
Jun 17 18:19:08 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: client: eth0: timed out
Jun 17 18:19:08 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: client: [A[72C [34;01m[ [31;01m!![34;01m ][0m
Jun 17 18:19:08 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: client: [A[72C [34;01m[ [31;01m!![34;01m ][0m
Jun 17 18:19:08 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: Program executed successfully.
Jun 17 18:19:08 webserver ifplugd(eth0)[11123]: Link beat lost.

From these few messages, it doesnt look like that nic is staying linked with your switch. The 169.254.x.x is the APIPA range (Automatic Private IP Address). An address out of that space will be assigned to the interface when the interface cannot get a response from the dhcp server.

Do the NIC and the switch link lights stay on when you plug your nic into the switch?

Can you try a different cable?

You can use a tool like mii-tool or ethtool (sys-apps/net-tools and/or sys-apps/ethtool) to look at the link status of the interface:
callisto ~ # mii-tool eth0
eth0: negotiated 1000baseT-FD flow-control, link ok
callisto ~ # ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
Supported ports: [ TP ]
Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full
Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Speed: 1000Mb/s
Duplex: Full
Port: Twisted Pair
PHYAD: 1
Transceiver: internal
Auto-negotiation: on
Supports Wake-on: g
Wake-on: d
Current message level: 0x000000ff (255)
Link detected: yes
callisto ~ #

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

Thanks man....
I will have to look at it tomorrow....enough ambarrasment of this switch for today...
I really didnt expect this, I am also thinking that I might quit for a while on that webserver....to reduce costs and maintance headache...
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muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

I took that webserver to my living room and make connection directly to the router is OK...using hub also OK...only the via the switch is NO GOOD tried different cables, different tools, net-setup,no luck...mmh

**Running emerge -avuDN world on that webserver, no idea but some weard stuffs happening in there.Not cable nor the switching nor router nor MAC conflicts.May be the upgrade will bring some good

.

**Integrated webserver into fileserver, and put my website back online for the moment.

P:S
If the switch totally fails, then the server will have to off and used only for maintance issues or backup in the near future when I have time to upgrade its hardware.It does have pretty old stuffs in there pent III

May be this is for learning purposes if I run

alex.blackbit · Advocate Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 2397

muhsinzubeir,

as i already wrote before, please find out if the box thinks it has a physical connection or not.
run (as root): "tail -f /var/log/everything/current" or "tail -f /var/log/messages", depending on your syslog daemon and then plug the cable in.
that should bring some light on the situation.

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin