Network has died - Help! *solved*

Message

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:32 pm

Hi,

I've had my Gentoo box running now for 2years with no problem, but last week my network connection started getting a bit flakey, now its stopped altogether.

I'm running a 3com 3c905c-tx network card connected to a Linksys WAG54G adsl modem/router with static IP address.
I've checked all my network cables, the router has been tested and is working fine and i've tried swapping my network card for one that is definitely working, but still no joy.

If i try ping another computer on my network or the router I get told - Destination Host Unreachable.

The card appears to be detected and support is built into the kernel(2.6.12-r9) but i'm at a loss as to what else to try.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks!

jsfan · Post by **jsfan** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:36 pm

What does ifconfig tell you. Is there an ip address on the device?

If so, are the routes correct?

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:46 pm

Hi,

This is the output of ifconfig

Code: Select all

eth0          Link encap:Ethernet   HWaddr 00:50:DA:49:5C:79
              inet  addr:192.168.1.101     Bcast:192.168.1.255    Mask:255.255.255.0
              UP BROADCAST MULTICAST     MTU:1500    Metric:1
              RX packets:0  errors:557   dropped:0   overruns:0   frame:829
              TX packets:43  errors:0  dropped:0  overruns:0  carrier:0
              collisions:0  txqueuelen:1000
              RX bytes:0  (0.0  b)     TX bytes:3318   (3.2  kb)
              Interrupt:10   Base address:0xb400

lo              Link encap:Local Loopback
              inet addr:127.0.0.1   Mask:255.0.0.0
              UP LOOPBACK RUNNING    MTU:16436   Metric:1
              RX packets:332  errors:0  dropped:0  overruns:0  frame:0
              TX packets:332  errors:0  dropped:0  overruns:0  carrier:0
              collisions:0  txqueuelen:0
              RX bytes:41203  (40.2  kb)     TX bytes:41203  (40.2  kb)

I have found that mii-tool is showing the link as ok, but if i ask it to watch the connection it appears the link is going up and down all the time. i don't no if that makes a difference.

jsfan · Post by **jsfan** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:59 pm

Could you also post the output of

Code: Select all

route -n

please?

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:54 pm

output of route -n is

Code: Select all


Kernel IP routing table
Destination         Gateway          Genmask             Flags   Metric   Ref        Use   Iface
192.168.1.0        0.0.0.0             255.255.255.0     U         0       0           0   eth0
127.0.0.0          127.0.0.1           255.0.0.0         UG        0       0           0   lo
0.0.0.0            192.168.1.1         0.0.0.0           UG        0       0           0   eth0

Hope that gives some clues

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 5:43 pm

first thing to do is find out why this is going on

connection it appears the link is going up and down all the time.

may be a bad PSU, (but what ever is doing this is most likely the source of the problem.)

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:21 pm

OK, power supply has been changed(always keep spares) still no difference.

Also tried swapping the pci slot just in case there was a problem with that slot, no change.

I have just tried rebuilding the kernel just in case there was a problem with the kernel I was running, again no luck.

I have noticed using mii-tool that the network card is set as 10mbit, full duplex. I've looked to see if changing to half duplex or 100 mbit half or full duplex or indeed autonegotiate makes any difference but any setting other than 10 mbit, full duplex displays - Basic status : No link

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:49 pm

what your network look like ?
(modem)---(switch)---(computer's)

DaveArb · Post by **DaveArb** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:03 pm

Just in case you've been bit by the same "inability to read" bug that got me once, double-check that you are using drivers for the 3Com 905 NIC, and not the 3Com 509. Jeez I felt silly on that one.

Dave

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:07 pm

I have a linksys wag54g wireless adsl modem/router with 4 ethernet ports built in.

4 pc's connect to this 2 x running windows xp with wmp54g wireless network cards, 1 x laptop running Gentoo with a 3com pcmcia ethernet card and the problem pc which again is running Gentoo and a 3com 3C905C-TX ethernet card

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:15 pm

thanks for the tip

double-check that you are using drivers for the 3Com 905 NIC, and not the 3Com 509

I assume from the kernel instructions

Code: Select all

3c590/3c900 series (592/595/597) "Vortex/Boomerang" support (NEW)

         "Boomerang" (Fast EtherLink XL 3C900 or 3c905)       PCI

that those are the correct drivers

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:19 pm

Ok I just look up the router and it has a 10/100 built in switch so why is it only link at 10mbit ?
hmm what dose mii-tool -vv eth0 say

DaveArb · Post by **DaveArb** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:27 pm

micah3528 wrote:that those are the correct drivers

Those are what works for me with a 905. Looks like I'm still the only one made that mistake. Wish I had another suggestion.

Dave

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:27 pm

what dose mii-tool -vv eth0 say

Code: Select all

eth0:  10  Mbit,  full duplex,  link ok
   registers for MII PHY 24:
       0100 780d 0040 6176 05el 0000 0000 0000
       0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
       1000 e03f 0007 00ff 0000 0000 0100 0000
       0031 1004 0f00 ff40 0621 0000 0000 0000
   product info: vendor 00:10:18,  model 23  rev 6
   basic mode:     10 Mbit,  full duplex
   basic status:     link ok
   capabilities:     100baseTx-FD  100baseTx-HD  10baseT-FD  10baseT-HD
   advertising:      100baseTx-FD  100baseTx-HD  10baseT-FD  10baseT-HD flow-control

hope that sheds some light on things

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:54 pm

this this set in the kernel config

grep -i _mii /usr/src/linux/.config

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:13 pm

this this set in the kernel config

grep -i _mii /usr/src/linux/.config

it would appear so

Code: Select all

CONFIG_MII=y

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:35 pm

Hmm I just don't know the

eth0: 10 Mbit, full duplex, link ok
registers for MII PHY 24:
0100 780d 0040 6176 05el 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
1000 e03f 0007 00ff 0000 0000 0100 0000
0031 1004 0f00 ff40 0621 0000 0000 0000
product info: vendor 00:10:18, model 23 rev 6
basic mode: 10 Mbit, full duplex
basic status: link ok
capabilities: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD
advertising: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD flow-control

dose not say is tried to negotiat and found 10 meg it just 10 meg nailed.
also nothing about you link partner
may be something funky in the nic driver. I'll think on it is some more and post if I have any other ideas.
both the mii and your driver are built in the kernel correct?

christsong84 · Post by **christsong84** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:44 pm

Might want to test that it's not hardware related also...try swapping with another NIC from another computer and see if that affects anything.

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:49 pm

both the mii and your driver are built in the kernel correct?

Yep both are built in

try swapping with another NIC from another computer

Swapped it 3 times now and still no luck

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:56 pm

can you boot off the livecd and test it that way ?

jsfan · Post by **jsfan** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:53 am

You should really try the livecd like m_sqrd suggested. However, the way the problems appeared I'd also suspect that it's a hardware problem. Do you remember if you made any big change around the time the problem first showed up? Bot hardware and software.

Malice · Post by **Malice** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:00 pm

Something else to look out for - when I synced and updated last night I lost my eth0. Found the problem was due to the net.lo and net.eth0 init scripts getting themselves swapped around.

Swapping the filenames fixed it.

Haven't got a clue how it happened - don't think it was anything that I did. I'm thinking it is either a buggy ebuild, or dispatch-conf somehow mixed the names.

-M

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:38 pm

Just tried the liveCD still not working definitely looking like a hardware problem now, although all three network cards tried in different boxes and they are working fine.

Anyone know if this could be a problem with the pci controller even though my other pci cards are still working?

micah3528 · Post by **micah3528** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:55 pm

even more strange just moved the sound card to the pci slot the network card was in and its working, put the network card in the original slot the sound card was in and still no network.

i'm very confused what the hell is broken?

m_sqrd · Post by **m_sqrd** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:34 pm

Well if the software baseline (Livecd) did not work and you know you have not moved or add cards to the system befor this started to happen and the NIC(s) work in other systems. it starting to look like a MB issue.

Is the system all PCI or AGP/PCI what?

you could try by removing every thing but the NIC and Video card and try to boot off the livecd and see if there is a conflict some place.

Network has died - Help! solved

Network has died - Help! solved

ifconfig/route?