[svlug] My computers give each other the silent treatment

[Scott Thompson]

Thanks to all for your help.  After doing some research on the problem I 
was having, I concluded it must be a bug in the tulip driver in the 2.4 
series kernel.  I built and installed a 2.2 series kernel and the error 
changed a bit.  Anyway, to make a short story long, I've concluded that 
at least on of my NICs is bad.

Anyway, thanks for all your help and suggestions (especially Ian).

I'm not a Linux "expert" like many of you (although I'm getting 
better...), and I appreciate the helping hand I've always gotten from 
this group.  I would have to say that the "community" is the best Linux 
feature.

Thanks again,
~Scott


Ian Kluft wrote:
<snip>
> I didn't see anyone else answer after you provided the extra details.
> I don't have a direct answer either.  But since I asked you to provide
> those details, I'll mention what came to mind in case it gives you
> anything to check that you hadn't already tried.  Sorry that it took
> several days - things got very busy at work on Thursday (I got back
> home Friday at 6AM.)  All weekend I've been working on house
> maintenance stuff.  And now I'm finally getting around to installing
> the router for my new ADSL line to upgrade from IDSL.  So that's why
> I "disappeared" after asking for more info.
> 
> In the case of any network link that goes down, you need to check
> both sides of the link.  One assumption I think I noticed is that
> since Linux reported the error, that it must be Linux's fault.
> Maybe it is.  Or maybe Windoze isn't reporting something on the other
> end.  But since Linux only reported a link timeout, don't forget
> to check the Windoze box too.  If you have anything else that runs
> ethernet, such as a laptop, it'll help you narrow down which machine
> really is the one that isn't talking.
> 
> At this point, I don't think you've narrowed it down yet to hardware
> or software failure on either end of the line.  Since it happenned
> suddenly, if you didn't do anything else to change the configuration
> (including installing or uninstalling any software on the Windoze box,
> which could upset the balance of its set of DLLs), then don't rule
> out a hardware failure.  It can happen.
> 
> Like I mentioned earlier, before swapping any expensive hardware, try
> the cheap and easy stuff first like the Cat5 cable.  If you have a spare
> ethernet card of the same kind, you could try swapping it out on either
> of the machines to narrow that down.  Keep trying and testing any
> scenarios that come to mind.
> 
> If it is indeed a driver problem on Linux as you suspected from your
> Google search, I'd be curious why it didn't manifest itself when you
> installed the machine.  Think about whether you changed anything on
> the system which could plausibly have triggered the error.  Then see
> if you can undo it, at least temporarily to test the hypothesis.
> But you made no changes, then I wouldn't put as high a priority on
> that theory.
> 
> Sorry - it isn't a solution.  Hopefully, it helps either provide a method
> to go about the problem - or confirms that you're looking for it the
> right way already.
> 


-- 
Regards,
~Scott Thompson