[epic-bug] Problem with SMC Etherpower II in 2.4.9-ac15

[Daniel Merritt]

Hello,

        I'm having trouble with my SMC Etherpower II in linux. In windows, it 
works 
fine (or seems to - it's intermitant, and I'm in windows rarely, so it may 
simply have not shown up yet) but in linux, I frequently get messages like:
NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth0: transmit timed out
eth0: Transmit timeout using MII device, Tx status 000b.
eth0: Restarting the EPIC chip, Rx 227/227 Tx 175/183.
eth0: epic_restart() done, cmd status 000a, ctl 0512 interrupt 240000.
eth0: Setting half-duplex based on MII #3 link partner capability of 0001.
eth0: Setting full-duplex based on MII #3 link partner capability of 41e1.
NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth0: transmit timed out
eth0: Transmit timeout using MII device, Tx status 000b.
eth0: Restarting the EPIC chip, Rx 231/231 Tx 178/188.
eth0: epic_restart() done, cmd status 000a, ctl 0512 interrupt 240000.
NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth0: transmit timed out
eth0: Transmit timeout using MII device, Tx status 000b.
eth0: Restarting the EPIC chip, Rx 231/231 Tx 180/188.
eth0: epic_restart() done, cmd status 000a, ctl 0512 interrupt 240000.
eth0: Setting half-duplex based on MII #3 link partner capability of 0001.
eth0: Setting full-duplex based on MII #3 link partner capability of 41e1.

and rarely:

spurious 8259A interrupt: IRQ7.


        When eth0 is in half duplex mode, the link light will turn off. (I've 
tried 
using eth0 for both my ADSL connection and the cross over cable to the 
computer upstairs - same results for both) So, when this is occur, I see a 
blinking link light, and the above messages on the console. 

        Following the advice to a simaler problem on a mailing list I came 
across in 
google, I upgraded by bios (previously Award v 2.1, now Award V 3.1, on a 
K7vZA motherboard made by Elitegroup) The motherboard uses the  VIA 
VT8363/8363A and VT82C686A/B chipsets.

        Here's the lspci -v section for the card:

00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Standard Microsystems Corp [SMC] 83C170QF (rev 
09)
        Subsystem: Standard Microsystems Corp [SMC]: Unknown device a020
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
        I/O ports at e000 [size=256]
        Memory at df000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 

The driver information in epic100.c reads:

#define DRV_NAME        "epic100"
#define DRV_VERSION     "1.11+LK1.1.10"
#define DRV_RELDATE     "July 6, 2001"


	What might be the problem? Is there anything How can I aid in its debugging?

Thanks,

Daniel