Transmit timeout errors

Scott Jangro scott@jangro.com
Tue Apr 20 18:59:37 1999


As a followup to my earlier message, I've used the strings command on
rtl8139.o that I'm using and it is version 0.99b dated 4/7/98.

Clearly that's out of date.  Does anybody know if the problem below is
something that was addressed since then?

thanks.

 --scott


----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Jangro <scott@jangro.com>
To: <linux-realtek@beowulf.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 1999 2:03 PM
Subject: Transmit timeout errors


> I bought a small-format PC (all-in-one motherboard with an on-board
ethernet
> adapter) for use as my linux ipmasquerading firewall.
>
> The on-board ethernet (eth0) is a Realtek 8139 for which I use the
> rtl8139 module.  My linux is actually the Linux Router Project which is
> based on Debian.  The kernel is version 2.0.36. I have a second NIC in
this
> machine (eth1) which is a different brand NIC which uses the ne module.
>
> The configuration works great, however...
>
> Occasionally, the realtek interface craps out and the kern.log fills with
> this series of messages every minute or so, always the same numbers except
> sometimes it says 'status 0d 2000' instead of 'status 0d 0000':
>
> Apr 19 08:35:15 bugs kernel: eth0: Transmit timeout, status 0d 0000.
> Apr 19 08:35:15 bugs kernel: eth0:  Tx descriptor 0 is 00002000. (queue
> head)
> Apr 19 08:35:15 bugs kernel: eth0:  Tx descriptor 1 is 00002000.
> Apr 19 08:35:15 bugs kernel: eth0:  Tx descriptor 2 is 00002000.
> Apr 19 08:35:15 bugs kernel: eth0:  Tx descriptor 3 is 00002000.
> Apr 19 08:35:15 bugs kernel: eth0: MII status register is 782d.
>
> I've been using this system for about 5 days.  It has stopped working
twice
> in that span with this problem.  I'm pretty confident that there are
> no hardware conflicts.  After this happens, the eth0 iterface is pretty
> much dead until I reboot.
>
> Is this a known problem with the realtek chipset?  I see the notes on
> Donald's website stating:
>
> "If you encounter Rx overflow errors and transmit timeouts you likely have
> the card in a non-bus-master slot. Other possible problems are older PCI
> implementations, especially i486-class motherboards, that have bugs when
> using long PCI burst transfers."
>
> However, this is a relatively new motherboard and the 8139 is built-in
> (Unicorn Computer, ENDAT-586HL (socket7 baby-AT), though I cannot vouch
for
> its design quality:
> http://www.unicorn-computer.com.tw/product/586HL.html
>
> I don't know how recently the rtl8139.o module that I'm using was built (I
> downloaded the binary from the LRP site).  I see that the source has been
> modified within the past few weeks so if you think this may be resolved in
> the current version of the driver, that will encourage me enough to get a
> development setup configured so I can build it myself.
>
> thanks for your help,
>
>  --Scott
>
>
>  | To unsubscribe, send mail to Majordomo@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov, and within
the
>  |  body of the mail, include only the text:
>  |   unsubscribe this-list-name youraddress@wherever.org
>  | You will be unsubscribed as speedily as possible.
>


 | To unsubscribe, send mail to Majordomo@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov, and within the
 |  body of the mail, include only the text:
 |   unsubscribe this-list-name youraddress@wherever.org
 | You will be unsubscribed as speedily as possible.