Linksys EtherFast 10/100 (3'rd rev.) and collisions.

John G. jmich@iname.com
Tue Jul 21 19:48:53 1998


Hello, I have a Linksys EtherFast 10/100 (the 3'rd rev.--the one with
the Linksys logo written on it; I'm using tulip 0.89H).  My problem is,
occasionally when I boot the computer the card starts causing bursts of
collisions, and flooding the syslogs with the following:

Jul 17 17:24:27 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.
Jul 17 17:24:30 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.
Jul 17 17:24:33 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.
Jul 17 17:24:36 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.

I think the problem is the driver isn't finding the MII transceiver in
these instances, but I'm open to other suggestions and/or patches.


General info:

tulip.c   0.89H
kernel    2.0.34
distro    RH 5.1


/etc/conf.modules:  (I've also tried MII 10baseT, which might cause the
problem to be a little more likely to occur, but not by much)

alias		net-pf-4	off	# IPX
alias		net-pf-5	off	# appletalk

alias eth0 tulip 
# options 	tulip		options=9 debug=1	# MII 10baseT
options 	tulip           options=12 debug=1	# 10baseT
# options 	tulip           options=3 debug=1	# 100baseT
# options	tulip           options=4 debug=1	# 10baseT-FD
# options 	tulip           options=5 debug=1	# 100baseT-FD


Syslogs when there are other machines on the network and things don't
work:

Jul 17 17:24:18 john kernel: tulip.c:v0.89H 5/23/98
becker@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov
Jul 17 17:24:18 john kernel: eth0: Lite-On 82c168 PNIC at 0xdf00, 00 a0
cc 20 9e 30, IRQ 10.
Jul 17 17:24:19 john named[346]: starting.  named 4.9.7-REL Tue Jun 30
15:58:21 EDT 1998
^Iroot@porky.redhat.com:/usr/src/bs/BUILD/bind-4.9.7/named
Jul 17 17:24:19 john named[346]: cache zone "" loaded (serial 0)
Jul 17 17:24:19 john named[346]: primary zone "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa"
loaded (serial 1997022700)
Jul 17 17:24:19 john named[347]: Ready to answer queries.
Jul 17 17:24:19 john named[347]: sysquery: sendto([198.32.64.12].53):
Network is unreachable
Jul 17 17:24:21 john kernel: CSLIP: code copyright 1989 Regents of the
University of California
Jul 17 17:24:21 john kernel: SLIP: version 0.8.4-NET3.019-NEWTTY-MODULAR
(dynamic channels, max=256).
Jul 17 17:24:21 john kernel: SLIP linefill/keepalive option.
Jul 17 17:24:21 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 01860000.
Jul 17 17:24:23 john sendmail[417]: starting daemon (8.8.7):
SMTP+queueing@01:00:00
Jul 17 17:24:24 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.
Jul 17 17:24:27 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.
Jul 17 17:24:30 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.
Jul 17 17:24:33 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.
Jul 17 17:24:36 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.
Jul 17 17:24:39 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.
Jul 17 17:24:42 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.
Jul 17 17:24:45 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.
Jul 17 17:24:48 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0042c000.
Jul 17 17:24:51 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 0186c000.


Syslogs when I'm the only machine on the network and when things don't
work
(note the absence of 'c' in 01860000 and 0042000 as opposed to 0186c000
and 0042c000 in all change notices after the first):

Jul 18 11:34:51 john kernel: tulip.c:v0.89H 5/23/98
becker@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov
Jul 18 11:34:51 john kernel: eth0: Lite-On 82c168 PNIC at 0xdf00, 00 a0
cc 20 9e 30, IRQ 10.
Jul 18 11:34:52 john named[346]: starting.  named 4.9.7-REL Tue Jun 30
15:58:21 EDT 1998
^Iroot@porky.redhat.com:/usr/src/bs/BUILD/bind-4.9.7/named
Jul 18 11:34:52 john named[346]: cache zone "" loaded (serial 0)
Jul 18 11:34:52 john named[346]: primary zone "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa"
loaded (serial 1997022700)
Jul 18 11:34:52 john named[347]: Ready to answer queries.
Jul 18 11:34:52 john named[347]: sysquery: sendto([128.9.0.107].53):
Network is unreachable
Jul 18 11:34:54 john kernel: CSLIP: code copyright 1989 Regents of the
University of California
Jul 18 11:34:54 john kernel: SLIP: version 0.8.4-NET3.019-NEWTTY-MODULAR
(dynamic channels, max=256).
Jul 18 11:34:54 john kernel: SLIP linefill/keepalive option.
Jul 18 11:34:54 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 01860000.
Jul 18 11:34:55 john sendmail[417]: starting daemon (8.8.7):
SMTP+queueing@01:00:00
Jul 18 11:34:57 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 00420000.
Jul 18 11:35:00 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 01860000.
Jul 18 11:35:03 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 00420000.
Jul 18 11:35:06 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 01860000.
Jul 18 11:35:09 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 00420000.
Jul 18 11:35:12 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 01860000.
Jul 18 11:35:15 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 00420000.
Jul 18 11:35:18 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 01860000.


Syslogs when things work correctly:

Jul 18 11:02:31 john kernel: tulip.c:v0.89H 5/23/98
becker@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov
Jul 18 11:02:31 john kernel: eth0: Lite-On 82c168 PNIC at 0xdf00, 00 a0
cc 20 9e 30, IRQ 10.
Jul 18 11:02:31 john kernel: eth0:  MII transceiver found at MDIO
address 1, config 0000 status 7829.
Jul 18 11:02:31 john kernel: eth0:  Advertising 01e1 on PHY 1,
previously advertising 6100.
Jul 18 11:02:32 john named[346]: starting.  named 4.9.7-REL Tue Jun 30
15:58:21 EDT 1998
^Iroot@porky.redhat.com:/usr/src/bs/BUILD/bind-4.9.7/named
Jul 18 11:02:32 john named[346]: cache zone "" loaded (serial 0)
Jul 18 11:02:32 john named[346]: primary zone "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa"
loaded (serial 1997022700)
Jul 18 11:02:32 john named[347]: Ready to answer queries.
Jul 18 11:02:32 john named[347]: sysquery: sendto([128.8.10.90].53):
Network is unreachable
Jul 18 11:02:34 john kernel: CSLIP: code copyright 1989 Regents of the
University of California
Jul 18 11:02:34 john kernel: SLIP: version 0.8.4-NET3.019-NEWTTY-MODULAR
(dynamic channels, max=256).
Jul 18 11:02:34 john kernel: SLIP linefill/keepalive option.
Jul 18 11:02:34 john kernel: eth0: Changing PNIC configuration to
half-duplex, CSR6 816e0000.
Jul 18 11:02:36 john sendmail[417]: starting daemon (8.8.7):
SMTP+queueing@01:00:00


-- 
John G.  jmich@iname.com

"we build confusing systems with nonfunctioning or poor quality drivers"
 -- Jim Allchin, a senior vice president of Microsoft, WinHEC 98
(borrowed)