# Network Link goes up...down...up...down

## __acm__

Hi,

i have a problem with my network-connection. The link goes down at random times for about 2 secs, and goes up by itself. Its pretty annoying when playing quake3   :Confused: 

```
bash-2.05b# tail -n 15 /var/log/messages

Aug  2 19:48:01 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

Aug  2 19:48:04 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down

Aug  2 19:48:05 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

Aug  2 19:48:15 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down

Aug  2 19:48:19 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

Aug  2 19:48:28 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down

Aug  2 19:48:30 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

Aug  2 19:48:35 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down

Aug  2 19:48:36 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

Aug  2 19:48:37 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down

Aug  2 19:48:39 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

Aug  2 19:49:00 gentoo CRON[16607]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons )

Aug  2 19:50:00 gentoo CRON[16619]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons )

Aug  2 19:50:04 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down

Aug  2 19:50:06 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
```

the networkcard is a onboard chip of a MSI Neo2 865PE:

Intel 82547EI (CSA Interface)/ Intel 82562EZ Dual Layout

-Integrated Fast Ethernet MAC and PHY in one chip

i use the e1000 driver for the kernel-package because im using a 2.6.7 kernel.

Gentoo Base System version 1.4.16

Portage 2.0.50-r9 (default-x86-2004.0, gcc-3.3.3, glibc-2.3.3.20040420-r0, 2.6.7)

System uname: 2.6.7 i686 Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz

```
bash-2.05b# ifconfig

eth1   Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:0C:76:54:9D:C4

          inet addr:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx  Bcast:xxx.xxx.xxx.255  Mask:255.255.255.0

          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:34845 errors:6 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:4

          TX packets:15697 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000

          RX bytes:20722022 (19.7 Mb)  TX bytes:2033120 (1.9 Mb)

          Base address:0xbc00 Memory:f3de0000-f3e00000
```

messages in the boot process

```
 Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo 8139too Fast Ethernet driver 0.9.27

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo eth0: RealTek RTL8139 at 0xf8e15700, 00:50:fc:c1:5f:df, IRQ 17

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo eth0:  Identified 8139 chip type 'RTL-8100B/8139D'

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo e1000: Ignoring new-style parameters in presence of obsolete ones

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - version 5.2.52-k4

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo Copyright (c) 1999-2004 Intel Corporation.

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:02:01.0 to 64

Aug  2 16:14:57 gentoo e1000: eth1: e1000_probe: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection
```

i hope anyone knows what causes this, or someone has solved a similar problem.

regards _acm_

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## intgr

 *__acm__ wrote:*   

> i hope anyone knows what causes this, or someone has solved a similar problem.

 

A search on Google and Google Groups turned up several people having the same problem as you with the e100/e1000 driver (not with other drivers), but no solutions to it.

I am also using an e100 driver, but not experiencing such problems. Everything seems to point at the e100/e1000 driver. Your best bet is probably to get a kernel hacker to investigate it.

I'm sorry I couldn't be any more helpful than this.

----------

## cutlinejoe

It sounds like it may be an auto negotiation issue. Try to hard set you card or switch/hub/router to 10mb-half duplex, then 10mb-full duplex, 100mb-half duplex, and finally 100mb-full duplex. After each time you change the setting try it out for a while and see if it is any better. The auto negotiation on even the best devices is buggy at times.

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## __acm__

i made some tests and it is definitely a hardware problem. i had the same problems when i tested the connection with windows-drivers, and i'm at home at the moment and i dont have  the problems here with the same drivers and cables. I will try your advice when im back at the university...

tnx for your help

_acm_

----------

## doerrfleischfee

Did you solve this problem?

I'm encountering the same problem on both ports of my intel 1000 mt dual port nic. Manually setting parameters didn't take the trick for me... :/

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## cyborat

I'd like to bump this thread, as I'm having the same issue. I noticed I was getting kicked out of City of Heroes too frequently, and tonight I've noticed my GAIM going off/on/off/on. Looking at the logs, I see the same exact thing you've posted at the top of this thread!

I'm also getting slight pauses in anything GL - not sure if this could be related? The pauses are very brief, and only happen about every 3-4 seconds or so. Not horrific, just annoying. I'm just wondering if whatever is causing my ethernet to go up and down could possibly be doing this too?

Oh and I'm also using kernel 2.6.7, and I don't believe this was happening in the previous version - so it sounds likely that it is not hardware here, but is a bug in the ethernet driver within the kernel?

Using a SATA HD here, and there's no problem with HD access, I've seen messages with the GL pauses sometimes going back to UDMA not being enabled. Don't think that's my issue, I just have a sneaky suspicion that the GL pauses and ethernet bounces are somehow related. 

 :Confused:   :Confused:   :Confused:   :Confused: 

Thanks!!!

----------

## doerrfleischfee

I sent a mail to intel technical support. They're saying that since the current driver hasn't yet been validated with kernel 2.6, unpredictable results may occur...

wow - since I'm on amd64 I can't switch to anything else than 2.6... but maybe to another nic :/

----------

## hazer

I've heard reports of the Intel e100/e1000 driver under 2.6 being less-than-reliable from one of the server guys that I work with..... He did say that reverting to 2.4 did stabilize the NIC, but that doesn't help folks who are stuck with 2.6 as their only solution.  :Sad: 

----------

## dave_pretty

I've had the same problem with the e100 driver, and eepro100 seemed to do the same also. Another forum suggested using the eepro100-diag tool to change the driver setting out of sleep mode, but that didn't fix it for me - 

```
02:17 PM tmp % lspci

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host Bridge (rev 04)

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge (rev 04)

0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)

0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)

0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)

0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB 2.0 EHCI Controller (rev 03)

0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 83)

0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801DBM LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)

0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801DBM (ICH4) Ultra ATA Storage Controller (rev 03)

0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 03)

0000:00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 03)

0000:00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 03)

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M6 LY

0000:02:00.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1510 PC card Cardbus Controller

0000:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82801BD PRO/100 VE (MOB) Ethernet Controller (rev 83)

0000:03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Linksys 21x4x DEC-Tulip compatible 10/100 Ethernet (rev 11)

```

```

02:18 PM tmp % uname -a

Linux leela 2.6.8-ck7 #3 Fri Sep 10 11:01:17 EST 2004 i686 Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 - M CPU 1.90GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

```

I tried removing all modules I could in case there was conflict there but for now I've resorted to using a netgear  pcmcia ethernet controller for the time being

looking at the changelogs on kernel.org there's a lot of work going on in the e100/1000 drivers at the moment.

----------

## JonR800

This is pathetic.. but I've been trying to figure this out for months now.  :Sad:   I'm about a half a step away from just ordering a new board with a Marvell 8001 integrated instead.

EDIT:  Forgot to mention some details.  ACPI seems to have no effect though that's what most forums suggest.  Reverting to 2.4 doesn't help as far as I can tell.  I've updated the bios on the board... (Intel 865GLCLK)

----------

## JonR800

Finally got tired of messing around this weekend and put windows on the machine.  Same exact issue.  Time to buy a new motherboard I guess...

----------

## hydrian

I believe I know what the problem is.  How to fix it is another deal.  It is usually because of Intel's autodetect abilities.  Many times my switch will think is it wants FD/100 and the NIC set HD/100 causing a duplex mismatch.  This is what causes the up/down issue.  This is very common with Cisco switches.  I found the forcing the NIC to FD/100 work to correct the issue.  Depending on your setup, it may cause an issue with some network based program such as winbind.

----------

