# Network has died - Help! *solved*

## micah3528

Hi,

I've had my Gentoo box running now for 2years with no problem, but last week my network connection started getting a bit flakey, now its stopped altogether.

I'm running a 3com 3c905c-tx network card connected to a Linksys WAG54G adsl modem/router with static IP address.

I've checked all my network cables, the router has been tested and is working fine and i've tried swapping my network card for one that is definitely working, but still no joy.

If i try ping another computer on my network or the router I get told - Destination Host Unreachable.

The card appears to be detected and support is built into the kernel(2.6.12-r9) but i'm at a loss as to what else to try.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks!Last edited by micah3528 on Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## jsfan

What does ifconfig tell you. Is there an ip address on the device?

If so, are the routes correct?

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## micah3528

Hi,

This is the output of ifconfig

```

eth0          Link encap:Ethernet   HWaddr 00:50:DA:49:5C:79

              inet  addr:192.168.1.101     Bcast:192.168.1.255    Mask:255.255.255.0

              UP BROADCAST MULTICAST     MTU:1500    Metric:1

              RX packets:0  errors:557   dropped:0   overruns:0   frame:829

              TX packets:43  errors:0  dropped:0  overruns:0  carrier:0

              collisions:0  txqueuelen:1000

              RX bytes:0  (0.0  b)     TX bytes:3318   (3.2  kb)

              Interrupt:10   Base address:0xb400

lo              Link encap:Local Loopback

              inet addr:127.0.0.1   Mask:255.0.0.0

              UP LOOPBACK RUNNING    MTU:16436   Metric:1

              RX packets:332  errors:0  dropped:0  overruns:0  frame:0

              TX packets:332  errors:0  dropped:0  overruns:0  carrier:0

              collisions:0  txqueuelen:0

              RX bytes:41203  (40.2  kb)     TX bytes:41203  (40.2  kb)

```

I have found that mii-tool is showing the link as ok, but if i ask it to watch the connection it appears the link is going up and down all the time. i don't no if that makes a difference.

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## jsfan

Could you also post the output of

```
route -n
```

please?

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## micah3528

output of route -n is 

```

Kernel IP routing table

Destination         Gateway          Genmask             Flags   Metric   Ref        Use   Iface

192.168.1.0        0.0.0.0             255.255.255.0     U         0       0           0   eth0

127.0.0.0          127.0.0.1           255.0.0.0         UG        0       0           0   lo

0.0.0.0            192.168.1.1         0.0.0.0           UG        0       0           0   eth0

```

Hope that gives some clues

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## m_sqrd

first thing to do is find out why this is going on

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> connection it appears the link is going up and down all the time. 
> 
> 

 

may be a bad PSU, (but what ever is doing this is most likely the source of the problem.)

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## micah3528

OK, power supply has been changed(always keep spares) still no difference.

Also tried swapping the pci slot just in case there was a problem with that slot, no change.

I have just tried rebuilding the kernel just in case there was a problem with the kernel I was running, again no luck.

 I have noticed using mii-tool that the network card is set as 10mbit, full duplex. I've looked to see if changing to half duplex or 100 mbit half or full duplex or indeed autonegotiate makes any difference but any setting other than 10 mbit, full duplex displays - Basic  status : No link

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## m_sqrd

what your network look like ?

(modem)---(switch)---(computer's)

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## DaveArb

Just in case you've been bit by the same "inability to read" bug that got me once, double-check that you are using drivers for the 3Com 905 NIC, and not the 3Com 509. Jeez I felt silly on that one.

Dave

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## micah3528

I have a linksys wag54g wireless adsl modem/router with 4 ethernet ports built in.

4 pc's connect to this 2 x running windows xp with wmp54g wireless network cards, 1 x laptop running Gentoo with a 3com pcmcia ethernet card and the problem pc which again is running Gentoo and a 3com 3C905C-TX ethernet card

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## micah3528

thanks for the tip

 *Quote:*   

> double-check that you are using drivers for the 3Com 905 NIC, and not the 3Com 509

 

I assume from the kernel instructions

```
3c590/3c900 series (592/595/597) "Vortex/Boomerang" support (NEW)

         "Boomerang" (Fast EtherLink XL 3C900 or 3c905)       PCI

```

that those are the correct drivers

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## m_sqrd

Ok I just look up the router and it has a 10/100 built in switch so why is it only link at 10mbit ?

hmm what dose mii-tool -vv eth0 say

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## DaveArb

 *micah3528 wrote:*   

> that those are the correct drivers

 

Those are what works for me with a 905. Looks like I'm still the only one made that mistake. Wish I had another suggestion.

Dave

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## micah3528

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> what dose mii-tool -vv eth0 say
> 
> 

 

```

eth0:  10  Mbit,  full duplex,  link ok

   registers for MII PHY 24:

       0100 780d 0040 6176 05el 0000 0000 0000

       0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

       1000 e03f 0007 00ff 0000 0000 0100 0000

       0031 1004 0f00 ff40 0621 0000 0000 0000

   product info: vendor 00:10:18,  model 23  rev 6

   basic mode:     10 Mbit,  full duplex

   basic status:     link ok

   capabilities:     100baseTx-FD  100baseTx-HD  10baseT-FD  10baseT-HD

   advertising:      100baseTx-FD  100baseTx-HD  10baseT-FD  10baseT-HD flow-control

```

hope that sheds some light on things

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## m_sqrd

this this set in the kernel config

grep -i _mii /usr/src/linux/.config

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## micah3528

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> this this set in the kernel config 
> 
> grep -i _mii /usr/src/linux/.config
> ...

 

it would appear so

```

CONFIG_MII=y

```

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## m_sqrd

Hmm I just don't know the 

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> eth0:  10  Mbit,  full duplex,  link ok
> 
>    registers for MII PHY 24:
> ...

 

dose not say is tried to negotiat and found 10 meg it just 10 meg nailed.

also nothing about you link partner 

may be something funky in the nic driver. I'll think on it is some more and post if I have any other ideas.

both the mii and your driver are built in the kernel correct?

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## christsong84

Might want to test that it's not hardware related also...try swapping with another NIC from another computer and see if that affects anything.  :Razz: 

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## micah3528

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> both the mii and your driver are built in the kernel correct?
> 
> 

 

Yep both are built in

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> try swapping with another NIC from another computer 
> 
> 

 

Swapped it 3 times now and still no luck

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## m_sqrd

can you boot off  the livecd and test it that way ?

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## jsfan

You should really try the livecd like m_sqrd suggested. However, the way the problems appeared I'd also suspect that it's a hardware problem. Do you remember if you made any big change around the time the problem first showed up? Bot hardware and software.

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## Malice

Something else to look out for - when I synced and updated last night I lost my eth0.  Found the problem was due to the net.lo and net.eth0 init scripts getting themselves swapped around.

Swapping the filenames fixed it.

Haven't got a clue how it happened - don't think it was anything that I did.  I'm thinking it is either a buggy ebuild, or dispatch-conf somehow mixed the names.

-M

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## micah3528

Just tried the liveCD still not working definitely looking like a hardware problem now, although all three network cards tried in different boxes and they are working fine.

Anyone know if this could be a problem with the pci controller even though my other pci cards are still working?

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## micah3528

even more strange just moved the sound card to the pci slot the network card was in and its working, put the network card in the original slot the sound card was in and still no network.

i'm very confused what the hell is broken?

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## m_sqrd

Well if the software baseline (Livecd) did not work and you know you have not moved or add cards to the system befor this started to happen and the NIC(s) work in other systems. it starting to look like a MB issue.

Is the system all PCI or AGP/PCI what?

you could try by removing every thing but the NIC and Video card and try to boot off the livecd and see if there is a conflict some place.

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## jsfan

Maybe you should also try to deactivate as much as you can in the BIOS to make IRQ conflicts less likely.

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## micah3528

Thanks to all for the help, just tried a reflash of the bios as a last resort and everything starts working. Don't we all just love computers!!!

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