3com 509 problems

[James Hall <jhall1@isd.net>]

> [snip]
> 
> Okay, here's some traffic for the list: a question that has perplexed
> me. I get the following errors in /var/log/messages (and on the
> console) when a client box running NT is under really heavy load while
> accessing a file on my RH5 Linux box:
> 
> Mar 25 11:21:28 burns kernel: eth0: 3c509 at 0x300 tag 1, AUI port, address  00 60 8c c0 36 24, IRQ 10.
> Mar 25 11:21:28 burns kernel: eth0: Setting Rx mode to 1 addresses.
> Mar 25 14:10:16 burns kernel: eth0: 3c509 at 0x300 tag 1, AUI port, address  00 60 8c c0 36 24, IRQ 10.
> Mar 25 14:10:16 burns kernel: eth0: Setting Rx mode to 1 addresses.
> Mar 26 15:59:50 burns kernel: eth0: 3c509 at 0x300 tag 1, AUI port, address  00 60 8c c0 36 24, IRQ 10.
> Mar 26 15:59:50 burns kernel: eth0: Setting Rx mode to 1 addresses.
> Mar 26 16:39:22 burns kernel: eth0: 3c509 at 0x300 tag 1, AUI port, address  00 60 8c c0 36 24, IRQ 10.
> Mar 26 16:39:22 burns kernel: eth0: Setting Rx mode to 1 addresses.
> Mar 27 11:14:11 burns kernel: eth0: transmit timed out, Tx_status 88 status 2004 Tx FIFO room 520.
> Mar 27 11:15:21 burns kernel: eth0: transmit timed out, Tx_status 88 status 2004 Tx FIFO room 520.
> 
> Can anyone explain to me exactly (or even roughly :-) ) what is going
> on here, and how I can fix it?

My RH5.0 server at work is a 486-EISA with an ISA 3c509 network card. 
So, we have similar configs.  However, I only see these messages when my
system boots up (which is rare anyway) and Linux assigns an IP address
to the network card.  I had to go back pretty far in my backup logs just
to find the last "Setting Rx mode" message for my server.

I see one of three possibilities:

(1) your network card is flaky.

(2) are you running DHCP?  I suspect not, but I noticed that the
shortest interval between "setting Rx mode" messages is about 40 min.  I
don't know what the checkout time for an IP address is using DHCP, but
40 min. may be a default somewhere.  A server should have a static IP
anyway, so I would make sure you have your own IP address.

(3) someone else may have your IP address.  this is just a shot in the
dark, though.  I've been able to avoid this kind of thing.


In your place, I would find swap out the 3c509 with a "known good"
3c509.  If you can reproduce the problem, then I don't know what to tell
you.

-Jim

-- 
Those who do not understand Unix are condemned to reinvent it, poorly.
		-- Henry Spencer