Having said that,, I noticed a huge section on 3com cards in the howto's of
the LDP in the ethernet hardware section,, ,it goes into the specifices of
each model and how to get them working.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Praedor Tempus
Sent: Friday, 16 February 2001 6:45 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [expert] 3Com cards and network problems
I have been having this problem for a long time but it seems worse now that
I
have recently built a new 2.4.1 kernel and started using it.
I have a 3Com 900B netcard. With earlier Mandrake releases, my system
insisted on using 3c59x and this seemed to work. I am now using 3c90x
because 3c59x no longer works, but even 3c90x barely works.
The problem before and now is that during bootup, when it gets to
initializing eth0 using dhcpcd, there is an innordinant delay of something
like 45 seconds to a minute or so followed, usually (now) with a [Failed]
and
then a continuation of the bootup process. That is with my present 2.4.1
kernel. Previously, with a 2.2.17-21mdk kernel, the delay was there but it
usually ended with success, but the delay is unacceptable.
I have tried, with both 2.2.17 and 2.4.x kernels, to compile the 3c59x
driver
into the kernel or build it as a module. I have done the same thing with
the
3c90x driver. In neither case does it work as it should. If I build it
into
the kernel, instead of a long delay, it is and INSTANTANEOUS failure,
regardless of which driver I try. As a module, it takes forever for dhcpcd
to fail and bootup to continue.
After bootup, I end up having to manually run "ifup eth0" multiple times,
and
each time I need to immediately begin doing something like browse the web or
download mail or ping a target in order to help dhcpcd succeed. If I do NOT
do one or more of these things, dhcp (or pump) invariably fails to assign an
IP address. Before it ends with [Failed] and while I am waiting, I have
full
network connectivity. Only upon the appearance of [Failed] do I lose it.
In
general it takes me about 3 tries for dhcpcp to be successful in assigning
an
IP address.
What is up with this? I had thought that 3com cards were among THE most
well
supported cards in the linux world. With my problems (the card is fine and
it is ONLY a linux problem since if I boot up to windoze, there is no
problem
at all) and the others that appear in this list from others, I am beginning
to think that the 3com card is a DAWG and best placed in the trash.
What is the deal here? How do I fix this? What settings for the card could
I try (and how)?
--
Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.
