[eepro100] Semi-OT: protocol type 8808

[Derek Glidden]

This isn't entirely eepro100-driver related, but is related to my
eepro100 cards which are only running under Linux...

I have an SMC "EZSwitch 1024" 24-port 10/100 switch for my home
network.  EEpro100 cards cause the "Activity" lamp on both the cards and
the switch to come on and stay pretty much lit up.  None of my other
NICs, 10 or 100, cause this behaviour.  (3c509, NE2000 clone, Sun Ultra
5 hme, 3c590, also chained to a little 5-port 10/100 switch
downstairs.)  

TCPdump on a box with an eepro in it shows a steady stream of "Protocol
8808" packets coming from the switch to the eepro100 NIC - about
twenty-five packets per second.  I've done a Google search on various
combinations of "eepro, eepro100, protocol 8808" and such and come
across a bare scratching of a couple articles that look like they
*might* be relevant.  Something about APM on the eepro100's causing some
sort of interference with the speed auto-sensing on the switch... ???

Does anyone have more information about this issue?  Something I can
nail down in the linux driver or in the card setup to make 'em stop
doing this?

Here are the driver-reported card infos for the three eepro100 cards I
currently have plugged in and on:

Two are:

eth0: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100],[mac address], IRQ 11.
  Board assembly 721383-008, Physical connectors present: RJ45
  Primary interface chip i82555 PHY #1.

and one is:

eth0: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100], [mac address], IRQ 12.
  Receiver lock-up bug exists -- enabling work-around.
  Board assembly 689661-003, Physical connectors present: RJ45
  Primary interface chip i82555 PHY #1.

I've had this switch for about a year now and it's never really caused
anything I'd call a "problem" but I've just torn down my shelf with all
the computers and rewired everything and now I'm watching these little
lights steadily blittering on the switch and just going "huh..." 

-- 
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With Microsoft products, failure is not           Derek Glidden
an option - it's a standard component.      http://3dlinux.org/
Choose your life.  Choose your            http://www.tbcpc.org/
future.  Choose Linux.              http://www.illusionary.com/