[realtek] rtl8139 problems (2.2.16-2.2.18)

[Jens Benecke]

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Hi,

I am experiencing network dropouts with an rtl8139 based PCI network card
recently. This (strangely) only happens since I compiled ReiserFS (3.5.27)
and LVM (0.9.1)  into the kernel, it didn't happen before. Doing

	ifconfig eth0 down
	ifconfig eth0 $IP $MASK  etc ...

brings the network back up after about 10 seconds, even NFS doesn't
complain and doesn't need to be remounted.

Starting the network module with "debug=3D9" yields something about
"oversized ethernet frame". This is when loading the driver:

  rtl8139.c:v1.07 5/6/99 Donald Becker
  http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/drivers/rtl8139.html
  eth0: RealTek RTL8139 Fast Ethernet at 0xd000, IRQ 5, 00:e0:7d:82:af:7d.
  eth0: Setting 100mbps full-duplex based on auto-negotiated partner abilit=
y 45e1.
  eth0:   set_rx_mode(1042) done -- Rx config 00009c00.
  eth0: rtl8129_open() ioaddr 0xd000 IRQ 5 GP Pins 00 full-duplex.
  eth0:   set_rx_mode(1043) done -- Rx config 00009c0e.
  eth0: Queued Tx packet at c2d9c2a2 size 42 to slot 0.
  eth0: interrupt  status=3D0x0004 new intstat=3D0x0000.
  eth0: interrupt  status=3D0x0000 new intstat=3D0x0000.
  eth0: exiting interrupt, intr_status=3D0x4000000.
  eth0: interrupt  status=3D0x0001 new intstat=3D0x0000.
  eth0: In rtl8129_rx(), current 0000 BufAddr 0044, free to fff0, Cmd 0c.  =
                                                                           =
                              =20

  ... etc ...

and here's where the problems begin:

  eth0: exiting interrupt, intr_status=3D0x4000000.
  eth0: interrupt  status=3D0x0001 new intstat=3D0x0000.
  eth0: In rtl8129_rx(), current fab8 BufAddr 000c, free to faa8, Cmd 0c.
  eth0:  rtl8129_rx() status 54e4001, size 054e, cur fab8.
  eth0: Frame contents  01 40 4e 05 00 e0 7d 82 af 7d 00 e0 7d 82 af 86 08 =
00
  eth0:  rtl8129_rx() status cccccccc, size cccc, cur 000c.
  eth0: Frame contents  cc cc cc cc 00 e0 7d 82 af 7d 00 e0 7d 82 af 86 08 =
00
  eth0:  rtl8129_rx() status ebbb2e5d, size ebbb, cur ccdc.
  eth0: Frame contents  5d 2e bb eb 0f 24 49 20 55 93 e5 dc 06 5e d4 51 0c =
69
  eth0: Done rtl8129_rx(), current b89c BufAddr 0bf4, free to b88c, Cmd 0d.
  eth0: interrupt  status=3D0x0001 new intstat=3D0x0000.                   =
                                                                           =
                                  =20
  .....
  eth0: interrupt  status=3D0x0000 new intstat=3D0x0000.
  eth0: exiting interrupt, intr_status=3D0x4000000.
  eth0:   set_rx_mode(1043) done -- Rx config 00009c00.
  eth0: Shutting down ethercard, status was 0x0000.                        =
                                                                           =
                              =20

=2E.. and the network is dead.


How am I going to fight this? The problem is that I have several of these
machines and replacing rtl8139 would mean replacing a whole heap of NICs.
Is it a hardware issue (i.e. broken NIC)?

I found several posts that might be related to this in the rtl8139
mailing list archives, but no solution.


Thanks for help and merry Christmas! :-)


PS: Please CC: to me as I don't read linux-kernel and know whether my
subscription to the realtek list has been processed already.


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