[realtek] GF4050C (RTL8139)

[Donald Becker]

On Thu, 23 Aug 2001, John Traill wrote:

>> Could you also please send the PCI subsystem ID for this card..
>>00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RT8139 
>        Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RT8139

Darn, they are using the generic EEPROM contents from Realtek.  This
improperly claims that it was designed/manufactured by Realtek, and
means we can't distinguish it from regular rtl8139 boards.

> > The advertising for the card doesn't claim it's a switch, so it's likely
> > a repeater.  Thus the half duplex default setting shouldn't be a problem.
> > What chips are on the card?  RTL8139C?  And what others?
> 
> RTL8139B
> TC6097P-6

This is a Tamarack repeater.  I found the datasheet on tmi.com.tw --
there is nothing unusal about it.  Specifically there are no power
control pins.

> TC6013B

How many tc6013 transceivers?  Four or five?  If four, then the rtl8139 has
a special connection to the repeater.  If five, then the rtl8139 is
connected just as the external ports are.

> > >    Basic mode control register   0x7809.
> > Hmmm, no link beat reported.
> > This could indicate the problem.
> Basic registers of MII PHY #32:  1000 782d 0000 0000 05e1 0000 0000

Ahhh, now we have link beat.
This repeater card shouldn't require any unique setting.

> > The power-up signal seems unlikely, since the hub should work even if
> > the OS isn't loaded.  You can verify this by seeing if other machines
> > can pass traffic immediately when the host is first powered on.
> > 
> 
> After power on the card does not function as a hub. It seems dead.

When does the card start acting as a repeater?
  If the answer is "never, under Linux, but it works fine in MS Windows"
  then we have to figure out what turns on the repeater.

  If the answer is "never, even in MS Windows" then the card is broken.


Donald Becker				becker@scyld.com
Scyld Computing Corporation		http://www.scyld.com
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