[realtek] GF4050C (RTL8139)

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi,

I'm writing on behalf of a non-Linux friend, Peter, who's installing
Smoothwall on a PC with a GF4050C hub card.  The realtek module is
automatically selected but the card doesn't work.

There was a recent thread on this list about this very card.

    http://www.scyld.com/pipermail/realtek/2001-August/001060.html

> 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.

Although John's card may have been broken I guess the fact that Peter's
also doesn't work lessens the chances it's a hardware problem.

> > 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.
> 
> There are 6 6013B devices and 5 ports ??

Peter's card has the same.  Given he's a hardware guy he explained that
there are five 6013B transceivers to connect the five ports to the
repeater (TC6097P-6) plus one more to connect the RTL8139 to the
repeater.

What's the current situation on getting this card to work?  If there's
any further information or effort that would assist we're both happy to
try and help.


Ralph.