Networking :: how can I test why my net connection dies



topic says it all really.  I got the pcmcia card I use to work (finally) so it doesn't just die after 30secs on booting into DSL.  I did it by using the acpi=off switch.  Well yay but it still dies after about 5 minutes of being online.  I don't have a clue how to test this or how to figure out what is wrong.  I've turned off in the bios all my power management, I'm booting with:  dma noapic noapm acpi=off

Other than these cheat codes though, I haven't seen any that might help.  Ideas?  I tested all this the other day by sitting in the #dsl channel for a bit with the laptop connected running nIRC.  It timed out eventually and I couldn't seem to get the card to reconnect.  Also if I run "ifconfig eth0 up/down" it always tells me that no such device exists even if the connection is working?  I'm running all this through a router & switch (yes 2 separate devices for the moment) using DHCP.

thanks
Aveline

Please refresh my memory on the brand/model/type of card this is?
I remember discussing howto get your netgear mini working, (MA 111)
but I'm not sure that's what your using..

wireless? Cat5 connected?
and if eth0 doesn't work ( which is usually for wired cards ) ,
Does the command ifconfig show any others in use besides the loopback,
when you realize it has disconnected?
( wlan0,  ath0,  etc.. )

What does ifconfig show when it IS connected?

73
ke4nt

Quote (ke4nt1 @ June 02 2005,01:41)
Please refresh my memory on the brand/model/type of card this is?
I remember discussing howto get your netgear mini working, (MA 111)
but I'm not sure that's what your using..

wireless? Cat5 connected?
and if eth0 doesn't work ( which is usually for wired cards ) ,
Does the command ifconfig show any others in use besides the loopback,
when you realize it has disconnected?
( wlan0,  ath0,  etc.. )

What does ifconfig show when it IS connected?

73
ke4nt

You're thinking of someone else you helped, bc I don't have a netgear thing.  :)  

I'm using a (from cardctl info) :

root@box:~# cardctl info  
PRODID_1="Xircom"
PRODID_2="CardBus Ethernet 10/100 + Modem 56"
PRODID_3="CBEM56G" <- thisis wrong, it should be RBEM56+G-100
PRODID_4="1.03"
MANFID=0105,0103

Its Cat5 connected & uses up both ports.  
While connected it shows thru ifconfig -a:
root@box:~# ifconfig -a
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx  
         inet addr:192.168.1.102  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
         UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
         RX packets:536 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
         TX packets:565 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
         collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
         RX bytes:324889 (317.2 KiB)  TX bytes:49821 (48.6 KiB)
         Interrupt:11 Base address:0x4000


When the connection dies the info for ifconfig doesn't change afaik but i'll look when it does.

Also is it possibly an irq conflict?  I set the soundcard to Irq 10 iirc in the bios recently b/c I knew that the net card uses this irq & IO addy:  Interrupt:11 Base address:0x4000



I don't know what else to tell you tbh so any ideas from this are appreciated. I've logged into the dsl channel from this laptop as I speak in hopes of seeing if the connection dies or what.

I've also tried using 2 different cables to connect through the router.  It doesn't help.  The only thing I saw online to possibly explain this is that Xircom (whos been bought by Intel incidentally & does NOT support their legacy cards really at all), said on their site that going thru a router plugged into a DSL modem doesn't work for some reason?  I wondered if I plugged this directly into my switch if that would help or not?  As it stands this is how my network works:

DSL Modem -> switch -> router ->laptop

I have to use both switch & router b/c of where another comp is (upstairs) & it plugs into the router thru the uplink port (the longest cable I had is a Xover one ffs).  I don't remember the exact details of why my friend set it up that way but hes a networking expert so if you need to know why I can ask him.  Regardless thats how its setup atm.

I hope this info helps?  TIA
Avey

As a sort of useful tip, the command "cardinfo" in a Term window is a great way to reset/suspend & stuff your NIC instead of actually typing out commands.

[Edit] Forgot to add:  it died while I am in the dsl channel & looking at ifconfig i get the same info as above even tho its no longer connected.  The only differnce I can see using ifconfig is that now instead of it showing after the line with "MASK" the word "UP" it is no longer showing anything!  Not "UP" or "DOWN".  Also the routers LEDS are lit in 2 places where it indicates that its using 10/100 mode and the top one just says it is supposedly still linked up (Its a linksys BEFSR41).  Yet the middle LED where it should blink to show packets moving is just blank now.  

Avey :angry:

Just a thought but have you tried using a static ip instead of dhcp? You should be able to set it with netcardconfig from the DSL control panel. I was just thinking it could be something like the dhcp lease not being renewed???

If you want to check on the dhcp status use pump -i eth0 -s

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