how can I test why my net connection dies
Forum: Networking
Topic: how can I test why my net connection dies
started by: aveline
Posted by aveline on June 02 2005,05:01
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
Posted by ke4nt1 on June 02 2005,05:41
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
Posted by aveline on June 02 2005,23:23
| 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
Posted by aveline on June 02 2005,23:33
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
Posted by friedgold on June 03 2005,00:07
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
Posted by aveline on June 03 2005,03:49
Finally got linux working on this old lappy but it took loading MDK 9.2 to do it. 
I want dsl to work on it goddamnit! I didn't have to do anything special to it either... so wtf does MDK do that DSL does not? ugh any way to find out???
a very pissed & frustrated
avey
[Edit] spoke too soon, it still dies. sigh
will try hats idea with a script thing.
Posted by ke4nt1 on June 03 2005,04:59
Sri for the confusion.. another user with a similar issue...I have a befsr41 linksys router here as well..
You wrote about your configuration looking like this..
| Quote |
| DSL Modem -> switch -> router ->laptop |
Mine is more like this for multi-user connectivity..
DSLModem -> Router -> Switch -> many other computers...
The DSLmodem will only issue ONE ip-address..
The router takes it, and then uses DHCP to create
"leases" of non-internet-used addresses to assign
each computer ( or router port) that request one an individual IP.
If you've got a router connected to the switch
( a switch being an "intelligent' hub , which remembers routes )
AND.. another computer also connected to the switch,
AHEAD OF THE ROUTER,
it may steal the only available IP from your modem,
once your lease expires.. ( normal default 10 minutes )
You stated here that..
| Quote |
| 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). |
Are you sure ? Typically the switch has an uplink port, not the router...
The router has a port for your dslmodem, and 4 ports for your uses..
The four ports are provided DHCP, and nat/firewalling protection,
from the "internet" side of things..
The "internet" port on your router is supposed to get the ONE ip
your modem issues.. then connect the switch to one of the ports
if neccessary to increase the number of available ports
beyond the four the router provides.
There are ways to configure the router to be a non-dhcp gateway only,
and not a firewall/router as the norm..
But I didn't think the router was capable of issuing DHCP
leases thru the DSLmodem port.. That is typically the "unprotected" side...
Try the static IP, and see what it does..
But I think, from your setup, that the crossover cable needs to go,
and both (or more) computers should be connected to the
protected ports.. and your modem connected to the "internet" port,
of the router.. the switch can be used as an extension, or for extra ports..
Also, find out what ip addresses each of your computers is using.
Let us know..
73
ke4nt
Posted by aveline on June 30 2005,04:03
| Quote (ke4nt1 @ June 02 2005,22:59) | ||
| <snip> The DSLmodem will only issue ONE ip-address.. The router takes it, and then uses DHCP to create "leases" of non-internet-used addresses to assign each computer ( or router port) that request one an individual IP. If you've got a router connected to the switch ( a switch being an "intelligent' hub , which remembers routes ) AND.. another computer also connected to the switch, AHEAD OF THE ROUTER, it may steal the only available IP from your modem, once your lease expires.. ( normal default 10 minutes ) You stated here that..
Try the static IP, and see what it does.. But I think, from your setup, that the crossover cable needs to go, and both (or more) computers should be connected to the protected ports.. and your modem connected to the "internet" port, of the router.. the switch can be used as an extension, or for extra ports.. Also, find out what ip addresses each of your computers is using. Let us know.. 73 ke4nt |
Took your advice on all this but it was still a no go. Also I don't have a comp plugged into the switch, just teh router is plugged into it. (I can ask my IT friend why/how the setup works if anyones interested too). Static IP did nothing; as well my isp issues us 2 IPs by default so even if one was being stolen it wouldn't make a difference.
I ended up breaking down & purchasing a Netgear FA511 ethernet cardbus card. It works perfectly as you can see cuz I'm tyrping this from the lappy. In the end I think either the other card is using flaky drivers that, from what I've seen on the net, are considered experimental and unstable at best or that its just fubar.
Regardless if anyone else is using the same type of xircom I had, I strongly encourage you to get a new cardbus card from a decent electronics store. Thanks for everyones help too. I was ready to throw this laptop out a window if this kept up.
aveline
Posted by tjm4fun on June 30 2005,06:35
Just a quick sidenote, Xircom 10/100 pcmcia cards work fine (I use one on my old toshiba). Those combo enet/modem cards were a disaster in any os, due to the number of irq's for the modem and ethernet and pcmcia adapter.