3c59x timeout problem

John Pierce hawkfan@pyrotechnics.com
Wed Apr 28 01:42:09 1999


On Tue, 27 Apr 1999, Seva wrote:

> Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 11:58:11 -0500 (CDT)
> From: Seva <seva@null.cc.uic.edu>
> To: linux-vortex-bug@beowulf.gsfc.nasa.gov
> Subject: 3c59x timeout problem
> 
> 3c59x.c: 0.99H
> Linux Kernek: 2.2.6
> 
> eth0: 3Com 3c590 Vortex 10Mpbs at 0xef20,  00:a0:24:8b:ad:a1, IRQ 10
>   8K byte-wide RAM 1:1 Rx:Tx split, autoselect/10baseT interface.
> 
> I am sorry if this is inapropriate, but I have this problem with 3c590,
> everyonce in a while, under heavy load, it just stops working and keeps on
> spitting out:
> 
> eth0: transmit timed out, tx_status 00 status e000.
> 
> If I `ifdown eth0`, `rmmod 3c59x`, `ifup eth0`, it works again.
> 

FWIW, I've been seeing this since 2.0.34 or so on a well loaded machine.
Usually it happens during periods of high CPU load combined with moderate
network activity.  Pounding on the network with light CPU load doesn't
seem to affect it.  These observations are completely subjective because
I'm rarely logged in when it happens.

I recall seeing a tx_status 90 occasionally too with an older
kernel/driver but I could be mistaken.

Sometimes it works ok for months and other times it only makes it a few
hours.  Notable software includes ntpd, q2ded (quake server), and a
heavily loaded ftp site.

Stock Linux 2.0.36.

3c59x.c:v0.99H 11/17/98 Donald Becker
eth0: 3Com 3c590 Vortex 10Mbps at 0x6100,  00:a0:24:7d:be:3c, IRQ 10
  8K byte-wide RAM 1:1 Rx:Tx split, 10baseT interface.
eth0: Overriding PCI latency timer (CFLT) setting of 32, new value is 248.

Cyrix 6x86L PR200+ (stepping 4.2)

Intel Triton II chipset.

More info available on request.

Physical access to the machine is quite limited (500mi away) so I'll be
reluctant to test anything that will do more than lock the interface.

I've seen this error in the mailing lists every once in a while for quite
a while without any response.  I'm actually speaking up this time in hopes
that someone who can figure out what's causing it will see that this is a
real problem.

In the mean time I've got a script to cycle the interface or reboot the
machine if it appears to be locked.  Its extremely simple but it works if
anyones intrested.

John..

-- 
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