[realtek] GF4050C (RTL8139)

John Traill r17296@email.sps.mot.com
Thu, 23 Aug 2001 14:13:32 +0000


Donald Becker wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 22 Aug 2001, John Traill wrote:
> > Donald Becker wrote:
> > > On Tue, 21 Aug 2001, John Traill wrote:
> 
> > > > Subject: [realtek] GF4050C (RTL8139)
> > > > Has anyone had any success with the above card. Its a 5-port 100BaseT
> > > > hub which refuses to work in my x86 debian 2.2 ssytem.
> ...
> > > > Only one of the ports is detected by the kernel
> > >
> > > This is likely the correct behavior.  This isn't a five port card.
> > > It is a regular ethernet adapter connected to a five port repeater or
> > > switch.
> > >
> > > > and it never receives
> > > > any packets as report by ifconfig or by increasing the debug level.
> > >
> > > What does 'mii-diag' or 'rtl8139-diag -am' report?
> ...
> > rtl8139.c:v1.13 1/9/2001 Donald Becker, becker@scyld.com.
> >  http://www.scyld.com/network/rtl8139.html
> > eth0: RealTek RTL8139 Fast Ethernet at 0xd000, IRQ 9, 00:c0:df:04:8f:6c.
> ...
> > eth0: Setting half-duplex based on auto-negotiated partner ability 0000.
> 
> Hmmm, the hub section of the card must have a specialized connection.
> It doesn't do autonegotiation.
> 
> 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
TC6013B

> > eth0: Queued Tx packet at c35b3922 size 42 to slot 1.
> > eth0: interrupt  status=0x0004 new intstat=0x0000.
> > eth0: interrupt  status=0x0000 new intstat=0x0000.
> 
> This looks normal.
> 
> > rtl8139-diag.c:v2.04 8/08/2001 Donald Becker (becker@scyld.com)
> ...
> >  The chip configuration is 0x10 0x2c, MII half-duplex mode.
> >  The RTL8139 does not use a MII transceiver.
> >  It does have internal MII-compatible registers:
> >    Basic mode control register   0x7809.
> 
> Hmmm, no link beat reported.
> This could indicate the problem.
> 
> Either the hub chip requires a special power-up signal, or the rtl8139
> requires special configuration to work without link beat.
> 
> 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.

> If the rtl8139 requires a special configuration to work without link
> beat, try doing
>   mii-diag eth0 -F 100baseTx
> and
>   mii-diag eth0 -F 100baseTx-FDX
> to see if any packets are received.  The full duplex setting is wrong,
> but it might fool the chip into ignoring the lack of link beat.
> 

debian:/usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.19pre17/drivers/net# ./mii-diag
Using the default interface 'eth0'.
Basic registers of MII PHY #32:  1000 782d 0000 0000 05e1 0000 0000
0000.
 Basic mode control register 0x1000: Auto-negotiation enabled.
 You have link beat, and everything is working OK.
 Your link partner does not do autonegotiation, and this transceiver
type
  does not report the sensed link speed.
   End of basic transceiver information.
 
debian:/usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.19pre17/drivers/net# ./mii-diag eth0
-F 100baseTx
Setting the speed to "fixed", Control register 2100.
Basic registers of MII PHY #32:  2100 780d 0000 0000 05e1 0000 0000
0000.
 Basic mode control register 0x2100: Auto-negotiation disabled, with
 Speed fixed at 100 mbps, full-duplex.
 You have link beat, and everything is working OK.
 Link partner information is not exchanged when in fixed speed mode.
   End of basic transceiver information.
 
debian:/usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.19pre17/drivers/net#
debian:/usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.19pre17/drivers/net# ./mii-diag eth0
-F 100baseTx-FDX
Invalid media advertisement '100baseTx-FDX'.
Basic registers of MII PHY #32:  2100 780d 0000 0000 05e1 0000 0000
0000.
 Basic mode control register 0x2100: Auto-negotiation disabled, with
 Speed fixed at 100 mbps, full-duplex.
 You have link beat, and everything is working OK.
 Link partner information is not exchanged when in fixed speed mode.
   End of basic transceiver information.

Now I'm really confused - Any help greatly appreciated.

> Donald Becker                           becker@scyld.com
> Scyld Computing Corporation             http://www.scyld.com
> 410 Severn Ave. Suite 210               Second Generation Beowulf Clusters
> Annapolis MD 21403                      410-990-9993

-- 

Regards, John