[realtek] RTL8100B support

Orlando Andico orly@mozcom.com
Tue Oct 8 23:59:01 2002


On Tue, 8 Oct 2002, Donald Becker wrote:
..
> > I notice that both modules have to be loaded for the ethernet
> > interface to work.
> 
> This should not be true.  Either one should work alone.

It's true.  :)

If both interfaces are 8139too, I get a SIOCGIFFLAGS: No such device when
I try to bring up eth0. HOwever if eth0 is eepro100 and eth1 is 8139too,
both interfaces come up (with the sickness of the eth1 being unable to do
anything, although it can correctly detect link state).

if both are eepro100, then eth0 works as normal, eth1 still does not work 
(same case as above).

..
> That's curious.  Which NIC isn't working?  Which driver version are you
> using with that NIC?

It's the 2nd NIC, eth1. Whether that NIC is "configured" as an 8139too or 
an eepro100, it doesn't work -- it works "enough" that 'mii-tool -w' can 
properly detect link state, and I can ping the interface, but that's all.

I don't think this is hardware: I have two identical Sinetic I-Net PC 
1000's here and they both have the same problem.

The driver version is 0.9.26 from 2.4.20-pre9 (hmm.. the version from 
gkernel.sourceforge.net is also 0.9.26 but I can't build it outside the 
kernel tree).

(as an aside, the alternate 8139C+ driver in 2.4.20-pre9 does *not* work 
with this particular incarnation)

I've also tried the rtl8139 driver as you suggested. If I set both NIC's 
as rtl8139, eth1 fails to initialize (no such driver). Regardless, the 
drivers always report a "transmit timeout" -- and, it doesn't work anyway 
(can't ping). 'mii-tool -w' says "autonegotiation failed, link ok" whereas 
with the 8139too driver it works fine.


---
Orlando Andico <orly@mozcom.com>
Mosaic Communications, Inc.