[vortex] 3c905 Problem - Please Help

[Timo Boettcher]

Hi List,
 I'm having some trouble with 3Com 3c905-Cards (namely a 3c905B-TX and
 a 3c905c-TX-M) in one of my Systems.

 During times of high load on the netword-card, I get errors like:
 
======================begin paste======================
eth0: Transmit error, Tx status register 82.
Probably a duplex mismatch.  See Documentation/networking/vortex.txt
  Flags; bus-master 1, dirty 280(8) current 280(8)
  Transmit list 00000000 vs. c1824400.
  0: @c1824200  length 800005ea status 000105ea
  1: @c1824240  length 800000f8 status 000100f8
  2: @c1824280  length 8000009a status 0001009a
  3: @c18242c0  length 8000009a status 0001009a
  4: @c1824300  length 8000009a status 0001009a
  5: @c1824340  length 800005ea status 000105ea
  6: @c1824380  length 800005ea status 000105ea
  7: @c18243c0  length 800005ea status 800105ea
  8: @c1824400  length 8000005a status 0001005a
  9: @c1824440  length 80000042 status 00010042
  10: @c1824480  length 8000009a status 0001009a
  11: @c18244c0  length 80000042 status 00010042
  12: @c1824500  length 800005ea status 000105ea
  13: @c1824540  length 800000f8 status 000100f8
  14: @c1824580  length 80000042 status 00010042
  15: @c18245c0  length 8000009a status 0001009a
=======================end paste=======================

 Depending on network-load, I get this up to two times per second,
 on the active console, even if I am not logged in.


 vortex.txt says:
"This is a common error which is almost always caused by another host on
the same network being in full-duplex mode, while this host is in
half-duplex mode..."

 Since the System in question is running Half-duplex (see below),
 and it is connected to a Hub (Netgear DS108) which is afaik only able
 to do HalfDuplex anyway, this should not be the problem.

[root@server /root]# mii-tool -v
eth0: negotiated 100baseTx-HD, link ok
  product info: vendor 00:10:18, model 18 rev 0
  basic mode:   autonegotiation enabled
  basic status: autonegotiation complete, link ok
  capabilities: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD
  advertising:  100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD
  link partner: 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-HD


 I'm running Redhat 7.1, updating the kernel to the versions 2.4.9,
 2.4.10, 2.4.12, 2.4.13 (2.4.14 didn't compile with some error-message
 with the loopback-device), and the error occurs regardless whether I
 build the driver in the kernel or as a module. The network card
 *seems* to be working correctly in another machine with Win2k.
 
 Here some additional Information. I would happily dig up more and
 send it to you if that would help you to help me.
 

[root@server /root]# dmesg
[snip]===================
3c59x: Donald Becker and others. www.scyld.com/network/vortex.html
00:0a.0: 3Com PCI 3c905B Cyclone 100baseTx at 0xe800. Vers LK1.1.16
[snap]===================
[root@server /root]# lspci -vx
[snip]===================
00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone] (rev 64
)
        Subsystem: 3Com Corporation 3C905B Fast Etherlink XL 10/100
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        I/O ports at e800 [size=128]
        Memory at e3000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128]
        Expansion ROM at e2000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1
00: b7 10 55 90 07 00 10 02 64 00 00 02 08 40 00 00
10: 01 e8 00 00 00 00 00 e3 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
20: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 b7 10 55 90
30: 00 00 00 e2 dc 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0b 01 0a 0a
[snap]===================

[root@server /root]# ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:50:DA:34:24:46
          inet addr:192.168.0.54  Bcast:192.168.0.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:462 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:444 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
          Interrupt:11 Base address:0xe800

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:6 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:6 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0


Please Help!
Thanks in advance.
  
 Timo