[vortex] 3Com 3c59x driver problem

[Robert Perry]

I believe there is a problem with the RedHat version of the 3Com driver
3c59x.c, or I don’t have it set up properly.

I have a Dell Inspiron 8000 w/ docking station.  I’m running WinME and
RedHat 7.1.  WinME network functions run as expected, and reports the
docking station chip to be "3Com 3c920 (3c905c-tx compatible)".  Linux
runs, but everything network related is painfully slow.  When starting
telnet or ftp functions, the system will hang for 2-3 minutes before
finally making the connection.  During ftp operations, the screen is
streaming messages and, what appears to be, register dumps.  The message
indicates something to do with "bus mastering".  When it finally
completes, the data appears to be intact.  None of the above happens
when I use my pcmcia network card ("NETGEAR") in the same environment.

I found the 3Com version of the Linux driver (3c90x-1.0.0), but it was
written for Linux 2.2, and I don’t know enough to make the changes to
cover 2.4.

If there is anything in the update or patch pipeline that might help the
above problem I would appreciate the information.


The following seems to be the relateded information from
/var/log/messages;

Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel: 3c59x.c:LK1.1.13 27 Jan 2001  Donald
Becker and others. http://www.scyld.com/network/vortex.html
Sep 23 15:22:28 localhost kudzu: Updating /etc/fstab succeeded
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel: See
Documentation/networking/vortex.txt
Sep 23 15:22:39 localhost kudzu:  succeeded
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel: eth0: 3Com PCI 3c905C Tornado at
0xe880,  00:b0:d0:a6:4a:55, IRQ 10
Sep 23 15:22:39 localhost sysctl: net.ipv4.ip_forward = 0
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel:   product code 0000 rev 00.14 date
06-08-00
Sep 23 15:22:39 localhost sysctl: net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel:   8K byte-wide RAM 5:3 Rx:Tx split,
autoselect/Autonegotiate interface.
Sep 23 15:22:39 localhost sysctl: kernel.sysrq = 0
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel:   MII transceiver found at address 24,
status 782d.
Sep 23 15:22:39 localhost network: Setting network parameters:
succeeded
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel:   Enabling bus-master transmits and
whole-frame receives.
Sep 23 15:22:40 localhost network: Bringing up interface lo:  succeeded
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel: eth0: scatter/gather disabled. h/w
checksums enabled
Sep 23 15:22:40 localhost ifup: Determining IP information for eth0...
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel: eth0: using NWAY device table, not 8
Sep 23 15:22:40 localhost pumpd[414]: starting at (uptime 0 days,
0:00:35) Sun Sep 23 15:22:40 2001
Sep 23 15:23:32 localhost kernel: eth0: using NWAY device table, not 8


Bob Perry
Arlington, Tx

rfperry@attglobal.net