[CentOS] Failing Network card

[Gregory P. Ennis]

> Gregory P. Ennis wrote:
> <snip>
>> I have been chasing a problem with a pci-e TrendNet(TEG-ECTX) gigabit
>> card.  After adding the card to a machine with a new Centos 6.2 install
>> and naming it 'eth4' it works well for 6 to 12 hours and then fails.
>> The failure is characterized by dropping its connection speed from 1000
>> to 100 while not allowing any data to flow in or out.  When this happens
>> a shutdown and reboot does not solve the problem, but shutting down and
>> then removing the power does solve the problem.
> <snip>
>> Some additional information that may be useful.  The TrendNet card is
>> the second TrendNet card I have used.  The first card had the same
>> symptoms, and I deduced the card was bad, and purchased another one. The
>> symptoms are the same with the second card.
> <snip>
> Several questions: do you have another machine on the same network? Does
> *it* show the problem, around the same time?
>
> And, finally, did you buy both TrendNet cards from the same vendor? Are
> their MACs close? If so, it could be the vendor got a bad batch, either
> OEM's fault, or the gorilla who un/loaded it during shipping.
>
>         mark
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Mark,
>
> I have several machines on that network, and only one machine is having
> the problem.  The machine is being used as a mail server, web server,
> and gateway for the network.  After this problem surfaced with the
> failure of the eth4 card (internal network), I created a gateway out of
> one of the other machines that is working without incident.
>
> I did purchase both TrendNet Cards from Fry's.  Fry's was good about
> taking the first one back without question, but now that the second one
> has failed, I thought it best to look deeper.  I don't have the previous
> card's MAC address, but my first thought was that this was a bad card
> too. Both the first and second cards did not appear to have any damage
> on the boxes or the card itself.  Before I tried to get a third card
> from a different manufacturer I wanted to post things here to see if
> there was an obvious problem I am missing.
>
> Thanks for your help!!!
>
> Greg
>
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If you are having to fully 'cold boot' the system before it will work 
again I can't help but wonder if it is a conflict between special 
motherboard functions/settings and the card. I've seen this with some 
high end video cards under Winders. I am totally speculating here and 
have nothing to draw from, but wake on lan functions and such.... just 
leaves me wondering. Do you have a different machine/motherboard around 
where it wouldn't be hard to set up this testing? Maybe Googling a bit 
on motherboard model and eth card model might give a helpful return?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

John,

That is a good idea !!!

I have appended the output of 'ethtool eth4' below.  Is there a way to
change the wake setting from the command line as opposed to changing the
bios setting at boot.

Greg

Settings for eth4:
        Supported ports: [ TP MII ]
        Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
                                1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full 
        Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
        Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
                                1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full 
        Advertised pause frame use: No
        Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
        Link partner advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
                                             100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
                                             1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full 
        Link partner advertised pause frame use: No
        Link partner advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
        Speed: 1000Mb/s
        Duplex: Full
        Port: MII
        PHYAD: 0
        Transceiver: internal
        Auto-negotiation: on
        Supports Wake-on: pumbg
        Wake-on: pumbg
        Current message level: 0x00000033 (51)
        Link detected: yes