[CentOS] Problem with ethernet card: r8169.

Fri May 4 11:38:30 UTC 2012
Rafał Radecki <radecki.rafal at gmail.com>

Hi all.

I have two servers
2.6.18-308.4.1.el5PAE
CentOS release 5.7 (Final)
Both have two external gigabit network cards (installed Planet with
Realtek  r8169 chipset).

lspci

04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8169
Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
04:01.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8169
Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)

/var/log/messages

May  3 15:00:22 ms7a kernel: r8169: eth1: link up
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: irq 177: nobody cared (try booting with the
"irqpoll" option)
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c044ea52>] __report_bad_irq+0x2b/0x69
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c044ec49>] note_interrupt+0x1b9/0x1f0
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c044e339>] __do_IRQ+0xdd/0x118
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c044e25c>] __do_IRQ+0x0/0x118
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c04074c4>] do_IRQ+0x9b/0xc3
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c040597a>] common_interrupt+0x1a/0x20
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c05339f3>]
acpi_processor_idle_simple+0x174/0x297
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c0522a21>] acpi_set_register+0x14c/0x155
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<c0403d14>] cpu_idle+0x9f/0xb9
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: =======================
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: handlers:
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: [<f89710d9>] (rtl8169_interrupt+0x0/0x232
[r8169])
May  3 16:05:27 ms7a kernel: Disabling IRQ #177

May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: irq 177: nobody cared (try booting with the
"irqpoll" option)
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c044ee5a>] __report_bad_irq+0x2b/0x69
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c044f051>] note_interrupt+0x1b9/0x1f0
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c044e741>] __do_IRQ+0xdd/0x118
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c044e664>] __do_IRQ+0x0/0x118
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c04074c4>] do_IRQ+0x9b/0xc3
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c040597a>] common_interrupt+0x1a/0x20
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05f3518>] tcp_rcv_established+0x77c/0x784
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05c117e>] skb_checksum+0x52/0x282
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05f8522>] tcp_v4_do_rcv+0x25/0x2b6
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05faa9a>] tcp_v4_rcv+0x8e9/0x93b
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05e21e1>] ip_local_deliver+0x15b/0x206
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05e204c>] ip_rcv+0x47f/0x4b9
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05c6aea>] netif_receive_skb+0x3dd/0x401
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<f89828c2>] rtl8169_rx_interrupt+0x4be/0x4cd
[r8169]
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<f898516d>] rtl8169_poll_compat+0x48/0x19f
[r8169]
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c05c8923>] net_rx_action+0x9c/0x19c
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c042ad55>] __do_softirq+0x87/0x114
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c04073e5>] do_softirq+0x4e/0x92
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c044e664>] __do_IRQ+0x0/0x118
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c04074e0>] do_IRQ+0xb7/0xc3
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c040597a>] common_interrupt+0x1a/0x20
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c0534c17>]
acpi_processor_idle_simple+0x0/0x2e5
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c053452b>] acpi_safe_halt+0x14/0x20
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c0534ced>]
acpi_processor_idle_simple+0xd6/0x2e5
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c0523db9>] <6>NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth1:
transmit timed out
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: acpi_set_register+0x14c/0x155
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<c0403d14>] cpu_idle+0x9f/0xb9
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: =======================
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: handlers:
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: [<f89830d9>] (rtl8169_interrupt+0x0/0x232
[r8169])
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: Disabling IRQ #177
May  4 12:46:03 ms7b kernel: r8169: eth1: link up

I have random network connectivity problems only reboot helps for some
time, then the problem returns.

I've added irqpoll option to kernel line in grub.conf but it hasn't helped.
I've checked options in bios but haven't found anything interesting.

Any clues what to do next?

Best regards,
Rafal Radecki.