Kernel 2.6.9 Question w/4port Ethernet Card & MII Transceivers

Kernel 2.6.9 Question w/4port Ethernet Card & MII Transceivers

[Justin Piszcz]

Question regarding the warnings, it appears to find a MII transceiver but 
then it warns saying it does not?

What does this mean?

Is it a problem?

If it is not using a HW tranceiver, does this cause a loss in performance?

Description:

eth0 = built-in 3com
eth[1-4] = adaptec 4 port nic

Output from lspci:

00:11.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone] 
(rev 24)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage Pro AGP 
1X/2X (rev 5c)
02:04.0 Ethernet controller: Digital Equipment Corporation DECchip 21140 
[FasterNet] (rev 22)
02:05.0 Ethernet controller: Digital Equipment Corporation DECchip 21140 
[FasterNet] (rev 22)
02:06.0 Ethernet controller: Digital Equipment Corporation DECchip 21140 
[FasterNet] (rev 22)
02:07.0 Ethernet controller: Digital Equipment Corporation DECchip 21140 
[FasterNet] (rev 22)

Checking /proc/interrupts:
# cat /proc/interrupts
            CPU0
   0:    1082113          XT-PIC  timer
   1:          8          XT-PIC  i8042
   2:          0          XT-PIC  cascade
   5:          0          XT-PIC  Crystal audio controller
   8:          1          XT-PIC  rtc
   9:          0          XT-PIC  acpi
  11:       3624          XT-PIC  uhci_hcd, eth0, eth1, eth2, eth3, eth4
  12:         66          XT-PIC  i8042
  14:       2794          XT-PIC  ide0
  15:         18          XT-PIC  ide1
NMI:          0
LOC:          0
ERR:          0
MIS:          0


Kernel 2.6.9 dmesg:

Linux Tulip driver version 1.1.13-NAPI (May 11, 2002)
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:04.0[A] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
tulip0:  EEPROM default media type Autosense.
tulip0:  Index #0 - Media MII (#11) described by a 21140 MII PHY (1) 
block.
tulip0: ***WARNING***: No MII transceiver found!
eth1: Digital DS21140 Tulip rev 34 at 0xd4858c00, 00:00:D1:20:35:50, IRQ 
11.
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:05.0[A] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
tulip1:  Controller 1 of multiport board.
tulip1:  EEPROM default media type Autosense.
tulip1:  Index #0 - Media MII (#11) described by a 21140 MII PHY (1) 
block.
tulip1: ***WARNING***: No MII transceiver found!
eth2: Digital DS21140 Tulip rev 34 at 0xd485a800, EEPROM not present, 
00:00:D1:20:35:51, IRQ 11.
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:06.0[A] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
tulip2:  Controller 2 of multiport board.
tulip2:  EEPROM default media type Autosense.
tulip2:  Index #0 - Media MII (#11) described by a 21140 MII PHY (1) 
block.
tulip2: ***WARNING***: No MII transceiver found!
eth3: Digital DS21140 Tulip rev 34 at 0xd485c400, EEPROM not present, 
00:00:D1:20:35:52, IRQ 11.
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:07.0[A] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
tulip3:  Controller 3 of multiport board.
tulip3:  EEPROM default media type Autosense.
tulip3:  Index #0 - Media MII (#11) described by a 21140 MII PHY (1) 
block.
tulip3: ***WARNING***: No MII transceiver found!
eth4: Digital DS21140 Tulip rev 34 at 0xd485e000, EEPROM not present, 
00:00:D1:20:35:53, IRQ 11.
eth0: no IPv6 routers present
eth1: no IPv6 routers present
eth4: Setting full-duplex based on MII#1 link partner capability of 45e1.
eth2: no IPv6 routers present
eth4: no IPv6 routers present
eth3: no IPv6 routers present

Re: Kernel 2.6.9 Question w/4port Ethernet Card & MII Transceivers

[Michael Hunold]

Hi,

I'm experiencing the same problems, see:
http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0409.0/0565.html

On 23.11.2004 14:02, Justin Piszcz wrote:
> Question regarding the warnings, it appears to find a MII transceiver 
> but then it warns saying it does not?

I'm having the same problem with a 2port card. After a cold boot, the 
transceivers are not found and I need to do a reset. Afterwards, 
everything is fine.

> Is it a problem?

For me, yes. I'm using one port to connect to my adsl provider. After a 
cold boot, this fails.

> If it is not using a HW tranceiver, does this cause a loss in performance?

I don't know.

Can you try to reboot the machine and see if the problem goes away (ie. 
the transceivers are found)?

Do you have a 2.4 kernel where the card works after a cold boot?

So far nobody has come up with a solution and I don't reboot the machine 
that often. But it's "good" to know that I'm not alone with the problem. ;-(

CU
Michael.

Re: Kernel 2.6.9 Question w/4port Ethernet Card & MII Transceivers

[Justin Piszcz]

Enabling the MII module/driver before loading the tulip board fixes the 
problem; I was curious what is the difference of the following:

1) No MII in physical HW and no SW driver loaded (mii module/driver)
2) No MMI in physical HW and sw driver loaded (what I have now, no warnings)
3) An MII in physical HW and no SW driver (better performance?)

I have not tried it with kernel 2.4.x.

To fix it, just make sure mii gets loaded before the tulip driver, or 
compile both of them in and you will not get the warnings.



On Wed, 24 Nov 2004, Michael Hunold wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm experiencing the same problems, see:
> http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0409.0/0565.html
>
> On 23.11.2004 14:02, Justin Piszcz wrote:
>> Question regarding the warnings, it appears to find a MII transceiver but 
>> then it warns saying it does not?
>
> I'm having the same problem with a 2port card. After a cold boot, the 
> transceivers are not found and I need to do a reset. Afterwards, everything 
> is fine.
>
>> Is it a problem?
>
> For me, yes. I'm using one port to connect to my adsl provider. After a cold 
> boot, this fails.
>
>> If it is not using a HW tranceiver, does this cause a loss in performance?
>
> I don't know.
>
> Can you try to reboot the machine and see if the problem goes away (ie. the 
> transceivers are found)?
>
> Do you have a 2.4 kernel where the card works after a cold boot?
>
> So far nobody has come up with a solution and I don't reboot the machine that 
> often. But it's "good" to know that I'm not alone with the problem. ;-(
>
> CU
> Michael.
>