3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Ronny T. Lampert (EED)]

Hello,

I'm having (reproducable) problems with the 3c59x driver; after a while
(depends on card/traffic), the card doesn't send nor receive anymore.

I had 3c905B and 3c905C series, both affected. I did also change
mainboard-slots.
My current card is identifying as:
00:0c.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX [Fast Etherlink]
(rev 74)
        Subsystem: 3Com Corporation 3C905C-TX Fast Etherlink for PC
Management NIC
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        I/O ports at e800 [size=128]
        Memory at ed000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128]
        Expansion ROM at ec000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

Kernels were
o RH 7.2 stock (2.4.7)
o 2.4.17 (custom, driver builtin) (after a while)
o 2.4.18 (custom, driver builtin) (depending on traffic, last time:
[ifconfig output after the device is frozen]
          RX packets:249782 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:94 frame:0
          TX packets:32712 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100 
          RX bytes:49988234 (47.6 Mb)  TX bytes:8716361 (8.3 Mb)

2.2.19 worked fine.
gcc -v is gcc version 2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.1 2.96-98) (std
from RH 7.2; no 'kgcc' available)
I saw no changes in 2.4.19*, so I went out asking you :)

Machine is a K6-2 500 via a VIA MVP3 chipset, Shuttle mainboard (if that
matters).

If you do a /etc/init.d/network restart (or ifconfig eth0 down ;
ifconfig eth0 ... up), the card works again.
dmesg is not reporting anything.
I also did force the card to using fixed 100BaseTx-FD, didn't change
anything.

If you need further information or more testing please say so.
Please also include me on CC.
Thanks.
-- 
Ronny T. Lampert		email: Ronny.Lampert@eed.ericsson.se
System Administrator		voice: +49 911 255 1214
Ericsson Eurolab Deutschland	fax:   +49 911 255 1960
Nuernberg, Germany

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Scott McDermott]

Ronny T. Lampert (EED) on Fri 31/05 17:34 +0200:
> I'm having (reproducable) problems with the 3c59x driver; after a
> while (depends on card/traffic), the card doesn't send nor receive
> anymore.

- are you using netfilter?

- cat /proc/net/dev, what does the fifo counter say when iface hung?

- it degrades over time and only after quite a bit of data pumped
  through it does it hang right? and slowly decreasing throughput right?

- I feel much better to know someone else has this bug! I thought sure I
  was crazy since I did not hear of this problem from anyone else and
  905B is very common card.

> o RH 7.2 stock (2.4.7)

wait this worked or didn't? for me 2.4.7 works fine, 2.4.17 does not.

> If you do a /etc/init.d/network restart (or ifconfig eth0 down ;
> ifconfig eth0 ... up), the card works again.

yep, same thing here...I was to try 2.4.7 3c59x.c with otherwise recent
kernel but have not got around to this yet...

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Zwane Mwaikambo]

hmm i can't say i'm experiencing any problems, perhaps this might help;

On Fri, 31 May 2002, Scott McDermott wrote:

> Ronny T. Lampert (EED) on Fri 31/05 17:34 +0200:
> > I'm having (reproducable) problems with the 3c59x driver; after a
> > while (depends on card/traffic), the card doesn't send nor receive
> > anymore.
> 
> - are you using netfilter?

Yep

> - it degrades over time and only after quite a bit of data pumped
>   through it does it hang right? and slowly decreasing throughput right?

Stays consistent, 60+ day uptime.

> - I feel much better to know someone else has this bug! I thought sure I
>   was crazy since I did not hear of this problem from anyone else and
>   905B is very common card.

You might have to plead insanity ;)

> > o RH 7.2 stock (2.4.7)
> 
> wait this worked or didn't? for me 2.4.7 works fine, 2.4.17 does not.

iirc stock RH7.2 and RH7.3 worked fine.

> yep, same thing here...I was to try 2.4.7 3c59x.c with otherwise recent
> kernel but have not got around to this yet...

I'm running 2.4.18-pre7-ac1, 2.4.19-pre8-ac(can't recall), all the boxes 
transfer 2G+ of data a day (home network). IIRC i've been using those 
cards since 2.4.2ish almost without skipping any version updates.

Cards are 3c905B on i440BX, SIS5595 and ServerWorks CNB20LE

I hope this information is of some use to you.

Regards,
	Zwane

-- 
http://function.linuxpower.ca
		

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Helge Hafting]

"Ronny T. Lampert (EED)" wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I'm having (reproducable) problems with the 3c59x driver; after a while
> (depends on card/traffic), the card doesn't send nor receive anymore.
> 
I see this too.  I always thought it was the less-than-perfect ABIT BP6
loosing an irq or something.  (odd that it _always_ is the NIC that goes
though...)  I also have a k6 with the same NIC, and another
UP machine at work.  They never fail this way.
Could it be a SMP problem?

> If you do a /etc/init.d/network restart (or ifconfig eth0 down ;
> ifconfig eth0 ... up), the card works again.

That never helped me - "shutdown -r now" is my way to recovery.
The card driver is compiled in, perhaps I should try 
making it modular and unload/reload.

Helge Hafting

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Zwane Mwaikambo]

On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Helge Hafting wrote:

> I see this too.  I always thought it was the less-than-perfect ABIT BP6
> loosing an irq or something.  (odd that it _always_ is the NIC that goes
> though...)  I also have a k6 with the same NIC, and another
> UP machine at work.  They never fail this way.
> Could it be a SMP problem?

I wouldn't think so, i use it on SMP extensively without a hitch.

Cheers,
	Zwane

-- 
http://function.linuxpower.ca
		

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[john slee]

On Mon, Jun 03, 2002 at 10:51:34AM +0200, Zwane Mwaikambo wrote:
> On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Helge Hafting wrote:
> 
> > I see this too.  I always thought it was the less-than-perfect ABIT BP6
> > loosing an irq or something.  (odd that it _always_ is the NIC that goes
> > though...)  I also have a k6 with the same NIC, and another
> > UP machine at work.  They never fail this way.
> > Could it be a SMP problem?
> 
> I wouldn't think so, i use it on SMP extensively without a hitch.

"me too" - have been using 3c905B cards in various SMP (and UP) boxes
for a couple of years now and they've never failed me, even on bp6.  in
fact i seem to have missed out on the plague of bp6 problems, even when
running dual 300a overclocked to 450.  strange.

j.

-- 
toyota power: http://indigoid.net/

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Joe Korty]

At 09:59 AM 6/3/02 +0200, Helge Hafting wrote:
>"Ronny T. Lampert (EED)" wrote:
>
> > I'm having (reproducable) problems with the 3c59x driver; after a while
> > (depends on card/traffic), the card doesn't send nor receive anymore.
> >
>I see this too.  I always thought it was the less-than-perfect ABIT BP6
>loosing an irq or something.  (odd that it _always_ is the NIC that goes
>though...)  I also have a k6 with the same NIC, and another
>UP machine at work.  They never fail this way.
>Could it be a SMP problem?



Try increasing max_interrupt_work from 32 to 128 (located in 
drivers/net/3c59x.c).
Joe

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Andrew Morton]

john slee wrote:
> 
> On Mon, Jun 03, 2002 at 10:51:34AM +0200, Zwane Mwaikambo wrote:
> > On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Helge Hafting wrote:
> >
> > > I see this too.  I always thought it was the less-than-perfect ABIT BP6
> > > loosing an irq or something.  (odd that it _always_ is the NIC that goes
> > > though...)  I also have a k6 with the same NIC, and another
> > > UP machine at work.  They never fail this way.
> > > Could it be a SMP problem?
> >
> > I wouldn't think so, i use it on SMP extensively without a hitch.
> 
> "me too" - have been using 3c905B cards in various SMP (and UP) boxes
> for a couple of years now and they've never failed me, even on bp6.  in
> fact i seem to have missed out on the plague of bp6 problems, even when
> running dual 300a overclocked to 450.  strange.
> 

That driver is solid for SMP.  It's possible that the BP6
is losing its IRQ routing assignments, or the APIC is
getting stuck.  We had extensive problems with that last
year.  A workaround was implemented and as far as I can tell,
the problem went away.

It seems to affect network cards most because they typically
generate the most interrupts.

Try booting the machine with the `noapic' option.

-

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[François Cami]

Andrew Morton wrote:
> john slee wrote:
> 
>>On Mon, Jun 03, 2002 at 10:51:34AM +0200, Zwane Mwaikambo wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Helge Hafting wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I see this too.  I always thought it was the less-than-perfect ABIT BP6
>>>>loosing an irq or something.  (odd that it _always_ is the NIC that goes
>>>>though...)  I also have a k6 with the same NIC, and another
>>>>UP machine at work.  They never fail this way.
>>>>Could it be a SMP problem?
>>>
>>>I wouldn't think so, i use it on SMP extensively without a hitch.
>>
>>"me too" - have been using 3c905B cards in various SMP (and UP) boxes
>>for a couple of years now and they've never failed me, even on bp6.  in
>>fact i seem to have missed out on the plague of bp6 problems, even when
>>running dual 300a overclocked to 450.  strange.
>>
> 
> 
> That driver is solid for SMP.  It's possible that the BP6
> is losing its IRQ routing assignments, or the APIC is
> getting stuck.  We had extensive problems with that last
> year.  A workaround was implemented and as far as I can tell,
> the problem went away.
> 
> It seems to affect network cards most because they typically
> generate the most interrupts.
> 
> Try booting the machine with the `noapic' option.

If I remember correctly, back in January we (we being Andrew Morton
and myself) talked about my 3C905C-TX not willing to share an
interrupt with my SBLive!...

I've spotted the same problem, this time sharing an interrupt
between my 3C905C-TX and an Intel i82559 10/100 ethernet
controller (kernel is 2.4.19pre7).

The situation is a bit different : using the 3C905C with the
SBLive! resulted in a total lock-up of the machine, whereas using both
network cards usually generate network timeouts and weird errors.

Putting the cards in separate (meaning different IRQ lines) PCI
slots solved the problem (same solution than between 3C905 and
SBLive!). All 3 cards are now working perfectly, at the same time.

Motherboard is MSI BXMaster (i440BX).

-- 

F. CAMI
----------------------------------------------------------
  "To disable the Internet to save EMI and Disney is the
moral equivalent of burning down the library of Alexandria
to ensure the livelihood of monastic scribes."
               - John Ippolito (Guggenheim)

Re: 3c59x driver: card not responding after a while

[Ronny T. Lampert (EED)]

Hi,

> > That driver is solid for SMP.  It's possible that the BP6
> > is losing its IRQ routing assignments, or the APIC is
> > getting stuck.  We had extensive problems with that last
...
> > It seems to affect network cards most because they typically
> > generate the most interrupts.
> > Try booting the machine with the `noapic' option.
Even on an UP and no-MP-capable K6? IMHO this won't help (at least
myself).
 
> and myself) talked about my 3C905C-TX not willing to share an
> interrupt with my SBLive!...
> I've spotted the same problem, this time sharing an interrupt
> between my 3C905C-TX and an Intel i82559 10/100 ethernet
> controller (kernel is 2.4.19pre7).
I forgot to mention that there is only the 3c905 and a gfxcard (AGP) in
the box, no interrupts shared - I THOUGHT!
Then a quick lspci -v revealed both sharing IRQ 11. Will try to reassign
IRQs.

Thank you! :-)
Hope this is solved.
-- 
Ronny T. Lampert		email: Ronny.Lampert@eed.ericsson.se
System Administrator		voice: +49 911 255 1214
Ericsson Eurolab Deutschland	fax:   +49 911 255 1960
Nuernberg, Germany