[1496] in linux-net channel archive
Re: Ether Net Messages!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Roman Dolejsi)
Thu Dec 7 08:07:42 1995
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 08:36:17 +0100 (GMT+0100)
From: Roman Dolejsi <roman@sorry.vse.cz>
To: Tom Vrana <tom@sorry.vse.cz>
Cc: RetsaM <retsam@pharcyde.sluh.edu>, linux-net@vger.rutgers.edu
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.91.951205114251.11629A-100000@sorry.vse.cz>
On Tue, 5 Dec 1995, Tom Vrana wrote:
>
>
>
> > I am constantly getting some eithernet messages that I would like to
> > get resolved. Im running a P90 with 16 megs of ram and a 3Com 3c509
> > ethernet card. My Kern version is 1.2.9.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Jacque Bussey
> >
> > /var/adm/messages:
> >
> > Dec 1 12:50:57 pharcyde kernel: eth0: transmit timed out, tx_status 00
> > status 2002.
>
>
> We've been getting the same kind of crap on our machine with 3c509 &
> DX4/100. The problem is the card is not fast enough.... Now we changed to
> a SMC ultra and it runs ok. The solution for you is to get a better card.
>
> Tom
>
I think the problem is not that 3c509 is "slow" but has small I/O
buffers. When the buffer is full interrupt is generated. And when you run
something like TCP/IP router, IPX NDS, Appletalk Fileserver and
Appletalk router (like we're running) you probably get much much more
interrups that linux is able to service. You probably could get also a
message "missed interrupt" which often occurs in these cases. The Tom's
solution is clear: get a ethernet card with large buffers (about 16k or
32k) - the WD80x3 have probably 16k or 32k (i don't know exactly), the SMC's
have 32k, also some new jumperless NE2000 have 32k. Try these...
Roman
