From: Marin Mitov <mitov@issp.bas.bg>
Organization: Institute of Solid State Physics
To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: net: tx timeouts with skge, 8139too, dmfe drivers/NICs
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:36:06 +0200
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On Monday 25 February 2008 10:53:01 pm you wrote:
> Marin Mitov wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I experience very rare freezes at heavy outbound traffic
> > (sending ~4GB DVD image to another host(s) on the same LAN)
> > using skge driver (NIC on the mobo) as well as (recently tested)
> > using rtl8139 or dmfe NICs on the PCI bus. There is a single
> > switch between them (tested with another one just to exclude
> > a faulty switch).
> >
> > skge <--> Marvell 88E8001 chip
> > 8139too <--> Realtek 8136B chip
> > dmfe <--> Davicom DM9102 chip
> >
> > Symptoms are similar: tx timeouts and no more net activity.
> > KDE desktop works, computational programs - work, the machine
> > is usable, but cannot ping, nor can be ping-ed anymore.
> > rmmod && modprobe the respective modules repairs the problem.
> > Simple surfing/e-mailing from it do not trigger the problem.
> >
> > The machine is used as LTSP server for old PCs (as X terminals)
> > (mostly outbound traffic) and is not usable as such due to this
> > problem.
> >
> > The kernel is 2.6.24.2-SMP/x86_32 (PREEMPT or not - NO difference).
> >
> > As far as this happens with 3 different NICs/drivers could it be
> > a problem in the (common for all of them) networking subsystem?
>
> A TX timeout (like hardware timeouts, in general) is a very generic
> behavior, with many causes.
>
> In general, when you see timeouts with varied hardware and drivers,
> you're almost always dealing with a problem with interrupt delivery, or

All the drivers are using #INTA on PCI bus (no MSI/MSI-X).

"problem with interrupt delivery" - you suspect interrupts incorrectly
 disabled (lost) in the drivers or faulty hardware(motherboard)?

> a generic system problem, rather than bugs in the network stack or all

"a generic system problem" - bad config or faulty hardware(motherboard)?

Where I should look for the problem?

Just for info: the system is very stable - uptime (if no power outages) could
be a month or more (rebooting for kernel changes or updates).

Marin Mitov

> three drivers.
>
> 	Jeff
>
>
>
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