3c900: Transmitter access conflict ???

Marco Bravi (marco@impchim2.ing.uniroma1.it)
Tue, 15 Apr 1997 14:08:34 +0200 (MET DST)


Dear Linuxers,

I am trying to have a 3c900 Combo work with my stock 2.0.28 kernel. I
replaced the original 3c59x.c with the which recognizes my 3c900. See file
header below:

------------start of file header-----------------------------------
/* 3c59x.c: A 3Com 3c59x/3c90x "Vortex/Boomerang" ethernet driver for
linux. */
/*
Written 1995 by Donald Becker.

This software may be used and distributed according to the terms
of the GNU Public License, incorporated herein by reference.

This driver is for the 3Com "Vortex" series ethercards. Members of
the series include the 3c590 PCI EtherLink III and 3c595-Tx PCI Fast
EtherLink.

The author may be reached as becker@CESDIS.gsfc.nasa.gov, or C/O
Center of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences
Code 930.5, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD 20771
*/

static char *version = "3c59x.c:v0.30-all 12/23/96
becker@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov\n";

----------------------end of file header------------------------------

A first problem I had was that the card/kernel did not autosense the use
of the 10base2 port. A quick hack was to hard code the fat that I want to
use that port by setting:

} else {
/* Aaaargh! Horrible Hack!... */
vp->media_override = 3;
/* vp->media_override = 7; */
vp->full_duplex = 0;
vp->bus_master = 0;
}

but then the card was working on 10base2 at system boot:

Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: 3Com EtherLink III: Overriding PCI
latency timer (CFLT) setting of 80, new value is 255.
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: 3Com 3c900 Boomerang 10Mbps/Combo
at 0xe800, 00:a0:24:cc:94:ef, IRQ 11
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: Internal config register is 13302d8,
transceivers 0xe128.
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: 8K word-wide RAM 3:5 Rx:Tx split,
autoselect/10base2 interface.
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: 3c59x.c:v0.30-all 12/23/96
becker@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov
.
.
.
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: Media override to transceiver 3
(10base2).
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: vortex_open() InternalConfig 013302d8.
Apr 14 16:36:19 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: vortex_open() irq 11 media status 4800.

*** NOW THE PROBLEM ***

All work fine for about 2/3 days. The net is heavily loaded as the
machine is running under shared /usr. Suddenly the machine will start to
output this message:

kernel: eth0: Transmitter access conflict.

And the machine is practically blocked (due to the shared /usr). Upon
reboot and inspection of /var/log/messages, the critical section lists:

----------exc. from /var/log/messages-----------------------
Apr 11 09:56:05 pcainf4 kernel: NFS server 151.100.11.127 not responding,
still trying. <<<=== our net at times does not work well
Apr 11 09:56:32 pcainf4 kernel: NFS server 151.100.11.127 OK. <<== recovered
Apr 12 01:02:47 pcainf4 rnews: cant open_remote Connection refused
Apr 13 01:02:47 pcainf4 rnews: cant open_remote Connection refused
Apr 14 01:02:46 pcainf4 rnews: cant open_remote Connection refused
Apr 14 11:02:27 pcainf4 login: 1 FAILED LOGINS FROM pcainf1 FOR bettoni,
Authentication failure
Apr 14 11:47:03 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: Transmitter access conflict. <= PROBLEM
Apr 14 11:47:05 pcainf4 last message repeated 6 times <= PROBLEM CONTINUES...
Apr 14 11:47:07 pcainf4 kernel: NFS server 151.100.11.60 not responding,
still trying.
Apr 14 11:47:07 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: Transmitter access conflict.
Apr 14 11:47:39 pcainf4 last message repeated 26 times
Apr 14 11:47:44 pcainf4 last message repeated 7 times
Apr 14 11:47:44 pcainf4 kernel: NFS server 151.100.11.127 not responding,
still trying.
Apr 14 11:47:44 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: Transmitter access conflict.
Apr 14 11:48:02 pcainf4 last message repeated 10 times
Apr 14 11:48:05 pcainf4 kernel: NFS server 151.100.11.127 not responding,
still trying.
Apr 14 11:48:14 pcainf4 kernel: eth0: Transmitter access conflict.
Apr 14 11:48:48 pcainf4 last message repeated 10 times
Apr 14 11:49:04 pcainf4 last message repeated 6 times
------------end of excerpt---------------------------

Please, help me shed light on this problem!

Thanks in advance,

Marco

------------------------------+
Marco Bravi |
Dip. Ing. Chimica M. M. P. M. |
via Eudossiana, 18 | Phone #: (+39) (6) 44584780
I - 00184 Roma | Fax#: (+39) (6) 4837453 - 44585519