peculiar problem with 2.6, 8139too + ACPI

[Robert Fendt]

Hi folks,

I have the following problem: the 8139too driver produces lots of
overruns and is _very_ slow (but strangely not always; the problem seems
to be site-dependant, too). And here is what is weird: if I artifically
raise the system load (e.g. compile a kernel just for fun), the download
speed grows by at least an order of magnitude.

Machine is an Asus M2400N notebook, Centrino-based, 8139-internal (lspci
says rev.10), kernel revisions tested now are 2.6.0, 2.6.3, 2.6.5. I did
not really test 2.6.6 yet, since I am having problems getting the beast
to work correctly. Distribution is Debian/unstable. My home router
(quite an old machine) is not ACPI capable, so it does not show the
problem (see below), and I effectively have only this one 8139-based
system to test.

After some detective work, I have narrowed the problem down to an
apparent conflict between 8139too and the 'processor' module, and
therefore to the ACPI code, which is AFAIK all-new in 2.6. If I rmmod
the module, the network speed is fine, but I lose the option to use the
'thermal' module. The big question is: has anyone an idea whether this
is a bug in the 8139too driver or in the ACPI code (IOW: is the problem
maybe not-too-new after all and I was just too dumb to find it)? Or in
which direction I should look? I am afraid I am no kernel/driver hacker
(but on the other hand not a totally C newbie, either). I just want to
avoid poking around in the dark and crashing my system in the process,
if possible :-)

Regards,
Robert
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