Re: [vox-tech] Mandrake 8.0 and ADSL

["Ashwini Raina" <arainMAPSa@ucdavis.edu>]

Thanks for the reply Foo. I will reply in detail but I tried out both configurations: the DHCP and the static config. Btw, my setup is similar to yours, static ip 192.168.0.5 and gateway is 192.168.0.1 and DNS is 168.150.253.2 and subnet is 255.255.255.0

 

I think the issue here is something different than IPs and DNS. I can ping sites fine, but with heavy packet loss. Hell, I can't even telnet/web browser into my router without a period of long delay. So there is something wrong with the NIC/router interface.

 

 

In any sort of data transfer, this is what kills me:

 

Foo:           RX packets:10679 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

Ashwini:    RX packets:10679 errors:2963 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 (an example).

 

Someone sugegsted the following:

 

[quote]

apparently the FA311/FA312 may require installing different drivers than supplied with kernel 2.4. You'll need to verify that Mandrake is loading the appropriate driver and it is the correct version. The driver is "natsemi" and version 1.07 or later is required.

If you don't have the correct driver, you'll need to update (I had same problem with Intel motherboard NIC until kernel 2.4 was released).

Here is how to quickly check:
user> su -
password:
root% lspci
this returns all PCI devices, look for the Ethernet card
root% lsmod
this returns all loaded modules, you should see natsemi
root% modprobe -c | grep eth0
you should see alias eth0 natsemi

Now if you have natsemi displayed in the output of "lsmod" you may not have the correct v1.07 driver.

On my SuSE (kernel 2.4.4-4GB) this directory:
/lib/modules/2.4.4-4GB/kernel/driver/net
contains natsemi.o. Find the correct directory (you can use find file), change to the directory and type:
root% strings natsemi.o|grep natsemi.c
I get version 1.07, which is the correct version. I don't know the exact directory location for Mandrake 8.

According to Netgear support site, you need to install the correct drivers for kernel 2.4:
"The chipset used in the FA311/FA312 is National Semiconductor. Installation instruction for NICs with this chipset can also be found at »www.scyld.com/network/ethercard.html"

From the referenced website...
...
"Note that driver versions before v1.07, including the driver in the 2.4 kernel, do not have adaptive Tx theshold setting. A transmit FIFO error will causes the transmitter to stop."

[/quote]

 

 

Now the only problem is, being a Linux novice, I don't know how to check the version # on Mandrake.

 

To end, I have used both dhcp and static IPs, tried the router for the gateway and also used the ISP DNS server directly. When I pull the router out of the picture and plug the DSL modem directly into the NIC, everything is fine, no packet loss, no errors, nothing.

 

-ashwini

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Foo Lim" <fwlim@ucdavis.edu>

To: <vox-tech@franz.mother.com>

Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 9:37 PM

Subject: Re: [vox-tech] Mandrake 8.0 and ADSL

> Hi Ashwini,
> 
> I have a very similar setup.  I am 
currently writing this message using
> the Netgear RT314 router with no 
problems.  Well, there was an initial
> problem: it took too long for 
AT&T to reinitialize me!  I think it took
> about 15 minutes 
before I could even ping the gateway on their side!
> I'm successfully 
getting 1005/765/1091 Kbps thruput using the 2wire.com
> bandwidth 
meter.
> 
> There are only a few differences between my setup and 
the default setup
> outlined in the quick setup guide.  One is that 
I'm using a static IPs for
> the systems on my LAN rather than using the 
DHCP server built into the
> RT314.  Also, all my systems use the 
ISP's DNS servers rather than the
> router (the quick start guide tells 
you to point your DNS server to the
> router, but that may only work when 
you run the router as a DHCP client in
> regards to the ISP).  I also 
input my own firewall rules quite similar to
> the ones found in the guide 
on the CD that comes with the router (look for
> a firewall.html, I 
think).
> 
> Here's what my static route menu looks like, if you 
think that's helpful:
> 
                         
Menu 12 - IP Static Route Setup
> 
> 
                    
1. default
> 
                    
2. ________
> 
                    
3. ________
> 
                    
4. ________
> 
                    
5. ________
> 
                    
6. ________
> 
                    
7. ________
> 
                    
8. ________
> 
> 
> 
                       
Menu 12.1 - Edit IP Static Route
> 
> 
                    
Route #: 1
> 
                    
Route Name= default
> 
                    
Active= Yes
> 
                    
Destination IP Address= 0.0.0.0
> 
                    
IP Subnet Mask= 0.0.0.0
> 
                    
Gateway IP Address= XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX (my gateway)
> 
                    
Metric= 2
> 
                    
Private= No
> 
> I don't know what to say other than your 
Mandrake/Win machine should point
> to the ISP's DNS server rather than 
your router.
> 
> There's an non-critical firmware upgrade up to 
3.25 on Netgear's site,
> which could help or hurt you.  You might 
want to have a serial cable handy
> in case the upgrade gets botched (I'm 
1-2 in that department: I updated a
> friend's router with no problems, 
but when I did it to mine, I luckily had
> a serial cable to reupload the 
firmware).
> 
> I don't know what to say.  I'm not getting any 
dropped packets:
> eth0      Link 
encap:Ethernet  HWaddr XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
> 
          inet 
addr:192.168.1.21  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
> 
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING 
MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
> 
          RX packets:10679 errors:0 
dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
> 
          TX packets:13938 errors:0 
dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
> 
          collisions:0 
txqueuelen:100
>           
Interrupt:11 Base address:0xec00
> 
> Foo
> 
> 
P.S.  After re-reading the message below, you might have the router 
active
> as a DHCP server for your LAN while on your Mandrake system, you 
specified
> a static IP.  That might confuse the router, since it 
thinks it's supposed
> to dish out the IPs.
> 
> 
HTH!!!!
> 
> On Sun, 12 Aug 2001, Ashwini Raina wrote:
> 
> > Thanks for the reply Foo. Here are some answers:
> 
>
> > 1. I had the ISP's DNS servers in there and the same symptoms 
were there
> > (slow, packet loss etc etc). I don't know what Netgear 
router you have, but
> > on the RT-314, you can put in the DNS servers 
and query from there. It also
> > acts as your gateway.
> 
>
> > 2. Nope I didn't do this. And recompiling the kernel would be 
totally out of
> > my league. I am a Linux novice, why else do you 
think I installed Mandrake?
> > :-)
> >
> > 3.  
About putting in another NIC, no. See if it works fine with windows
> > 
which is my primary OS, I will not like to replace it for Mandrake. By 
the
> > way, this is the same Netgear FA 312 that you configured for me 
at an
> > Installfest some time ago. Sorry, but no, I'd like to skip 
this option.
> >
> > 4. I don't have to name the router, I 
have to put in the router's IP
> > 192.168.0.1 in there to point to the 
router, which acts as the primary
> > gateway.
> >
> 
> 5. No registering MAC address required. This is Omsoft DSL (static IP). 
I
> > think only @home and Roadrunner make you do this.
> 
>
> > So that is how it is. I'll be playing with it too in the 
meantime.
> >
> > -ashwini
> >
> >
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Foo Lim <fwlim@ucdavis.edu>
> > To: 
<vox-tech@lists.lugod.org>
> 
> Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 1:08 PM
> > Subject: Re: [vox-tech] 
Mandrake 8.0 and ADSL
> >
> >
> > > (replying to 
vox-tech)
> > >
> > > Did you try changing the DNS 
server to the ISP's DNS servers?  That is the
> > > first 
culprit, since you mentioned that you point your DNS queries to your
> 
> > router.  Change this in /etc/resolv.conf
> > 
>
> > > Did you read Henry's post?  You might have to 
recompile the kernel
> > > (actually you should to optimize 
performance) in order to take out that
> > > option in the 
kernel.
> > >
> > > Try putting another NIC in.  
NICs are cheap these days.  One can be had
> > > for 
$5-$15.
> > >
> > > In the router configuration, did you 
name your router correctly?  I know
> > > that in my cable 
modem setup, I have to set the router to be a certain
> > > name in 
order for the the ISP (AT&T) send packets over.
> > >
> 
> > Do you have to register the MAC address with your ISP?  When I 
bought a
> > > new cable modem, I had to call them to register the 
new MAC.
> > >
> > > A remote possibility would be your 
firewall rules.  However, you're
> > > getting some packets, so 
I would rule that out for now.
> > >
> > > I'll be 
testing a Netgear router in my cable modem setup probably today.
> > 
> I'll let you know what kinds of trouble I'm running into.  I'm running 
LRP
> > > right now.
> > >
> > > Foo
> 
> >
> > > On Sun, 12 Aug 2001, Ashwini Raina wrote:
> 
> >
> > > > Hi Foo
> > > >
> > > 
> DNS actually works. The browsers will connect to say, Cnn.com but it 
is
> > > > the page transfer that stalls. Also, say I am pinging 
yahoo.com, if I
> > run
> > > > ifconfig at that time, 
it shows me hundreds of errors (increases with
> > the
> > 
> > # of ping packets sent out) with the Rx packets. Pinging east 
coast
> > sites,
> > > > I sometimes get 25% packets 
lost (ok in windows).Line tests done at
> > > > DSLreports.com 
show packet re-transmittals and only 75% or so transfer
> > > > 
efficiecy. I do 'ftp pc12.cs.ucdavis.edu' and it takes long time (not
> 
> too
> > > > long but not as quick as in windows) to make the 
connection.
> > > >
> > > > So it is something 
with the NIC-router interface or maybe the NIC
> > itself.
> > 
> > Take the router out, it works fine, put it in, huge packet 
loss.
> > > >
> > > > > On Sun, 12 Aug 2001, 
Ashwini Raina wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > 
> Hi
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This 
is my problem:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 
Just installed Mandrake and everything is working fine except my
> > 
> > > > internet connection.
> > > > > 
>
> > > > > > I am behind a Netgear router, have a 
static IP (no PPPoE, nothing).
> > So
> > > > > > 
in the Network properties I put my IP as 192.168.0.5 and gateway
> > 
> > > > 192.168.0.1 (router), subnet 255.255.255.0 and DNS as 
192.168.0.1
> > > > > > (pointing to the router).
> 
> > > > >
> > > > > > Iin Netscape, all 
websites load sloooowly, as if I was on a 1K
> > modem.
> > 
> > > > Actually, the page doesn't load at all, it stalls.
> 
> > > > > [...]
> > > > >
> > > 
> > Perhaps you shouldn't be pointing your DNS to your router.  You 
should
> > > > > point your DNS queries to the ISP's DNS 
servers, which is what I do.
> > > > > Unless your router has 
bind set up, you won't get any DNS query
> > > > 
responses.
> > > > >
> > > > > FL
> 
> >
> >
> >
> 
>