Network disconnects after minute Dell Dimension 8200

English Network/Internet
#1

Hello. My family has an old Dell Dimension 8200 which has become incapable of running Windows at decent speeds. I was hoping to install Linux as a solution.

However, not being all that computer literate, my family needs a simplistic interface. My hope is to use the Moblin UI. Because Moblin doesn’t support the computer’s processor, I’m hoping to install the UI on top of OpenSuse 11.1.

I’ve successfully installed Opensuse on the computer (I haven’t attempted to make the Moblin UI work yet). However, I am having problems with the internet connection.

The computer uses a standard Ethernet cable to connect to the internet. Opensuse however is not able to see this connection unless I unplug the Ethernet cable from the computer and plug it back in. After doing so, the internet works perfectly for about 1 minute. After that, the connection will stop working again unless I, once again, unplug the Ethernet cable and plug it back in.

Obviously, unplugging the ethernet cable every minute or so is not practical for general use. Can anyone offer any assistance? If you need me to post the output of any terminal commands, tell me what commands and I’ll do so.

Thanks!

#2

Become root in a terminal with

su

and post the output of

lspci -vnn
#3

Maybe, but a modern linux distribution does not have lower demand for RAM/CPU than a 7 year old Windows (XP), on the contrary.

Windows XP runs with 128MB of RAM (and it will do quite nicely if configured in the respective way).

An openSUSE under 256MB of RAM will be not a lot of fun, perhaps with moblin (don’t know its minimum requirements), maybe with fluxbox or some other, slim WM.

If you were not able to strip down Windows XP to run with low hardware specs, I doubt you will be happy with openSUSE 11.1 (or any other “big” linux distribution).

#4

The computer used to run Windows 2000; Windows XP didn’t exist when we bought it. It’s specs aren’t THAT bad though. When we first got the computer, it was one of the most expensive computers you could buy.

I’d like to try installing XP, but I don’t have a spare copy. And while Windows 2000 SP1 and SP2 work fine, my father is worried that without SP4 there’s a large risk we’ll get a virus.

It has 512MB or Ram, so more than the 256MB you said are needed.

I’ll post the output of lspci -vnn as soon as I get a chance later today; thanks. Do you want me to run it during the minute the internet works, or after it disconnects (or both)?

#5

512 MB is plenty, even for KDE (3.5 for sure).

And instead of lspci -vvn which will give a lot of (in most cases) useless information but missing a lot of useful one, read this.

openSUSE Forums - View Single Post - Getting Your Wireless to Work

BTW:

Win 2000 has certainly lower requirements than XP, so I would bet it is a configuration problem and not “weak” hardware.

#6

Akoellh, if the script is absolutely necessary, I’ll run it, but please understand that running scripts takes slightly longer than running a command, and when your internet is constantly disconnecting from the computer you are working on, slightly longer becomes a lot longer. I don’t know how good this constant unplugging and replugging is for my ethernet port.

Here’s the output of lspci -vnn when the internet is working:

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 82850 850 (Tehama) Chipset Host Bridge (MCH) [8086:2530] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
	Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128]
	Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0
	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
	Kernel modules: intel-agp

00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82850 850 (Tehama) Chipset AGP Bridge [8086:2532] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 64
	Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=64
	Memory behind bridge: fc000000-fdffffff
	Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f0000000-f7ffffff
	Kernel modules: shpchp

00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge [8086:244e] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
	Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=64
	I/O behind bridge: 0000e000-0000efff
	Memory behind bridge: fe100000-fe2fffff
	Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 30000000-300fffff
	Kernel modules: shpchp

00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801BA ISA Bridge (LPC) [8086:2440] (rev 04)
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
	Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt, intel-rng

00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801BA IDE U100 Controller [8086:244b] (rev 04) (prog-if 80 [Master])
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
	[virtual] Memory at 000001f0 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=8]
	[virtual] Memory at 000003f0 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1]
	[virtual] Memory at 00000170 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=8]
	[virtual] Memory at 00000370 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1]
	I/O ports at ffa0 [size=16]
	Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
	Kernel modules: piix, ata_piix

00:1f.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM USB Controller #1 [8086:2442] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
	I/O ports at ff80 [size=32]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM SMBus Controller [8086:2443] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 17
	I/O ports at dcd0 [size=16]
	Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus
	Kernel modules: i2c-i801

00:1f.4 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM USB Controller #1 [8086:2444] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 23
	I/O ports at ff60 [size=32]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller [0401]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio Controller [8086:2445] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
	I/O ports at d800 [size=256]
	I/O ports at dc40 [size=64]
	Kernel driver in use: Intel ICH
	Kernel modules: snd-intel8x0

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400] [10de:0110] (rev b2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
	Subsystem: nVidia Corporation Dell OEM GeForce 2 MX 400 [10de:0091]
	Flags: 66MHz, medium devsel, IRQ 3
	Memory at fc000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16]
	Memory at f0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128]
	Expansion ROM at fd000000 [disabled] [size=64]
	Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2
	Capabilities: [44] AGP version 2.0
	Kernel modules: nvidiafb, rivafb

02:08.0 Communication controller [0780]: Conexant Systems, Inc. HCF 56k Data/Fax/Voice/Spkp Modem [14f1:1036] (rev 08)
	Subsystem: GVC Corporation Dell Titanium [13e0:0209]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 10
	Memory at fe1f0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64]
	I/O ports at ecf8 [size=8]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

02:09.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Davicom Semiconductor, Inc. 21x4x DEC-Tulip compatible 10/100 Ethernet [1282:9102] (rev 31)
	Subsystem: Device [4554:434e]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18
	I/O ports at e800 [size=256]
	Memory at fe1efc00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
	Expansion ROM at 30000000 [disabled] [size=256]
	Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
	Kernel driver in use: tulip
	Kernel modules: tulip, dmfe

And after the network disconnects:

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 82850 850 (Tehama) Chipset Host Bridge (MCH) [8086:2530] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
	Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128]
	Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0
	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
	Kernel modules: intel-agp

00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82850 850 (Tehama) Chipset AGP Bridge [8086:2532] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 64
	Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=64
	Memory behind bridge: fc000000-fdffffff
	Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f0000000-f7ffffff
	Kernel modules: shpchp

00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge [8086:244e] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
	Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=64
	I/O behind bridge: 0000e000-0000efff
	Memory behind bridge: fe100000-fe2fffff
	Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 30000000-300fffff
	Kernel modules: shpchp

00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801BA ISA Bridge (LPC) [8086:2440] (rev 04)
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
	Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt, intel-rng

00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801BA IDE U100 Controller [8086:244b] (rev 04) (prog-if 80 [Master])
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
	[virtual] Memory at 000001f0 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=8]
	[virtual] Memory at 000003f0 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1]
	[virtual] Memory at 00000170 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=8]
	[virtual] Memory at 00000370 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1]
	I/O ports at ffa0 [size=16]
	Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
	Kernel modules: piix, ata_piix

00:1f.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM USB Controller #1 [8086:2442] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
	I/O ports at ff80 [size=32]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM SMBus Controller [8086:2443] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 17
	I/O ports at dcd0 [size=16]
	Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus
	Kernel modules: i2c-i801

00:1f.4 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM USB Controller #1 [8086:2444] (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 23
	I/O ports at ff60 [size=32]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller [0401]: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio Controller [8086:2445] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:010c]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
	I/O ports at d800 [size=256]
	I/O ports at dc40 [size=64]
	Kernel driver in use: Intel ICH
	Kernel modules: snd-intel8x0

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400] [10de:0110] (rev b2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
	Subsystem: nVidia Corporation Dell OEM GeForce 2 MX 400 [10de:0091]
	Flags: 66MHz, medium devsel, IRQ 3
	Memory at fc000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16]
	Memory at f0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128]
	Expansion ROM at fd000000 [disabled] [size=64]
	Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2
	Capabilities: [44] AGP version 2.0
	Kernel modules: nvidiafb, rivafb

02:08.0 Communication controller [0780]: Conexant Systems, Inc. HCF 56k Data/Fax/Voice/Spkp Modem [14f1:1036] (rev 08)
	Subsystem: GVC Corporation Dell Titanium [13e0:0209]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 10
	Memory at fe1f0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64]
	I/O ports at ecf8 [size=8]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

02:09.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Davicom Semiconductor, Inc. 21x4x DEC-Tulip compatible 10/100 Ethernet [1282:9102] (rev 31)
	Subsystem: Device [4554:434e]
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18
	I/O ports at e800 [size=256]
	Memory at fe1efc00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
	Expansion ROM at 30000000 [disabled] [size=256]
	Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
	Kernel driver in use: tulip
	Kernel modules: tulip, dmfe

Thanks again for your help anyone. Again, I can run those scripts if I need to, but for now, running these commands means a less constant running to the back of the computer.[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

#7

You need to be using the dmfe driver instead of the tulip driver. I think once you blacklist the tulip driver and reboot, you should be fine. Look in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf to make sure the dmfe module isn’t blacklisted and add

blacklist tulip

The lspci command is fine in this case because I was almost certain what the output would be, and I’ve had experience with this PC model.

02:09.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Davicom Semiconductor, Inc. 21x4x DEC-Tulip compatible 10/100 Ethernet [1282:9102] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Device [4554:434e]
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18
I/O ports at e800 [size=256]
Memory at fe1efc00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Expansion ROM at 30000000 [disabled] [size=256]
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
Kernel driver in use: tulip
Kernel modules: tulip, dmfe[/size][/size][/size]

#8

Sorry… I once used Ubuntu as my main desktop OS but after half a year of not using Linux I’ve started to forget stuff…

how can I edit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf? The file is only accessible when logged in as root. When running as root, I’m not able to start the gedit program that I need for editing text files… sorry if it’s a noob question…

#9

I remember seeing a bug a while back about apps not opening as root. Try becoming root with

su -

and then try gedit.

#10

Okay, that worked, I was able to open gedit as root.

When I opened blacklist.conf, it appeared in gedit as a completely blank document.

Not sure if that’s part of the problem, but anyway, when I typed “blacklist tulip” into the file, saved, and rebooted, the problem was even worse. Instead of connecting to the internet and disconnecting a minute later, my computer wouldn’t connect at all.

???

#11

Well done guys (I knew this would happen).

I think I will give this thread a miss from now on and watch how you proceed.

Just a hint, you are quite close.

#12

Um… if you know the problem, could you please help?

#13

Even if I wanted to, I could only guess (because I have an idea what it most likely will be but no useful information).

So why should I help you? You ignored my suggestions at least twice, why should I waste my time?

Good Luck.

#14

On 10/18/2009 03:06 PM, Akoellh wrote:
>
> Even if I wanted to, I could only guess (because I have an idea what
> it most likely will be but no useful information).
>
> So why should I help you? You ignored my suggestions at least twice,
> why should I waste my time?

I’m with Akoellh on this one. Why should a volunteer waste time when
the other end cannot be bothered to provide necessary information
because that is too difficult?

#15

Thanks Larry.

Especially if it is not, the only “extra work” for the OP would have been to read the documentation on the script, instead of using a single command he was “breast-fed” with.

  • The script itself is also only a single command to execute (and not even that, it can even belaunched by a single click in KDE and IIRC also GNOME now).

  • For the same value of information, one would have to enter dozens of commands

And this here is the real kicker

but please understand that running scripts takes slightly longer than running a command, and when your internet is constantly disconnecting from the computer you are working on, slightly longer becomes a lot longer. I don’t know how good this constant unplugging and replugging is for my ethernet port.

If one is too lazy to read the documentation, one should at least use some common sense

a) A script runs automatically, so it’s not more work

b) the script should be used if you are having problems, so it does not make any difference, if the connection drops, in fact that’s even better

c) The script will give you lots of direct hints/links to possible solutions (in this case it would have been unlikely the correct one was amongst them) but also a simple to post output file instead of having to copy&paste all that stuff (containing about 90% unnecessary information, in fact only three lines were needed and if the problem wre not driver related, none of them would really helped to find the problem)

If you actually had _read- the documentation, you would have known, but now you made yourself a lot more work with less result.

I would say your trouble (which is minute, btw.) is well deserved.

#16

… hi wowfunhappy …

hope you got your hair parted there …

Axel was suggesting you go here

Benutzeranleitung/Usersguide von/of collectNWData | collectNWData.sh

(it is at the end of the first wireless stickie …)

this is an excellent script written by framp

He gives instructions:

the idea is: run the script and post the results back to the forum;

#17

A user PM’d me to help me solve the problem, and thanks to him, my internet is working now.

I just wanted to post how I fixed the problem here in case anyone has this problem in the future and finds this thread through a Google search or something similar.

The reason adding tulip to the blacklist hadn’t worked before was because I had an old version of the blacklist.conf file (which is odd, since I had a clean install of Opensuse).

The solution was to go into the terminal, become root, and enter

rm /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

I then had to type:

gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

I then used ctrl+F to find “dmfe”. It was blacklisted. I removed it.

I then added “blacklist tulip” to the file.

After that, it seems all that I needed to do was save and reboot. After I rebooted, my Internet is working.

I did not figure this out myself. Again, thank you to everyone who helped me.

#18

Non sense, this is exactly why I knew you wouldn’t have any network connectivity after only blacklisting tulip and it is not an “old version”, but intended and needed behavior for > 95% of all cases.

If you had read the comments in the blacklist.conf file, you would know why.

# tulip ... de4x5, xircom_tulip_cb, dmfe (...) **handle same devices**
blacklist de4x5
# At least 2.4.3 and later xircom_tulip doesn't have that conflict
# xircom_tulip_cb
blacklist dmfe

So you must blacklist all but one of the drivers and in most cases “tulip” is the better one.

And for the last time:

If using the script, one would have seen all of that except the blacklist entry, because the script

  • prints out a list of all loaded modules, so one would have seen there is no dmfe loaded

  • shows outputs of ifconfig and would have TOLD you (IIRC even literally) there is NO MORE interface eth0 (as there was no more driver for the device loaded)

While lspci -vvn just gave you 200 lines of garbage and three lines of information which -of course- would also have been covered by the script, in that case by the outputs of “hwinfo --netcard” (and partially by lspci -nn).

P.S.

Your solution is also a dirty hack with high potential of causing problems (certainly on next version upgrade) and NOT clean.