on boot i get that error, link not present, check cable? when determining IP for eth0. Now, obviously, my cable is connected, and i know it works fine, because i use that cable (cat5 UTP) on my WinXP machine. the card is a 3c905-TX-M. I cant figure out what is going on. I've tried everything, searched everywhere. I have RH 8.0 Kernel 2.4.18-14. i got that message with the kernel driver on RH installation, and then installed the 3com driver and still get the error. I gutted my pci cards and moved the ethernet card to all slots in hopes there was a conflict. but of course, same error. Linux is recognizing the card fine, and all the configs are coming out with no error. I'm obviously a newbie, so even tho there are no errors in say ifconfig -a, i still dont know what it supposed to look like. one thing i dont understand is that under interrupts my card isnt listed. is it supposed to be? there is timer, keyboard, cascade, usb-uhci, rtc, usb-uhci, EMU10K1, ide0, ide1.
I need to set up DHCP so it automatically obtains IP address because my school's LAN is set up so it the internet will only work by obtaining automatically. Am i doing soemthing wrong? something wrong with my linux box? or is it my school's LAN configuration??
-dan
QuixoticUCT@yahoo.com

Try a different cable.. try a different port on the switch/hub. If you dont get a link light, you don't have a physical connection.l


You did say the WinXP box was a different machine didnt you?

I actually had a problem once where a cable that had the little boots over the RJ45 plugs would feel like it plugged in, but the little boot would prevent it from really going all the way in and making a connection. One box it worked, another it didnt, just because the motherboard was mounted like a millimeter off.

-Kevin

yep.. tried both of those before. I've used 2 cables, mine and my roomates, on both of the ports in the room. I know the ports are good, because they work with my roomates and my WinXP boxes

Should i try used RH 7.3? and/or updating my kernel?

what does your modules.conf look like?

Have you tried running the "netconfig" utility to configure this?

-Kevin

yes

modules.conf:
alias parport_lowlevel parport_pc
alias eth0 3c59x
alias sound-slot-0 emu10k1
post -install sound-slot-0 /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -L >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
pre-remove sound-slot-0 /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -S >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
alias char-major-81 bttv
alias usb-controller usb-uhci

It should work like that... but you might try changing that

alias eth0 3c59x

to

alias eth0 3c90x

That is provided that you have the 3c90x.o module on your system.... "updatedb" and then "locate 3c90x.o" to see if it is.

If you find it... then do this..

service network stop
rmmod 3c59x
insmod 3c90x
service network start

-Kevin

Actually the 3com 3C905/3C905B/3C905M drivers in the linux kernel are still in the module called 3c59x...

yes, darin is right, its a common driver. and ther is no 3c90x.o
for that matter there is no 3c59x.o

*sigh*

http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/?page...tails&hid=4261

-KevinJ

obviously, i'm a newbie, but i ahve been to this site, and attempted to install a driver.. but i dont think i either 1) installed it right 2) installed the wrong driver. bc it didnt fix anthing. so which file should i be d/ling for my box. Specs:
Red Hat 8.0
Kernel 2.4.18-14
Pentium 3 800
and of course
3com 3c905-TX

To clarify, the linux kernel comes with a module 3c59x, if you use the drivers from 3Com it's 3c90x, see my note at the bottom for more info. (gee nobody can get their 905 working today guess I shouldn't mention that I worked for 3Com tech support a few years back)

Every distro of linux I've seen comes with the kernel's 3com drivers either compiled into the kernel or compiled as modules ready to load. To get the kernel module working, see if it's loaded (lsmod | grep 3c) and if it isn't then see if you can manually load it (modprobe 3c59x) and if it isn't there you probably rebuilt your kernel and either compiled it in or left the module out. In the kernel compile it's networking 100MB 3com cards 3c59x (vortex/boomerang.)

Then if it's loaded, the card has a little green light on it:
For newer cards like the tx-m that light is on when the computer is off but plugged in (connection for WOL aka Wake on LAN.) Is it? When the OS boots and initializes the network that light should go out, then come on, then show activity on the network (as it asks for a DHCP address); does it do that? If the lights aren't on then it could be a connection problem, like cabling or even something weird like the card not connecting properly to the hub or switch or whatever is on the other side of the wall plug.

You also mentioned a school LAN, some schools make you register for your connection, this means you have to give them the MAC address (hardware address) of your network card and they program it into their DHCP server otherwise you don't get an IP address.

As for the 3Com provided drivers, I have no idea how the drivers from 3Com work but the guy who originally wrote the 3Com drivers that are in the Linux kernel did a really good job and got a lot of help from 3Com when he worked on them so the drivers in your kernel like 3c59x.o are fine and I use the ones in the kernel exclusivly and my whole LAN uses 905s. (I didn't even know 3Com made their own linux drivers.)

yes, the lights are on, so it is getting a connection... and lismod | grep 3c retruned:
3c59x 30640 0

the ports are already registered with my school, and under Win box's, you can switch computers on the same port w/o problems, jsut as long as its registered, and open. but would it be different for win to linux? i suppose i should just register another for my linux box, and see what happens there.
-quixotic

PS- how does one changing the computer NAME in RH 8.0?

The scool probably registers by computer (or actually by network card that is in your computer.) and your roommates have registered their computers by giving the MAC address off the network cards inside their computers to the school.

Type ifconfig -a and write down the HWaddr number, it will look like "HWaddr 00:10:4B:68:87:15" This is the number you need to register yours (don't use this number here because it's my network card.) The number is part of the 3Com card and not part of Linux, so if you decide you hate Linux and put Windows on your box it will still be the same.