network card needs to be restarted after turning router off and on

JacekZ · 09-04-2005, 06:31 PM

Hi,
Im trying FC4 for the first time on a PC. This is networked via an ethernet card to a router. At boot up the router gets connected via DHCP (I have reasons not to use static). Everything works. Linux PC shares folders with Win XP laptop via samba. But if I don't have the router turned on at boot up then the network doesn't work. I can start it up manually as root, say by reactivating the ethernet card, or by restarting the network service - but is there a way to do that without root? Preferbaly for things to happen automatically? I want it to work for a non-tech home user when I'm not around.

I tried putting a dhclient.conf file into /etc with "retry 15;" assuming that would look for the router via the ethernet card every 15 seconds - but it did seem to work. If you are able to advise please note I am new to Linux and am looking for as simple a solution as possible.
Many thanks
Jacek.

qwijibow · 09-05-2005, 11:04 AM

maybe with some kind of script ?
ive not tested this, just picking it off the top of my head.. but smthing like...

remmove network startup from the boot scrpts, and replace with a new script like so...

Code:

#!/bin/bash
while [ ! `dmesg | grep "eth0: link up"` = ""];
do
sleep 15
done
#replace next line with the comand to start network services.
/etc/init.d/net.eth0 start

This script (maybe with a little tweaking) will check to see if the network cable is pluged into a powered up router.
if it is not, it will sleep for 15 seconds then try again.

when the cable IS plugged in, and router is on, then it will start the network service.

JacekZ · 09-06-2005, 05:03 PM

Thanks qwijibow,
I'll keep this in reserve until I have a better grasp of bash. Meanwhile I've found that so long as the router is on at boot up, a later switch off does not matter (at least in tests so far). The problem only applies if the router remains off at a later boot up. The title to my thread may have been a bit misleading after all.. sorry folks! Still, I wonder how the Fedora people envisage it working in a modern home network situation?
Thanks again
Jacek