Debian etch network connection issue
 

So I just finished installing my etch Debian on my other machine and it seems to be having an odd issue. I did a net install so the network connection worked for at least the full 30 minutes it took to download. Now it seems that i keep losing my network connection. After I boot up it stays connected for like 30-60 seconds and then the connection drops. If i unplug the cord and wait a sec then plug it back in it'll work again for another 30-60 seconds and then crap out. Any idea whats going on?

Few more pieces of info:

- When the connection drops both lights on my Ethernet are still lit green
- When it drops if i load the Network Tools window my "Reception errors" keeps increasing every second or so
- I tried plugging my windows XP laptop into the same port with the same cord and have no problems

Etch is testing although many are using it. It could be some bug. You should check these things:

• less /var/log/syslog for messages about eth0
• ifconfig eth0 will tell you the state of your interface
• grep dhclient /var/log/syslog to see how conversations with ISP DHCP go
• cat /etc/network/interfaces to display your configuration
  
  
  

Is this a wireless issue or a wired-network issue? From your post, it looks like you're wired. So, I guess we need to see the usual stuff: i.e. the outputs from "lspci", "lsusb" (if it's a USB NIC), "ifconfig", "iwconfig" (if it's wireless), and "route". Also, what kind of router are you using? It probably won't make any difference, but just in case. Finally, are you by any chance using a wireless bridge? If so, you'll need to reboot your router every time you switch it to a different machine.

Well i did what you said but to be honest i'm new enough that i really have no idea what any of that means. Do you just suggest i downgrade back to sarge? I have previously used it and know its worked at least in the past.

It is wired and i was preciously using sarge with the same setup, all i did was upgrade and now I have problems. I think i might just switch back to sarge.

Etch is soon to be released as the new stable, so I would not switch back. I am using it now and I have seen only one or two unimportant bugs affect me.

I'd say stick with etch and work out the problem.. if you open a shell and type the command requested and post their output here someone should be able to help you.. You will learn more than if you just move backwards..

lspci | grep Ethernet

lsmod

ifconfig -a

"Well i did what you said but to be honest i'm new enough that i really have no idea what any of that means."

You have to actually post the responses before we can see them, I'm afraid.

Well then... here goes (this is the info returned if i run the commands after the connection drops)

# less /var/log/syslog for messages about eth0

# ifconfig eth0 will tell you the state of your interface


# grep dhclient /var/log/syslog to see how conversations with ISP DHCP go


# cat /etc/network/interfaces to display your configuration

Is that the complete output from "ifconfig"? Can we see the output from "lspci" and "route"? Are you using a wireless bridge? Is this a laptop? Do you have power management enabled?

Please don't try to edit the responses to just what you think we want to see. Too much information is better than not enough.

That is an amazing amount of ethernet errors, both transmit and receive. I cannot remember the last time I have seen one. The most likely cause is hardware: bad cable/connector/NIC/router/modem...

If the connector to your NIC can be moved over to another computer and you get good results, it is almost certainly your NIC or its driver. What card/NIC do you use?
/lib/modules/2.6.18-3 arch/kernel/drivers/net shows a bunch. Which one do you see in lsmod? Are there any messages from it in syslog?

The only module I have had trouble with recently was forcedeth, and that was in Ubuntu, not Debian, but it may be the one you have. Forcedeth has dropouts following messages about "too many iterations", apparently because interrupts were not being cleared. The software guy blamed the hardware guy and the hardware guy (Nvidia) was not talking.

Sorry, the only reason i'm editing them is because i have to plug in the desktop with debian, run the commands, then plug this laptop in and manually type all the things that come up which sucks with log files heh.

You could try copy and paste into some editor, compose, copy and paste to clipboard, reset connection, ctrl V/send to blast back a reply in your window of opportunity... ;-) We all love intermittent problems...