Sudden Loss of Networking
 

Hello,
My computer (opensuse 10.3) is suddenly unable to connect to the network. When the computer is first switched on the hub indicates a connection between it and the computer. But part of the way through the boot process the light goes out and the network card is then unable to communicate with the network and can't get an ip address.

The device is a Realtek 8110SC/8169SC on a AMD 690V motherboard that causes problems with USB too. It says it is waiting for dhcpd but the there appears to be no connection with the hub.

Other devices work through the hub I suspect either a hardware failure or an update has killed the card.

Any suggestions?
Phil

What does the output of "lspci" show? Also run "lspci -n" to get the vendor:devicid list. See if the "vendor:deviceid" pair that corresponds to your network device is in "/lib/modules/`uname -r`/modules.pcimap". If not, you do not have a driver for that NIC.

I will check this when I get home. Could this cause the NIC to work one day and not the next?

Phil

When your network breaks randomly for no good reason, check the cable:-)

So you were able to get traffic through the NIC one day, and not the next? If so, you may have blown the port on the NIC, or on the switch, or both.

I static zapped a port on a switch and on my laptop (at the other end of a 15 foot Cat5 cable) during the winter here. Still couldn't convince my boss that we needed some anti-static protection. Finally we hired a hardware guy and they listened to him. :(

It was a duff cable, as I suggested earlier. All is well now.