multiple 3com 3c950b PCI nics

rumrunner · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

my network was working with my old 3com 3c509 isa. then one day i turned off my computer and it didn't work anymore. i think the board might be fried (it's 10 years old or so).

now on to my problem. i put in 4 3com 3c950 nics, and now my internet no longer works.

what i've done so far:
i recompiled the kernel 2.6 with 3c95x build as a module. i added the the net startup scripts as described in the gentoo handbook.

when i do: ifconfig eth0, it shows up but isn't connected. the same thing happens for each of the eth1, eth2, and eth3.

so then i try: dhcpd -HD eth0. the connection light on my router blinks like it's doing something. but after it's done running, there is no connection. i try for the other eth1, eth2, eth3. but, they don't make the lights on the router blink (they aren't plugged into it--at least i think eth0 is the topmost slot)

i had the 3c509 previously, and i had to deal with all of the isa pnp disabling jazz. is there something like that for the 3c950, i suspect not because i couldn't find anything?

i'm really at a loss. i've searched for 4 days on the internet and the gentoo message boards for something related with no luck. any suggestion would be much appreciated. i'm sure it's something simple.

mike

Jerri · Guru Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 353

you might have to tweak /etc/modules.conf a little to get all four cards working with the same driver, like such:

rumrunner · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

thanks for pointing me to that tutorial. but, i think the problem may be more subtle than that.

i added:

Jerri · Guru Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 353

I ran into a problem similar to that when trying to build a dedicated firewall. Network modules loaded properly, but still could not assign ip to any of the network cards. Turned out it was the switch. I'm not exactly sure what the problem was, it might have been some foul up with the address tables or something. anyways, just a quick reset, and it worked. Now this is a long shot, but have you tried swapping cables? are you sure your plugged into to eth0 when broadcasting for an ip? have you tried using just one network card? are you sure the cards work (maybe try it in another box.. a windows box if its lying around)?

I'm running out of ideas here.

rumrunner · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

i guess this goes under the 'you learn something new everyday' file.

apparently you can't have a pci card in the first slot (next to the agp card) and have an agp card. not only that. but when you do put a pci card there, it blocks the entire pci bus (or at least all of the cards with the same driver, which was all i had).

everything works famously now. thanks for you help.

Jerri · Guru Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 353

i'm curious about what your using that box for.. 4 nics eh? right on.

glad to hear things worked out

rumrunner · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

i'm actually using it as a router to handle my subnetwork and my wireless network. it's mostly just experimental though. to test things like nfs and apache.