workstation 5.5 starts slow with host network enabled [SOLVE

rickvernam · Guru Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 313

kernel 2.6.14.
NIC is Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
Workstation version is 5.5.1.19175

If I disable the host's network connection, workstation starts in between 2 & 3 seconds, and overall responsiveness is smooth and as expected.

With the host's network connection enabled, workstation takes about 1.5 minutes to start, and overall responsiveness is unusable.

I have tried with guest networking completely turned off (via vmware-config.pl), and with my normal setup.

This is not a problem with running a virtual machine - they run normal, once started.

I'm assuming this has everything to do with networking options of my kernel configuration, but there are a lot of them to post, and I don't know which are important.

rickvernam · Guru Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 313

I forgot to mention that when at my house the status of the host's network connection does not affect workstation responsiveness, I only have this problem when at work (which is where I need to use workstation...go figure).

Network at my house and work differ only in port forwarding settings in router. Otherwise, they both have same ISP, same equipment, same setup, same configuration...

I didn't used to have this problem before re-installing my system...this includes moving from kernel 2.6.12 to 2.6.14.

rickvernam · Guru Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 313

nothing? no ideas?
:cry:

rickvernam · Guru Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 313

in kernel, under 'device drivers' -> 'network device support' I changed 'Dummy net driver support' to build as a module, and I set things up to load that module at boot. That fixed the problem. problem gone.