Hi, I've set up a bridge using the 2.6.11.6 kernel. The machine is
running Debian testing with three NICs in it. eth0 is a standard 100Mb
Intel NIC, eth1 and eth2 are both Intel gigabit cards using the e1000 driver.
I tested everything at 100Mb and it worked fine. I moved the machine into
production, eth1 plugging into a dumb 100Mb D-link switch, eth2 plugging
into a shiney new Cisco 2950.
eth2 connects fine, giving me messages such as:
Apr 18 13:58:39 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Down
Apr 18 13:58:56 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:56 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
Apr 18 13:59:11 portcullis kernel: br0: topology change detected, propagating
Apr 18 13:59:11 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering forwarding state
eth1 however is a different story. If I plugged that into the D-Link it
would come up for a few seconds, then down again, then up and just cycle
between being up and down. Example:
Apr 18 13:58:26 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Down
Apr 18 13:58:26 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering disabled state
Apr 18 13:58:27 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:27 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
Apr 18 13:58:27 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Down
Apr 18 13:58:28 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering disabled state
Apr 18 13:58:29 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:29 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
Apr 18 13:58:29 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Down
Apr 18 13:58:30 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering disabled state
Apr 18 13:58:32 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is
Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:32 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
I do have it running now by plugging it into a gigabit switch where it
connects at 1G, then plugging the gig switch into the D-link, not an ideal
solution, but one that appears to be working ok.
I'm curious if anyone knows why this is happening. Its a first for me,
but this also is the first bridge I've made which features gigabit
cards. Interestingly if I swap over eth1 and eth2 (so eth1 goes into the
Cisco and eth2 goes to the D-link) the same flipflop state occurs.
If it helps, here is the relevant ifconfig:
br0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:03:47:DF:7A:61
inet6 addr: fe80::203:47ff:fedf:7a61/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:34792 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:5 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:2778388 (2.6 MiB) TX bytes:378 (378.0 b)
eth1 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:03:47:DF:7A:7F
inet6 addr: fe80::203:47ff:fedf:7a7f/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:737391 errors:3 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:2
TX packets:745309 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:744737
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:164455079 (156.8 MiB) TX bytes:132234584 (126.1 MiB)
Memory:dffa0000-dffc0000
eth2 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:03:47:DF:7A:61
inet6 addr: fe80::203:47ff:fedf:7a61/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:780490 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:736398 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:725057
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:137698592 (131.3 MiB) TX bytes:164346713 (156.7 MiB)
Memory:dff60000-dff80000
As I said, everything is working now, but I'd like to know a cause and
possibly a cure if its available.
Cheers,
Ryan.
--
Ryan McConigley - Systems Administrator _.-,
Computer Science University of Western Australia .--' '-._
Tel: (+61 8) 6488 7082 - Fax: (+61 8) 6488 1089 _/`- _ '.
Ryan[@]csse.uwa.edu.au - http://www.csse.uwa.edu.au/~ryan '----'._`.----. \
` \;
"You're just jealous because the voices are talking to me" ;_\
