Problems whit Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC

[RedLine]

YelloW friends!!
I have trouble whit my networkcard..... my cable is 90m long, in windows it works very good but in Knoppix 3.3 it dose not work. It dose not "ping" the other computers (Windows Xp, Slackware Linux).What should i do??
It works if i use a cable that is max. 10 m
10q very much.

[firebyrd10]

It may be that knoppix isn't telling the card to pump enough juice through the cable. Worse comes to wrost your probably going to need a repeater. Though there is probably some way to up the power.

[Harry Kuhman]

It may be that knoppix isn't telling the card to pump enough juice through the cable. Worse comes to wrost your probably going to need a repeater. Though there is probably some way to up the power.

This isn't the problem at all.

I rather doubt it has anything to do with the length of the wire, and I suspect you may have the same problem I've written about in a number of threads including this one: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2164

[firebyrd10]

if that not the problem then I'm stumped. I've never heard of this before.

[Harry Kuhman]

if that not the problem then I'm stumped. I've never heard of this before.

Then you've been posting questions in this group without looking over older posts. There have been lots of people who have had problems with Linux on a NIC and not Windows (particularly if they ran the "security updates"). Read the thread I referenced. The fact that RedLine is using 90 feet of cat5 is just a red herring; and it can't be as you suggested, because there is no software way to modify the signal strength on a Realtek RTL8139 NIC.

[Stephen]

The fact that RedLine is using 90 feet of cat5 is just a red herring;

90 meters or about 300 feet which IIRC is just about the limit for cat 5 is it not??

[Harry Kuhman]

The fact that RedLine is using 90 feet of cat5 is just a red herring;

90 meters or about 300 feet which IIRC is just about the limit for cat 5 is it not??

The generally stated limit (which includes a margin of safety) is 100 meters. But RedLine stated his wire was 90 feet, not 90 meters, so he's well within spec. He also stated it works fine under windows. There is no software control of signal strenght with the NIC, so there is no reason at all to think it's an issue of length of wire. While it certainly could be other things (some routers, my Belkin for example, do an awful job of DHCP with Knoppix), without more information on RedLine's problem one can't say for sure what it is. It did seem reasonable to point out to him the thread that I made reference to, although I'm far from certain that it's the problem in this case.

[Stephen]

But RedLine stated his wire was 90 feet, not 90 meters, so he's well within spec.

I'll still go with the 90 meters or at least I presume that is what 90m means at least thats how it is here when abbreviated. And he states that it works on a 10 meter cable but not 90 and the 90 works on windows so strange as it seems I'll go with the hardware gremlins getting involved with the cable somehow.

YelloW friends!!
I have trouble whit my networkcard..... my cable is 90m long, in windows it works very good but in Knoppix 3.3 it dose not work. It dose not "ping" the other computers (Windows Xp, Slackware Linux).What should i do??
It works if i use a cable that is max. 10 m
10q very much.

[Harry Kuhman]

I'll still go with the 90 meters or at least I presume that is what 90m means at least thats how it is here when abbreviated. And he states that it works on a 10 meter cable but not 90 and...

Opps, you're absolutely right! Don't know why I kept reading 90 feet, guess I need to get more sleep. I'm wondering what he did to try the 10m cable, did he move the computer or did he use a different topology? It sure does seem like a strange problem!

[RedLine]

1..... my cable is 90 meters.
2..... when i tryed the 10 meters cable i brought the SWITCH at my home
3.....I did not used any updates. I have Microsoft Windows XP 5.1 2600 Service Pack 1
It could be the DRIVER ??? or what els??