Network card not working (not pulling IP address from DHCP)

Hi all,

New here and I first want to say I've read a lot of great stuff on how to work with Knoppix.

That said, here is my problem. Running 3.8.2 and I'm trying to access the internet (using just a cable modem - Comcast, DHCP assigned IP address) and I cannot. This does not work when I boot from CD or from my HD install I did. During the boot process it detects eth0 and then starts DHCP Broadcasting (background).

I tried running netcardconfig and when I tell it to DHCP broadcast I just get operation failed. I tried setting the IP address manually it still no connection.

I've got a 3com Etherlink 10/100 NIC in my PCI slot. Any ideas?

Matt

Try acpi=off in Lilo, doesn't cost much...

Just a quick update. I checked 3Com's website for drivers. The only have Linux drivers through 2.4.x kernel, and I'm using 2.6.x with Knoppix 3.8.

So I'm now wondering if that is the problem. My card specifically is this:
3Com® EtherLink® 10/100 PCI NIC Product #: 3C905C-TX-M

Matt

Quote:

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During the boot process it detects eth0

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What says ifconfig after network card configuration? Is it up or no? I have something like yours situation - card works on 2.4 kernel, but with 2.6 was detected and everything, but no conection until I put acpi=off in boot loader.

After running netcardconfig and selecting DHCP (and it fails) I only get the following from ifconfig:

Code:

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lo        Link encap:Local Loopback
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: :1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:194 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:194 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:13672 (13.3 KiB)  TX bytes:13672 (13.3 KiB)

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So it appears it is not seeing the card when I select DHCP (but the boot process does show it detected as eth0).

When I edited lilo.conf and added acpi=off at the end, I received an error when I ran lilo.

Code:

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Unrecognized token "acpi" at or above line 123 in file '/etc/lilo.conf'

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Did I add it to the wrong place? Nm on this question, found out it has to go on the append line.
Thanks,
Matt

I'm still having problems and would greatly appreciate some more replies. I went out and borrowed a Dlink DFE-530TX+ NIC that has the RTL8139 chipset (which from what I read, should not have any problems with Knoppix).

I did a boot from Knoppix 3.8 CD and it finds the NIC during the boot process but never gets anything from my cable companies DHCP server.

I ran netcardconfig from a root shell and get FAILED.

I then ran lsmod. It shows the following:

8139too 25600 0

Shouldn't that 0 in the last column be a 1? Any ideas at this point? Is there any other info I could post, or other commands I could try?

Matt

Sorry, I don't have experience with cable modem. Try Search section, there are many posts with same problems.

I've tried to set my card manually as well. Couple questions:

1) Netcardconfig asks for my Network Mask. When running ipconfig /all on my windows maching (I'm swapping the lan cable from my cable modem back and forth trying to troubleshoot)) that is the same as Subnet Mask, right?

2) What do I put for Broadcast Address? That is my MAC (or physical) address, right? Well all I get on ipconfig /all is a hex-dec number (which I know it is supposed to be). How do I change that to an IP address?

3) Nameserver will only let me enter one IP address, but ipconfig /all shows two. How do I change that.

When I set what I think is right manually and then ifconfig, eth0 shows up with the settings I put in, but it still does not work.

Matt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mattr35

(I'm swapping the lan cable from my cable modem back and forth trying to troubleshoot))

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You're making your life awful doing this. Do yourself a big favor and get an inexpensive DSL/cable router (they were dirt cheap this week at CompUSA and Best Buy even had a Linksys for under $5 after rebate).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mattr35

that is the same as Subnet Mask, right?

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Yea

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mattr35

2) What do I put for Broadcast Address? That is my MAC (or physical) address, right? Well all I get on ipconfig /all is a hex-dec number (which I know it is supposed to be). How do I change that to an IP address?

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No your broadcast address is similar to an IP address, except that it's the highest available address as defined by the sub-net mask. That is to say, if your subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 and your IP address is 192.168.1.100 then the broadcast address is 192.168.1.255. The subnet mask is the key. Again it would be very esay to tell you what it should be if you had a router, but without one it depends on what settings your ISP is feeding you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mattr35

3) Nameserver will only let me enter one IP address, but ipconfig /all shows two. How do I change that.

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Put the first one in and don't worry about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mattr35

When I set what I think is right manually and then ifconfig, eth0 shows up with the settings I put in, but it still does not work.

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Again, a home router should make this problem go away; I get all my setting with DHCP and never fool with any of this.

Quote:

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You're making your life awful doing this. Do yourself a big favor and get an inexpensive DSL/cable router (they were dirt cheap this week at CompUSA and Best Buy even had a Linksys for under $5 after rebate).

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Tell me about it. :o My cat thinks every time I move the LAN cable around it is a signal for him to attack it.

I had an old Dlink 713 router that I tried but I think it is dead (hence the reason I was not using it to begin with, but I never throw anything out; have a filing cabinet fill of boards, cables, cards, etc.).

I'll look for a cheap router (has to be under $20 for now - I'm deploying in about a month and won't be messing with this stuff anyway, so figure spend cheap to occupy my hobby for now).

Matt