Knoppix 5.0.1 'sees' eth0 but network stays DOWN

[JohnnyH]

I've not found this specific problem in the Forum, and would be grateful if anybody can suggest what might be the cause and cure.

The NIC is recognised, and successfully gets its IP address from the Router, but it will not come UP and connect to the internet (nor anything else).

ifconfig (alone) just displays the local loopback, implying by omission that eth0 is DOWN.
The following typical terminal ouput (annotated) was taken with the live CD running in a COMPAQ Presario, and shows the interface status, configuration, and failure to connect with the Router (192.168.2.1) :-

root@1[root]# ifconfig -v -a
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:30:BD:07:40:F0
inet addr:192.168.2.55 Bcast:255.255.255.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 # NOTE ! No "UP", no "RUNNING"
RX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:3780 (3.6 KiB) TX bytes:3372 (3.2 KiB)
Interrupt:17 Base address:0x1080

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:14 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:14 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:700 (700.0 b) TX bytes:700 (700.0 b)

sit0 Link encap:IPv6-in-IPv4
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
NOARP MTU:1480 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

root@1[root]# ifup eth0 # (Still doesn't work)
root@1[root]# ifup eth0
ifup: interface eth0 already configured
root@1[root]# ping 192.168.2.1
connect: network is unreachable
root@1[root]# pump -i eth0 -s
Device eth0
IP: 192.168.2.55
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Broadcast: 255.255.255.255
Network: 192.168.2.0
Boot server 192.168.2.1
Next server 0.0.0.0
Gateway: 192.168.2.1
Gateways: 192.168.2.1
Boot file: ÿ
Domain: Belkin
Nameservers: 192.168.2.1
Renewal time: Thu Oct 5 05:48:23 2006
Expiration time: Thu Oct 5 07:18:23 2006
root@1[root]#

Exactly the same happens with Knoppix 5.0.1 running in my other, "white-box", machine (NIC is COMPAQ NC3120 , for which the e100 driver is installed), whether as :-
- Live CD or
- CD ISO image in VMPlayer on HD-installed Knoppix 3.7.

Remark (1): When the 5.0.1 files are extracted to HD for re-mastering and the system run in chroot, the system successfully "hitch-hikes" upon the host Knoppix 3.7 (2.4 kernel) system networking.

Remark (2): Knoppix 5.0.1 above is v.5.0.1-CD version 2006-09-01. md5sum of the KNOPPIX file is correct.

Remark (3): The Knoppix 5.0.1 DVD behaves in the same way, and so does Musix, a contemporaneous derivative. (My search for other suitable candidates continues...)

Remark (4): I do not suspect a hardware issue, as:
- It happens on different PCs,
- Mepis and Kubuntu and Suse (all 2.6 kernel) network OK on the hardware.

(Why not give up and use Mepis or Kubuntu ? They are splendid for simple desktop use, but Knoppix provides a more Debian-like basis for further personalisation ... and Knoppix 3.7, the last using the 2.4 kernel and that fully works for me, has gone about as far as I can take it with Debian Backports and compiled programs.)

Thanks to the many helpful posters on the Forum [/list][/code]

[Harry Kuhman]

I'm not sure about your "not UP" diagnosis. I sure looks up to me. Let me congratulate you on giving us some info to pick through though.

As you say, you seem to get your setup by DHCP when you boot. By all standards you must be up to do that. One thing that I don't like about the information that you captured is that broadcast address. It could cause problems, including the computer not responding to network discovery broadcasts properly. But let's try a few things:

• boot Knoppix, confirm that you have been assigned an IP in the 192.168.2.xxx range. in a console type ping 192.168.2.1 to ping the router. Does that get a response?
  
  If it does, try ping 72.36.188.40
  
  If that works try ping knoppix.net

You might also want to try netcardconfig (from a console terminal or the menu). Answering yes to the DHCP question should get you the same setup as when you booted (but worth confirming). Run it again and answer the DHCP question no. Give yourself another unused IP in that range, say 192.168.2.201. Set the mask to 255.255.255.0. Set the default gatway to the router at 192.168.2.1 and set the broadcast address to what it should be, 192.168.2.255. See if that helps.

[JohnnyH]

Thanks - what a quick response!

I had tried the netcard setup (both via console and Knoppix button) accepting DHCP , also the pings and none worked. So now to try your suggestion of Broadcast mask 192.168.2.255 .. clicking-on VMPlayer Knoppix5 ...

It works !
Interestingly, it 'kills' pump: # pump -i eth0 -s now returns "Operation failed" ,
but the output from # ifconfig -v -a for eth0 now includes, as it should,
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST...

It's strange that Broadcast address 255.255.255.255 that DHCP-type set-up generates does work with Knoppix 3.7,
Mepis, Kubuntu etc... whilst it doesn't with Knoppix5. - anyway I am delighted to be able to get it going at last.

Harry - if I may be so familiar - Thanks again for your very helpful response.

[Harry Kuhman]

I can't account for a 255.255.255.255 broadcast address ever working; it shouldn't, as the system would never see real network broadcasts. However, the nature of the problems that are caused by that might be confusing and hard to spot.

If you're talking about Knoppix running under the VMware player you should be very clear about that. I didn't get that impression from your first post in this thread, and in fact the IP addresses used seem to contradict that. But you mention VMplayer in your last post. Of course. running under VMPlayer uses very different network connections. Any problem seen under VMPlayer should be tested under the real live CD. And, of course, working under VMPlayer does not assure that Knoppix will work with your hardware when not running under VMplayer.

If you're using ruymbeke's vmware appliance, I find it works pretty well but there is something about the ethernet port setup that is different from other VMWare setups that I have (such as Debian). Ruymbeke's Knoppix does not let me see eth0 under ethereal in VMPlayer, while my VMplayer Debian does. I don't yet know enough about VMWare to know what the difference is. If you do please let me know.

[JohnnyH]

Ok back from booting the Presario upstairs with Knoppix 5.0.1 live CD.
Success! It confirms that it works with the live CD as well.
(I gave the full details just for the live CD in the Presario in my first posting so as not to over-load the post, with only passing mentions for VMPlayer etc. as it was completely representative of all test modes). I was interested to note that the VMPlayer-hosted image has VMWare's own 'pseudo' MAC hardware address - which makes sense of course - and its own IP address was allocated OK under DHCP, which I re-used in the non-DHCP set-up.

I'm using VMWare's recently released VMPlayer VMware-player-1.0.2-29634.tar.gz on Knoppix 3.7 with the libraries updated to Debian Sarge. So far I have found it to be 'transparently' representative of a 'real' set-up, except that the sound card doesn't work, but I haven't needed that for my applications.

Once again, many thanks for your help.

[JohnnyH]

Addendum: Just to add information; I next installed Knoppix 5.0.1 to the Hard Drive, and it came up automatically with Broadcast address 192.168.2.255 and working OK.

[gmaruzz]

Hi

I had the same problem, eth0 recognized, pump started, eth is given IP but no UP, and I suspect is related with the broadcast address of 255.255.255.255 , given by Fastweb.it DHCP.

If I pump -k eth0; ifconfig up eth0 ; pump -i eth0 , then eth0 take his IP number, the resolv.conf is correctly updated, but eth0 is down (so route -n gives nothing).

I need to ifconfig eth0 up then configure with route(1) manually, then all works.

Maybe would be useful to make pump resilient in case of silly broadcast addresses like 255.255.255.255 ?

Bye to all,

Giovanni

[gmaruzz]

Hi

I had the same problem as other Knoppix 5.01 livecd:

eth0 is recognized at boot, pump started, eth0 is given IP but is no UP, and I suspect is related with the broadcast address of 255.255.255.255 , given by Fastweb.it DHCP.

If I pump -k eth0; ifconfig up eth0 ; pump -i eth0 , then eth0 take his IP number, the resolv.conf is correctly updated, but eth0 is down (so route -n gives nothing).

I need to ifconfig eth0 up then configure with route(1) manually, then all works.

Maybe would be useful to make pump resilient in case of silly broadcast addresses like 255.255.255.255 ?

Bye to all,

Giovanni



Oct 11 17:50:12 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: PUMP: sending discover
Oct 11 17:50:13 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: got dhcp offer
Oct 11 17:50:13 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: PUMP: sending second discover
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: PUMP: got an offer
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: PUMP: got lease
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: device: eth0
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: set: 416
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: bootServer: 1.124.232.40
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: reqLease: 43200
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: ip: 1.124.232.44
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: next server: 0.0.0.0
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: netmask: 255.255.255.0
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: gateways[0]: 1.124.232.1
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: numGateways: 1
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: dnsServers[0]: 1.253.128.10
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: dnsServers[1]: 1.253.128.11
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: numDns: 2
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: domain: residential.fw
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: broadcast: 255.255.255.255
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: mtu: 64
Oct 11 17:50:14 Knoppix pumpd[4386]: intf: network: 1.124.232.0