solved-e1000e driver works... until it doesn't (~5s) - HP Compaq 6720s

francisc1701 · 2009-08-19 11:23:52

Hi all!

I recently installed Arch on my HP Compaq 6720s.
The only major problem so far is that I can't get the wired ethernet to work properly.
I plug in the cable, bring the interface up (ifconfig eth0 up), request an ip (dhcpcd eth0), get 192.168.1.101 (as configured in the router), ping the router (ping 192.168.1.1) and I get 5 or 6 replies, after which ping says "network unreachable".
If I do the above again, but wait a minute or so before I ping the router, it goes straight to "network unreachable".

Here's the output of lspci:

[root@myhost /]# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile GME965/GLE960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GME965/GLE960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GME965/GLE960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)

00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82562GT 10/100 Network Connection (rev 03)

00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
10:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02)

The output of "lsmod | grep -i e1"

[root@myhost /]# lsmod | grep -i e1
e1000e                121588  0

The output of "ifconfig -a":

[root@myhost /]# ifconfig -a
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1F:29:94:E3:78  
          BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:13 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:23 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:3960 (3.8 Kb)  TX bytes:2766 (2.7 Kb)
          Memory:e4600000-e4620000 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:318 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:318 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:18749 (18.3 Kb)  TX bytes:18749 (18.3 Kb)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1F:3C:63:D2:8C  
          inet addr:192.168.1.101  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1492  Metric:1
          RX packets:2450 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:1439 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:635792 (620.8 Kb)  TX bytes:248119 (242.3 Kb)

wmaster0  Link encap:UNSPEC  HWaddr 00-1F-3C-63-D2-8C-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  
          UP RUNNING  MTU:0  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:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

I removed e1000e and inserted it back again. This is what dmesg says:

wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:1e:e5:98:e0:18
wlan0: authenticated
wlan0: associate with AP 00:1e:e5:98:e0:18
wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:1e:e5:98:e0:18 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
wlan0: associated
padlock: VIA PadLock not detected.
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
   (The following 2 lines appeared after "modprobe -r e1000e")
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: pci_disable_pcie_error_reporting failed 0xfffffffb
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PCI INT A disabled
   (The following lines appeared after "modprobe e1000e")
e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - 0.3.3.4-k4
e1000e: Copyright (c) 1999-2008 Intel Corporation.
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: setting latency timer to 64
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 28 for MSI/MSI-X
0000:00:19.0: eth0: (PCI Express:2.5GB/s:Width x1) 00:1f:29:94:e3:78
0000:00:19.0: eth0: Intel(R) PRO/10/100 Network Connection
0000:00:19.0: eth0: MAC: 6, PHY: 7, PBA No: ffffff-0ff

At this point I brought eth0 up again, requested an IP and got one. Then I waited a minute or so and checked dmesg. It looks weird:

e1000e 0000:00:19.0: pci_disable_pcie_error_reporting failed 0xfffffffb
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PCI INT A disabled
e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - 0.3.3.4-k4
e1000e: Copyright (c) 1999-2008 Intel Corporation.
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: setting latency timer to 64
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 28 for MSI/MSI-X
0000:00:19.0: eth0: (PCI Express:2.5GB/s:Width x1) 00:1f:29:94:e3:78
0000:00:19.0: eth0: Intel(R) PRO/10/100 Network Connection
0000:00:19.0: eth0: MAC: 6, PHY: 7, PBA No: ffffff-0ff
   All this appeared after "ifconfig eth0 up" and "dhcpcd eth0":
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 28 for MSI/MSI-X
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 28 for MSI/MSI-X
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1500 to 1492
0000:00:19.0: eth0: changing MTU from 1492 to 1500
e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO

The ethernet port has two leds next to it, one green, one orange. The green one should be lit all the time when there's a cable connected, but it periodically goes dark after I bring eth0 up. It seems to coincide with the periodic "changing mtu" stuff reported by dmesg.

The wired ethernet card works in Kubuntu Hardy so it's not a hardware issue. Kubuntu Hardy however uses the e1000 driver.

Googling turned up this interesting article: http://lwn.net/Articles/278016/ which explains why the e1000 driver from Arch doesn't work for me.

As of today (august 19 2009) at 11:00 UTC my system is up to date.

This is pretty much all I have. Any ideas on how to solve the problem?

Last edited by francisc1701 (2009-08-28 10:34:15)

slumslayer · 2009-08-19 12:30:37

Maybe you can try to compile your own kernel. My 6720s is working fine with 2.6.31-rc* (I don't know about the kernel provided by arch as I not using it since 2.6.28 at least)

francisc1701 · 2009-08-19 13:14:19

slumslayer wrote:

Maybe you can try to compile your own kernel. My 6720s is working fine with 2.6.31-rc*

Where did you get that kernel?

I tried to compile my own kernel once, not that I needed to, but I thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, all those options overwhelmed me (do I need support for foo or is it safe to disable that? should it be built in, or a module?) Just too many options about which I knew nothing. For this reason I'd rather not have to compile it myself. Plus, I don't know if it would actually help with my problem.

manu83 · 2009-08-19 14:57:36

pretty the same situation with my WIRELESS connection.
Just re-installed arch after one year, wireless card seems to work (dhcpcd gives me a valid address, i can ping my router and even www.google.com)
but after a few seconds I lose my connection. Network unreachable.

francisc1701 · 2009-08-28 10:32:19

I found a solution.

The very latest 2.6.31-rc6 kernel didn't help, the 2.6.24 kernel (which Ubuntu Hardy uses) didn't help, compiling the latest version of the e1000e driver from Sourceforge didn't help either. The solution is much simpler: I had to set the MTU to 1492 manually:

# ifconfig eth0 mtu 1492

This will probably have to go in rc.local, or maybe in wicd's preconnection script.

I have no idea why this is necessary in Arch - Ubuntu doesn't need it (at least Hardy doesn't, I haven't tried anything more recent).

Arch Linux

#1 2009-08-19 11:23:52

solved-e1000e driver works... until it doesn't (~5s) - HP Compaq 6720s

#2 2009-08-19 12:30:37

Re: solved-e1000e driver works... until it doesn't (~5s) - HP Compaq 6720s

#3 2009-08-19 13:14:19

Re: solved-e1000e driver works... until it doesn't (~5s) - HP Compaq 6720s

#4 2009-08-19 14:57:36

Re: solved-e1000e driver works... until it doesn't (~5s) - HP Compaq 6720s

#5 2009-08-28 10:32:19

Re: solved-e1000e driver works... until it doesn't (~5s) - HP Compaq 6720s

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