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To: Javier Martin Rueda <jmrueda@diatel.upm.es>
cc: questions@FreeBSD.org
Subject: Re: Network connection halts for a while, then resumes (2.0R) 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 16 Mar 95 17:19:39 +0100."
             <634*/S=jmrueda/OU=diatel/O=upm/PRMD=iris/ADMD=mensatex/C=es/@MHS> 
From: David Greenman <davidg@Root.COM>
Reply-To: davidg@Root.COM
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 12:38:29 -0800
Sender: questions-owner@FreeBSD.org
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>I'm trying to setup a computer that will act as a file server under FreeBSD.
>
>The main details of the hardware configuration are:
>
>Motherboard: 486DX2-66 PCI+VESA, Opti chipset
>PCI SCSI adapter: Buslogic Bt946C
>SCSI disk: Conner CFP1060S
>PCI Ethernet card: SMC EtherPower 8432BT
>DSP 550: serial card with two 16550A ports.
>
>Originally, I planned to install FreeBSD 1.1.5.1, but I found that the
>network card was not supported in that release. So, I went with 2.0R.
...
>My problem is that, suddenly, the network ceases to work for about 5-10
>minutes. After that time, it begins to work again. This may happen when the
>system has been up for just 10 minutes, or when it's been up for an hour.
>It happens again after a while, and so on. I may be telnetting, or
>maybe ftping. I haven't been able to find a clearly repeatable pattern.
>By the way, I don't think that it is a problem of cables or connections.
...
>Does anybody have any idea of what can be going on? Has anybody experienced
>similar problems?

   There were several bugs in the if_de driver that were fixed in post-2.0R.
The changes to all of the ethernet drivers are significant enough that porting
a current driver back into 2.0R would be difficult.
   The only easy remedies I can think of would be to install the next snapshot
(due out RSN), or use a different ethernet card (like an SMC 8416) until 2.1R
is available.

-DG