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Thread ID: 12618	2001-11-03 04:22:00	Ethernet connection locking out	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
23504	2001-11-03 04:22:00	Oh Dear! My speedy surfing didn't last. Although I can access the net at full speed when the connection is up, my ethernet card seems to go to sleep after a variable period from 2-10 minutes and I have to reboot to get it going again. Normal service is still available from my other PC so the hub-modem combination are functioning OK. System is a P166 with 192MB RAM, A-Trend ATC-5030 motherboard with Intel 430TX chipset. OS is Win98. The ethernet connection is via a new DSE (Realtek RTL8139) 10/100 PCI network card. It auto installs on IRQ11 and I can't shift it to IRQ5 which is free because the device manager/resources feature tells me 'this resource setting cannot be modified' There are a number of settings for the card available under 'advanced' in the NIC properties box but DSE provide no info on how to set them and I couldn't find anything on the net. When it is down, I can't access email or the web. I can ping the IP address of my modem and get a reply, however I can't ping anything on the other side of the modem or the other PC. Pings go through normally from the other PC including those to the IP address of the problem PC. Is that weird or what? I think I may have to toss the card out and buy something a bit better but before I do, is there anything I can configure or check that might help? If all else fails, what is a reliable brand of network card that comes with adequate documentation? (Sorry about the novelette KO but at least I remembered the system details this time.) Jack	Guest (0)
23505	2001-11-03 05:42:00	I don't think a new card will make any difference, it certainly didn't for me when I had a similar problem. It's most likely a setting somewhere that needs a tweak (speaking of tweak'e he knows more about this than me, I'm sure he will have an answer soon, he's probably out cutting the grass under his electric fence) One thing worth doing for a start, is in those advanced settings for your nic, set the coalesence buffers from the default of probably 8 to 12. I read this tip at http://www.helmig.com/ about 18mths ago, can't quite remember what it did now, but I do it every time I setup a network with W98 computers	Guest (0)
23506	2001-11-03 06:01:00	I have the same NIC, and have had no real problems (only windows related), although I only use it for LAN games. Try moving the card to another slot to change the IRQ its assigned. Disableing COM1 and 2 (in your BIOS) seems to help as well if you don't need them. In the advanced settings you mentioned, you could also try disableing all the ones relating to power savings. The latest drivers, and some docs that may help are here: www.realtek.com.tw(A/B/C/8130)/810X%20Family&category=1	Guest (0)
23507	2001-11-03 06:04:00	Why do you want to change the IRQ, is it clashing or sharing with something else on 11. They are normally on 10 or 11	Guest (0)
23508	2001-11-03 07:02:00	Hi KO The only reason I wanted to change the IRQ was because when the card takes that IRQ it shunts something else off to another IRQ and the first time this happened the computer became unstable. At the moment 11 is shared by the NIC, USB host controller and 'IRQ holder for PCI Steering' whatever that is. Oh, and I need coms 1 & 2 for multiple uses so I can't free them up. From your previous post, what is a coalesence buffer and where is it set? I am now going to download whatever I can from Realtek's site and the only reason I hadn't tried this already is that the opening screen says something about there being no drivers on it. My gut feeling is that a tweak will probably fix it since it goes fine before it gets tired. (Where is tweak`e when we need him, I'll go and clear his electric fence if that will help!) Interesting paradox that, animals can't keep the wire free of grass because the fence keeps them away! I'll post progress. Thanks again to all, you are really appreciated. Jim	Guest (0)
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