Broadcom Nextreme BCM5704 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10). Problem

[Puppyt]

Puppyt's Folly
Well this little project has really shown me up for a klutz- purchased a HP Proliant DL380 (G4) server for data storage and file-sharing. Tried to re-jig it as a video-capture rig (http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=87530) but after those efforts and more realised that I could just use it as a file server. Running into a brick wall with the DHCPCD aspect, as I can't get it networked. I have next to nil experience with networking, by the way, and spending all yesterday hunting around this forum and other linux sites for clues.

I've got it running from a Live CD with a USB for pupsaves, currently running UPUP Precise 3.7.2(i686) but have also had Slacko 5.4 on it to see if it worked. But no luck. I have explored both eth0 and eth1, my cables and connectors, no problems there. I first connected directly to the eth0 port of my Lenovo T60, running Precise 3.8.3 (Tahrpup 6.02 and Lighthouse 64 (515) on the same machine also give no joy). I've disabled the Firewall on the respective machines too. With the network reconfigured after connecting the cable, the Proliant gives in terminal

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#ip route
127.0.0.0/8 dev lo
169.254.0.0/16 dev eth1  src 169.254.13.133 metric 203

Whereas the Lenovo gives only

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#ip route
127.0.0.0/8 dev lo 

Network statistics show the (Proliant) current status as:

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Proto  Local address       Foreign address       State
tcp      0.0.0.0:139         0.0.0.0:*                LISTEN
tcp      0.0.0.0:21          0.0.0.0:*                LISTEN
tcp      127.0.0.1:631       0.0.0.0:*                LISTEN

and Lenovo as

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tcp      0.0.0.0:21       0.0.0.0:*                LISTEN
tcp      127.0.0.1:631    0.0.0.0:*                LISTEN

There's other forms of one-way traffic, with YASSM 2.6 locating a range of hidden shares on the main network (university), but the Proliant unable to do so - indeed I can't get it to log on/ register to the main network. What I haven't done is use a Static IP addressing on the Proliant, but I'm not sure if that would solve the problem.

I also dug out one of my old routers, a Dynalink RTA1046VW to connect the ethernet cables and maybe (?) skirt around the DNS/dhcpcd assignation issues I might be having (?). After I got it all set up however and got both machines configured with the network wizard - the router started to die and keeps re-setting itself with a crackling sound, just before I can even do a software reset on it. With any luck it will resolve if I replace the power transformer on it...

So I am now at wits end - I am sure I have probably missed something obvious. Hoping to solve this problem within Puppy - any suggestions gratefully accepted - but have just downloaded Superb Mini Server 2.0.8 to see if it can give me any insights.

UPDATE: Got the router going briefly - Proliant:

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# ip route
default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth1  metric 203 
127.0.0.0/8 dev lo 
192.168.1.0/24 dev eth1  src 192.168.1.3  metric 203 
# ip address
1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue 
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc mq qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:16:35:80:b7:3b brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: eth1: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:16:35:80:b7:3a brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 192.168.1.3/24 brd 192.168.1.255 scope global eth1

Lenovo:

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# ip route
default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth0  metric 202 
127.0.0.0/8 dev lo 
192.168.1.0/24 dev eth0  src 192.168.1.2  metric 202 

UPDATE 2: Seems most likely that I have to just install the latest tg3 driver, re this thread http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=81373( Fujitsu Esprimo 5905 + Slacko: how to use Ethernet?). Again in Precise 3.7.2, I ran lsmod, modprobe tg3, lspci -k and lspci -nn commands and copied for later reference if required. Not far to go I guess, but I'm still in the dark. Will try again tomorrow.

[rcrsn51]

Do you know for sure which port the cable is connected to - eth0 or eth1? Can you remove one of the Ethernet cards, so you only have an eth0? If not, run

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ifconfig eth1 up
dhcpcd eth1

I didn't understand the business about connecting to the Lenovo or a router. I don't think that gets you anywhere.

I also don't understand the comment about YASSM. It won't work until your machine has joined a network and received a valid IP address.

What kind of network are you trying to join? A home LAN or an enterprise network? Does the Lenovo join this network?

[Puppyt]

Hi rcrsn51, thanks for your response and thanks too for your pointers on the related thread I mentioned in "update 2" above.
Some explanation - the Proliant has 6x300 GB SCSI drives which I use as a repository for my research data/projects and other family archives. I was using the USB 2.0 port for transferring copies of files via flash sticks, but was looking for a more practical solution. Hence the investigation into ftp over a direct network cable to my work machine, the Lenovo, to create a simple LAN directly between two Puppy computers.

On the Proliant, both eth0 and eth1 ports are working fine, but when I get back to work with it I'll change it back to eth0 as you suggested and run the "ifconfig eth0 up, dhcpcd eth0" commands.

I downloaded from Broadcom the tg3-3.137h.tar.gz Linux update for tg3 modules, and ready to install with the devx but haven't completed that yet.

To my understanding (?!), I am getting valid ip addresses on the Proliant ports but there just doesn't appear to be a positive 'handshake' with another computer. I will email again results of the lspci, ipconfig commands to explain my reasoning but have to leave it momentarily.

Update: (just the useful stuff?)

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# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
...
iptable_mangle           897  0 
ipt_REJECT              1514  1 
nf_conntrack_ftp        4496  0 
nf_conntrack_irc        2516  0 
iptable_filter           769  1 
xt_state                 792  4 
nf_conntrack_ipv4       8039  4 
nf_conntrack           41005  4 nf_conntrack_ftp,nf_conntrack_irc,xt_state,nf_conntrack_ipv4
nf_defrag_ipv4           812  1 nf_conntrack_ipv4
ip_tables               6997  2 iptable_mangle,iptable_filter
pcspkr                  1232  0 
cciss                  81779  6 
tg3                   107232  0 
hpilo                   5300  0 
shpchp                 17558  0 
container               1810  0 
thermal                 6354  0 
evdev                   6637  0 
button                  3386  0 
acpi_cpufreq            5391  0 
mperf                    832  1 acpi_cpufreq
processor              22936  1 acpi_cpufreq
thermal_sys            10037  2 thermal,processor
hwmon                    874  2 tg3,thermal_sys
...


# lspci -k
...
01:04.0 System peripheral: Compaq Computer Corporation Integrated Lights Out Controller (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Compaq Computer Corporation Device b206
01:04.2 System peripheral: Compaq Computer Corporation Integrated Lights Out  Processor (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Compaq Computer Corporation Device b206
	Kernel driver in use: hpilo
	Kernel modules: hpilo
02:00.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6700PXH PCI Express-to-PCI Bridge A (rev 09)
	Kernel modules: shpchp
02:00.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6700PXH PCI Express-to-PCI Bridge B (rev 09)
	Kernel modules: shpchp
03:01.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5704 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
	Subsystem: Compaq Computer Corporation NC7782 Gigabit Server Adapter (PCI-X, 10,100,1000-T)
	Kernel driver in use: tg3
	Kernel modules: tg3
03:01.1 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5704 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
	Subsystem: Compaq Computer Corporation NC7782 Gigabit Server Adapter (PCI-X, 10,100,1000-T)
	Kernel driver in use: tg3
	Kernel modules: tg3
...
	

# lspci -nn
...
03:01.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5704 Gigabit Ethernet [14e4:1648] (rev 10)
03:01.1 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5704 Gigabit Ethernet [14e4:1648] (rev 10)
...

 # ifconfig [TO UNI NETWORK]
eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:16:35:80:B7:3A  
          inet addr:169.254.195.32  Bcast:169.254.255.255  Mask:255.255.0.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:1968 errors:0 dropped:262 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:30 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:197170 (192.5 KiB)  TX bytes:6705 (6.5 KiB)
          Interrupt:18 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:65536  Metric:1
          RX packets:48 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:48 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:3504 (3.4 KiB)  TX bytes:3504 (3.4 KiB)

So I think that despite the kernel modules tg3, hpilo reported in use, lsmod command output seems to contradict? This was after running "modprobe tg3" at an earlier stage. I'm hoping that the manual install of the version 3.137h tg3 modules from Broadcom will resolve the issue. Please let me know if I haven't provided the correct diagnostic information above.
To clarify, I had the cable plugged into the uni (enterprise) network, connected OK with network wizard (Dougal's) before this test, but Seamonkey, YASSM, ftp programs all return "no network found"-type errors. No response to the command "ping 8.8.8.8" either. No problems with networking the Lenovo through that same port, but then I have my MAC address registered for my use within the uni.
I had similar results on the Proliant for "ip address", "ip route" and "ifconfig" commands when connected either to the uni network (reported output above), direct to Lenovo or to non-networked router. By contrast, at the other end of a direct link the Lenovo only provides the "127.0.0.1" port after re-running the network wizard (firewall removed). So my connectivity seems to be dropping out somewhere in the chain, not just my IQ...

[rcrsn51]

It sounds like you don't have a home LAN to use. So you are either trying to build one by using a direct connect to the Lenovo. setting up a router or joining the university LAN. How did you do the latter? Did you lug the Proliant over to the university?

1. Connecting the Proliant to the university LAN won't work if you need to register its MAC address first.

2. Doing a direct-connect to the Lenovo won't get you anything useful. You would either need to give them both static IP addresses or start a DHCP server running on one of them. Even then, you couldn't do any file transfers until you started running a server like Samba on one of them.

3. The IP address 169.254.x.y is a bogus address. It indicates the the machine never contacted a DHCP server on its network to receive a valid address.

4. At one point, you got the valid address 192.168.1.3 for eth1 on the Proliant. So it's working. I really doubt if this has anything to do with updating the tg3 driver.

Here is something to try.

1. Do a direct ethernet connection between the Proliant and Lenovo.

2. Power up the Lenovo and open a terminal window. Run:

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mkdir /var/lib/misc
ifconfig eth0 up 192.168.0.1
udhcpd -f 

3. Ignore the "no such file" messages. Leave the terminal open.

4. Boot up the Proliant. It should get the IP address 192.168.0.20 from the Lenovo's DHCP server. But this assumes that your Puppy is smart enough to look at both eth0 and eth1. If not, try

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ifconfig eth1 up
dhcpcd eth1

[Puppyt]

Thanks rcrsn! I'll try that when I get back to the office. Yep - the Proliant isn't mobile, but I was given a cubicle at uni and when it's on, it drowns out the aircon nicely. Had thought I could upgrade components or even recycle the drives for other functions at a later stage if/when needed, but this monster has so many dead-end technologies I will just try to squeeze as much use out of it as practicable. Always learning. Thanks again.

[Puppyt]

Thanks again rcrsn51, I tried your recipe earlier in the week and received:

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# ifconfig eth0 up 192.168.0.1
# udhcpd -f
udhcpd: /etc/udhcpd.conf: No such file or directory
udhcpd (v1.21.0) started
udhcpd: can't open '/var/lib/misc/udhcpd.leases': No such file or directory

I thought my Upup Precise 3.8.3 install might have had problems, but I had similar/same responses from Tahrpup 6.02 and Lighthouse515 on the same machine (Lenovo). I installed JustLighthouse64-603g and still nothing positive from the 'udhcpd' command. Do I have to install anything additional? I can't find udhcpd.conf to simlink it to /etc.

[rcrsn51]

See #3 above. Proceed to #4.

[Puppyt]

Thank you rcrsn51 - spent quite a bit of time trying to get a successful "ping" between the computers via Samba search shares, ftp guis etc but no dice. Will try with other boxes, with Windows it seems, to get any two computers connected directly using the LAN ports. I know this should be a "for dummies" project, but the ducks just aren't seeming to line up in a row. Looking for online references etc.

[rcrsn51]

1. Was the Proliant able to get a good IP address?

2. If you want to do file transfers through Samba, you need to set up a Samba server on one machine. Please describe what you have tried.

[Puppyt]

Will do, rcrsn51 - I will get a chance to reply properly later in the week, as I took notes and saved terminal messages to text files etc etc. There must be something obvious I have overlooked (I ensured that I had the bios properly configured, also) but I will list my steps in detail. Thanks for your patience.