Xircom cardbus ethernet problem - won't receive any packets

[zeroid]

I'm trying to get Puppy Linux working on an old laptop. The network card has been detected once I added the right xircom module and I can configure the card and connect it to a network. However even though the card will send out packets, it cannot receive any replies (as shown in the stats of ifconfig).

I have confirmed with a hub and another PC running Wireshark that packets are sent out, but the replies from this PC are apparently not seen by the Xircom.

Is this a known problem, something obvious I can fix? If not I'll have to try a different linux distro - I don't have any other PCMCIA network cards available. I've tried puppy 4.1 (didn't even need to add a module here but same problem with the card) but now running with 3.01 (couldn't create save data with 4.1).

The full details of the card are:
RealPort CardBus Ethernet 10/100+ Modem 56
RBEM56G-100

and I'm using a Dell latitude CPx laptop.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

[sindi]

I have a bright orange double-thick no-dongle-needed xircom
cardbus card which works perfectly in puppy 4.1.2 pulp,
but in puppy 4.3.1 (kernel 2.6.21) and wary 5.5 and lupu 5.2.5
'no interface seen'. I tried various wizards.

It is my only card that does not require a dongle (which tends
to break or fall out).

Used in a DELL Inspiron 8200 and has been used in other laptops
with two PCMCIA slots.

Lupu 5.2.8 broke support for orinoco_cs, and I think puppy 5
in general stopped supporting non-cardbus cards unless you
edit a line in some file, but what went wrong with xircom?

Is the card omitted from a config file in later puppies?

[tempestuous]

Lupu 5.2.8 broke support for orinoco_cs

Are you sure the version of 5.2.8 you have is lupu-5.2.8.7-20141203.iso ? Or could it be
lupu3hd-5.2.8.7-20141203.iso
or
lupusuper1-5.2.8.7-k3.0.25-20141203.iso

These other two versions have different kernels. In any case to diagnose (and then hopefully fix) the problem, we need the critical diagnostic information that I explained last February -

Code: Select all

pccardctl status
pccardctl ident

From the last command, you should see your wifi card listed, and also its device ID. Please report this number.

If you cannot see the wifi card listed, reset the Cardbus interface like this -

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pccardctl eject
pccardctl insert

Now run "pccardctl ident" again.
If still no luck, it may be that pcmciautils is not running, so do this -

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pcmcia-socket-startup

and run "pccardctl ident" again.

xircom_cb works in puppy 4.1.2 pulp not in 4.3 or 5

Same again. We need the diagnostic commands above, and the resultant device ID.