[NTLUG:Discuss] NIC Woes

[Tom McDonald]

WILLIAM PEARSON wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I'm trying to get my Linux box to connect to my cable modem through an 8
> port hub. Got an additional IP from AT&T and everything I need. However
> everytime the computer boots up and tries to initialize eth0, the light
> showing the presance of the NIC on the hub goes out. I've got Red Hat 6.0
> and 7.0, both versions do it. I'm curious if anyone else has had this
> problem and would know if it's a linux, driver, or NIC problem. Might AT&T
> have issued me a duplicate IP and it's dropping it accordingly? Any help
> would be appriciated. Also, what is the difference between Server and
> Workstation with Linux. I know the difference between Server and
> Workstation with NT. With Linux the two look almost identical but with
> different software packages installed, perhaps I'm correct?
> 
> William Pearson
> A+ Certified Technician
> 
> _______________________________________________
> http://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

Some older/inexpensive NIC's don't show a light until the card is
initialized, or will turn the light off if the card is brought down.  

Linux will initialize the card when it tries to bring up the
interface.  I suspect that the initialization fails, and the card is
turned off.  Usually the system will defer the initialization for a
short period and the next attempt to initialize the card is successful
so the light should come back on.

If the light stays off, run ifconfig -a to show the configuration of
the card. If the interface is up and the light is off, I would suspect
an incorrect driver. If the interface is down and the light is off, it
is probably functioning as designed.

On your other question, a Server is a software program not hardware. 
(true with NT also) a host is the hardware. The difference between a
workstation and server is the absence or presence of the software
running on the host.

-- 
Tom McDonald    <tom at compuclaim.com>

Diplomacy is to do and say, the nastiest thing in the nicest way.
		-- Balfour