[ltp] T40: airo_mpi death under high load? (fwd)

[linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org]

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003, Fabrice Bellet wrote:

> "newer Cisco cards have firmwares _so_ new, you have to boot into _windows_
> to flash then back to a linux-friendly firmware.  The new firmware (5th rev?)
> will lock the system on "modprobe mpi350", you need to get back to the 50003
> firmware.  Cisco cards with firmware ver. 50001, 50003, 50220, 52017 are all
> revertable in our testing.

OK: terminology for firmware levels gets confusing here but I think
I recognise 50003 as being my 05.00.03 I'm currently running, as
reported by the XP client.  Certainly, it's revertible on the card
shipped with my T40 (if you keep XP, not tried acu!) and worked as
delivered - only broke later when I stupidly let XP update it.

Not sure what your 5b00.08 is!  Where is this reported in Linux?

> I have the same drop out problems under high load too. Both with the
> airo_mpi driver and with the cisco driver too, which is somewhat logical, as
> both share a very similar code for tx/rx/interrupt handler. I can only test 
> with Linux.
> 
> Did you try the cisco driver for linux in the same load conditions ? And
> is it more stable ?

Nope: never have as I didn't like the idea of a non-standard
interface.  I'll try to have a go soon, though.

> Mine quietly stops working with a message "NETDEV WATCHDOG:
> eth1: transmit timed out" in my logs. Trying to remove the driver in this
> state usually freezes the machine. I made a lot of tests during several 
> hours, and another typical error message of the cisco driver is :
> 
> Aug 14 14:28:52 localhost kernel: Command int!
> Aug 14 14:28:52 localhost kernel: Link stat int ls=8001
> Aug 14 14:28:52 localhost kernel: No carrier
> Aug 14 14:30:56 localhost kernel: venuscommand cmd = 21

As you say, very hard to get anywhere with so many variables: I don't
get crashes like yours above, and you don't get crashes like mine.
Maybe if we try the same firmware level..?

One last question, just in case we are dealing with simultaneous bad
hardware, or an early firmware problem with the hardware: do you still
have XP installed?  If so, does it also stop working under heavy load
and device look as if it's suddenly missing?  Mine does.  Suspicious.