netgear ga622T gbit dead under 2.4.20

[SuSE Linux 8.2, kernel 2.4.20, ns83820 driver version 0.20]
I have two x86 linux boxes, each with a Netgear GA622T copper
gigabit card. I connected them directly with a cat-6 cable,
but they won't talk to each other. I get a zillion messages:

NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth1: transmit timed out
eth1: tx_timeout: tx_done_idx=80 free_idx=71 cmdsts=80000056
eth1: after: tx_done_idx=80 free_idx=71 cmdsts=80000056
eth1: ns83820_tx_watch: 80 71 119

on both machines, and no packets received. I also tried a cat-5
crossover cable with the same results. Is there some newer or
different driver that would work, or do I have to shell out for
a gigabit switch to connect these? I hate to pay for a switch
when I only need two nodes (this is part of a high-availability
server pair, so I also would like to avoid the complexity of
more hardware...).
--
George Young
gee arr why@ll.mit.edu
[three letter username]

George Young <gee_arr_why@ll.mit.edu> wrote in
news:pan.2004.01.12.15.20.31.862155@ll.mit.edu:

> [SuSE Linux 8.2, kernel 2.4.20, ns83820 driver version 0.20]
> I have two x86 linux boxes, each with a Netgear GA622T copper
> gigabit card. I connected them directly with a cat-6 cable,
> but they won't talk to each other. I get a zillion messages:
>
> NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth1: transmit timed out
> eth1: tx_timeout: tx_done_idx=80 free_idx=71 cmdsts=80000056
> eth1: after: tx_done_idx=80 free_idx=71 cmdsts=80000056
> eth1: ns83820_tx_watch: 80 71 119
>
> on both machines, and no packets received. I also tried a cat-5
> crossover cable with the same results. Is there some newer or
> different driver that would work, or do I have to shell out for
> a gigabit switch to connect these? I hate to pay for a switch
> when I only need two nodes (this is part of a high-availability
> server pair, so I also would like to avoid the complexity of
> more hardware...).

Disable APIC by booting the kernel w/ noapic parms and try again.



P.Krumins