NASLite Network Attached Storage

A number of NICs based on the RTL8169 may have problems with negotiation depending on the hub/switch used. The GA311 is also affected by the problem.

In our lab, the GA311 initialises but fails to properly negotiate when the network cable is not connected at boot. The problem does not appear when the network cable is connected at boot.

This is not a problem isolated to NASLite but all Linux 2.4 systems using the stock r8169 driver. The problem is corrected in the 2.6.11+ kernel and a backport to 2.4.X is pending.

For all having intermittent problems with the GA311, boot with the cable connected and the hub/switch on in order to allow for proper negotiation.

Could my problem be driver related somehow? I dont remember having this problem with versions prior to v2.04:

http://www.serverelements.com/phpBB2/vi ... 94f3c11fd8