[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       ipcop-user
Subject:    Re: [IPCop-user] IP-COP in Datacenter, need your advice
From:       "care free" <care_free () hotmail ! com>
Date:       2004-01-30 22:14:05
Message-ID: BAY2-F77GPlrwAnekVg000310cd () hotmail ! com
[Download RAW message or body]

>From: Russ Johnson <russj@dimstar.net>
>To: IPCop-user@lists.sourceforge.net
>Subject: Re: [IPCop-user] IP-COP in Datacenter, need your advice
>Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 09:32:02 -0800
>
>Michael Handiboe wrote:
>
>>I've had this experience.  Make sure you are using quality NICs.
>>D-Link / RTL8139 types 'work', but they seem to be the issue.
>>But I'm not certain about that, either.
>>
>>By quality NIC, I mean 3COM or Intel, both 'server' class.
>>

I have had problem with configuring Intel nix in a multiple nix boxes.  
Intel nix don't mix well with other nix.  I know that 3Com are reliable.  I 
began using Intel recently.  By themselves, they are really good on 
workstations, but when I mix them with 3Com, they don't operate properly and 
screw up other nix settings.

>Unless something has changed recently, the Intel NIC sucks with linux. Even 
>the "server" class NIC.
>
>I've tried for two years to get the Intel NICs  to work reliably.
>
>Here's my scenario. I don't run IPCOP in this scenario, but I do run a lab 
>with 200 computers, and gigabytes of traffic on the wire.
>
>200+ computers. Various OSes. Redhat, Mandrake, Debian, Turbo, FreeBSD, 
>Windows. Various class machines. from 300 mhz celerons to 2.4 ghz Pentium 
>4s. Several 1000 mhz  Athlons thrown in for good measure.
>
>LOTS of testing going on, with LOTS of  network traffic. Our product sends 
>emails under certain circumstances, and on any given day, we have 50,000 
>emails cross the wire on this segment of our LAN. That's in addition to the 
>QA folks actually manually testing the product, and our automated testing 
>harness that tests various aspects, repeatedly sending commands to many 
>computers, over the wire.
>
>Now, to the issue with Intel NICs.
>
>I have ONLY had this problem with Intel NICs. On occasion, I'll start 
>seeing error messages on the console on any particular Linux box with an 
>Intel NIC in it. The error message indicated "Too much work at interrupt". 
>Then, after a short time later, the box just stops responding over that 
>network connection. Stopping and starting the network from the console will 
>bring it back for a while, but it's a much shorter time before it's 
>unreachable again. I don't have an example readily available here, but 
>here's a recent message from another mailing list describing similar 
>circumstances: 
>http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0312.3/0307.html
>
>You'll notice that this message has no response... Not a good sign.
>
>I've tried rebuilding the kernel, I've tried various NICs. All of them 
>exhibited the same symptoms. The best fix I found was to replace the NIC 
>with a Netgear NIC. The Netgear NIC has been rock solid and doesn't give me 
>any errors.
>
>As a side note, this same NIC performs well with Windows. I don't know if  
>the driver in Windows is getting the same problem and not reporting it, but 
>I do know that I have Windows boxes with months of uptime, and not a single 
>Intel NIC in a Windows box has quit listening. The Linux boxes go two 
>months tops before they start to experience this problem.
>
>So... in short... I'd stay away from Intel NICs when running Linux.
>
>Russ
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------
>The SF.Net email is sponsored by EclipseCon 2004
>Premiere Conference on Open Tools Development and Integration
>See the breadth of Eclipse activity. February 3-5 in Anaheim, CA.
>http://www.eclipsecon.org/osdn
>_______________________________________________
>IPCop-user mailing list
>IPCop-user@lists.sourceforge.net
>https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ipcop-user

_________________________________________________________________
Let the new MSN Premium Internet Software make the most of your high-speed 
experience. http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-us&page=byoa/prem&ST=1



-------------------------------------------------------
The SF.Net email is sponsored by EclipseCon 2004
Premiere Conference on Open Tools Development and Integration
See the breadth of Eclipse activity. February 3-5 in Anaheim, CA.
http://www.eclipsecon.org/osdn
_______________________________________________
IPCop-user mailing list
IPCop-user@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ipcop-user
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]