[NCLUG] Help needed getting networking running in Debian

[Jake Edge]

On Wed, Jul 10, 2002 at 12:16:29PM -0600, Sivea Key wrote:
> I am trying to get 3 Debian 2.2 boxes running consistently on my LAN. I need
> them to use a Linksys cable router for internet access. I have set up the
> interfaces by editing them manually with vi per instructions in Linux Rute
> Users Tutorial and Exposition and mapped them to each other and the router
> in their respective /etc/hosts files. When I run ifconfig -a on 2 of the
> boxes I do get properly configured th) an lo listed. On those two, when I
> try to us the networking, however, it fails. Box 1 with a Netgear FA310TX
> nic, gives the error "SIOCSIFFLAGS: Resource temporarily unavailable" when I
> run ifconfig eth0 up. Pinging the router of course fails saying network is
> unreachable. When I installed Debian, I compiled the Dec whatever Tulip
> driver for that nic. (That's an AMD 1600)

Sounds like there could be a problem with the NIC card, I remember running
into similar problems with a Tulip based card at one point.  You might
try some of the diagnostic programs at www.scyld.com/page/support/network/

> Box 2 works to a point after reboot. I can run ifconfig eth0 up without
> error but lynx says "Alert!: Unable to cnnect to remote host. . . .lynx:
> Can't access startfile http://www.excite.com/" and the PING of the router
> seems to hang after saying "PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes".
> (That machine is a PentPro 200, BTW.)

This looks odd ... it would appear that box 2 and the router both have the
IP address of 192.168.1.1 (or the router is resolving, via DNS or /etc/hosts,
possibly incorrectly, to that address ...

> Box 3 only lists the loopback when I run ifconfig -a in spite of the
> /etc/network/interfaces file having been edited to contain address, netmask,
> network, gateway and broadcast addresses (yes, I checked to be sure I really
> changed them). When I run ifconfig eth0 up it says "unknown interface: No
> such device". On boot up all the networking configuration after Setting up
> IP spoofing protection say  the same thing. My guess is that the driver
> isn't loading for some reason. But my books don't have enough information
> for me to figure out how to get that working on startup (or any other time).

It sounds like the driver for the NIC card is not getting loaded ... what
NIC is it?  If it is the same as Box 1, do 'lsmod' as root and see if there
is a 'tulip.o' listed ...

If I were you, I would pick one box (2 sounds like it is the closest to
working) and get it up and running first, then tackle the others ...

jake

--  
Jake Edge - Stellar Software Consulting, LLC - www.stellarsc.com
jake at edge2.net