GreenHares

Something changed recently to my SuSE 9.1 machine. I wonder if it came along with the security patches that I download as a matter of routine.

The upshot was I could no longer access the network.

The problem was exposed in the /var/log/boot.msg log file:

Setting up network interfaces:
    lo
    lo        IP address: 127.0.0.1/8
doneWaiting for mandatory devices:  eth-id-00:30:1b:xx:xx:xx
16 15 14 12 dhcpcd[4519]: broadcasting DHCP_DISCOVER

checkproc: /sbin/dhcpcd 4519
9 checkproc: /sbin/dhcpcd 4519
8 checkproc: /sbin/dhcpcd 4519
6 checkproc: /sbin/dhcpcd 4519
4 checkproc: /sbin/dhcpcd 4519
0 checkproc: /sbin/dhcpcd 4519

    eth1                                interface could not be set up
failed    ppp0
    ppp0      Startmode is 'manual'
skippedSetting up service network  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .failed

It is my good fortune that I have another machine that I could still access the Internet. With the help of Google I found a thread about changes to the Linux 2.6 kernel w.r.t network drivers:

http://lists.suse.com/archive/suse-linux-e/2004-Sep/2645.html

So, after a bit of deliberation, I decided to try a different network card since I had one lying idle in a box under the bed.

1. Popped in the U.S. Robotics RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
2. Recognised by the OS after reboot
3. Configure with YaST
4. Reboot
5. BINGO!

The boot log showed there were still some problems with the DHCP negotiation:

Setting up network interfaces:
    lo
    lo        IP address: 127.0.0.1/8
done    eth0      device: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
    eth0      configuration: eth-id-00:c0:49:xx:xx:xx
    eth0      (DHCP) . dhcpcd[4113]: broadcasting DHCP_REQUEST for 192.168.9.4

dhcpcd[4113]: broadcastAddr option is missing in DHCP server response. Assuming 192.168.9.255
dhcpcd[4113]: dhcpIPaddrLeaseTime=259200 in DHCP server response.
dhcpcd[4113]: dhcpT1value is missing in DHCP server response. Assuming 129600 sec
dhcpcd[4113]: dhcpT2value is missing in DHCP server response. Assuming 226800 sec
dhcpcd[4113]: DHCP_ACK received from  (192.168.9.1)

IP/Netmask: 192.168.9.4 / 255.255.255.0
done    ppp0
    ppp0      Startmode is 'manual'
skippedSetting up service network  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .done

I'll be keeping an eye on this.

22 Sep 2005

Something fishy going on here. Just had a call from a friend who had exactly the same trouble from pretty much the same date. Harware and OS were common but the ADSL router is different.

Hmmm.