Hi, I've set up a bridge using the 2.6.11.6 kernel. The machine is running Debian testing with three NICs in it. eth0 is a standard 100Mb Intel NIC, eth1 and eth2 are both Intel gigabit cards using the e1000 driver.


I tested everything at 100Mb and it worked fine. I moved the machine into production, eth1 plugging into a dumb 100Mb D-link switch, eth2 plugging into a shiney new Cisco 2950.

eth2 connects fine, giving me messages such as:
Apr 18 13:58:39 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down
Apr 18 13:58:56 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:56 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
Apr 18 13:59:11 portcullis kernel: br0: topology change detected, propagating
Apr 18 13:59:11 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering forwarding state


eth1 however is a different story. If I plugged that into the D-Link it would come up for a few seconds, then down again, then up and just cycle between being up and down. Example:

Apr 18 13:58:26 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down
Apr 18 13:58:26 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering disabled state
Apr 18 13:58:27 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:27 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
Apr 18 13:58:27 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down
Apr 18 13:58:28 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering disabled state
Apr 18 13:58:29 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:29 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state
Apr 18 13:58:29 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Down
Apr 18 13:58:30 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering disabled state
Apr 18 13:58:32 portcullis kernel: e1000: eth2: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Apr 18 13:58:32 portcullis kernel: br0: port 2(eth2) entering learning state


I do have it running now by plugging it into a gigabit switch where it connects at 1G, then plugging the gig switch into the D-link, not an ideal solution, but one that appears to be working ok.

I'm curious if anyone knows why this is happening. Its a first for me, but this also is the first bridge I've made which features gigabit cards. Interestingly if I swap over eth1 and eth2 (so eth1 goes into the Cisco and eth2 goes to the D-link) the same flipflop state occurs.

        If it helps, here is the relevant ifconfig:

br0       Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:03:47:DF:7A:61
          inet6 addr: fe80::203:47ff:fedf:7a61/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:34792 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:5 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:2778388 (2.6 MiB)  TX bytes:378 (378.0 b)

eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:03:47:DF:7A:7F
          inet6 addr: fe80::203:47ff:fedf:7a7f/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:737391 errors:3 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:2
          TX packets:745309 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:744737
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:164455079 (156.8 MiB)  TX bytes:132234584 (126.1 MiB)
          Memory:dffa0000-dffc0000

eth2      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:03:47:DF:7A:61
          inet6 addr: fe80::203:47ff:fedf:7a61/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:780490 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:736398 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:725057
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:137698592 (131.3 MiB)  TX bytes:164346713 (156.7 MiB)
          Memory:dff60000-dff80000

As I said, everything is working now, but I'd like to know a cause and possibly a cure if its available.

        Cheers,
                Ryan.
--
          Ryan McConigley - Systems Administrator                  _.-,
     Computer Science   University of Western Australia        .--'  '-._
       Tel: (+61 8) 6488 7082 - Fax: (+61 8) 6488 1089       _/`-  _      '.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.csse.uwa.edu.au/~ryan  '----'._`.----. \
                                                                     `     \;
 "You're just jealous because the voices are talking to me"                ;_\



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