This sounds like a problem I have had to deal with. We are using the VIA CL 10000 in a firewall/filter application for local schools. The two LAN ports actually use different controller chips. One is a VT6105 and the other a VT6102 (crazy but true!) The latest version of the via-rhine driver (in kernel 2.4.23 onwards, I believe) works properly with both ports. The standard bf24 version does not. It is possible to use the driver code that comes with the motherboard with standard 2.4.18 kernel source - it produces a driver called rhinefet which works. I decided it was simpler to move to the newer kernel with a fully supported driver, and I now have a fully working version based on the 2.4.24 kernel. In the process I have tried to optimise the kernel setup.
We did not have the option of bypassing the on-board ports as we are producing ~150 boxes in a 1U rackmount case. HTH -- ---------------------------- Giles Nunn - ISP Officer Carms ICT Development Centre +44 1267 228277 ---------------------------- On Sun, 2004-02-29 at 00:51, Chris Evans wrote: > Semi-serious request: I really don't think I can afford 350 pounds > for an Intel card with a hugely impressive but for me gratuitous > Gigabit of bandwidth when all I need is three ethernet ports on a > firewall on a set up I run for charities (it's a sort of ISP but only > for opt-in lists!) at a net loss to myself. My stupid fault but any > help or advice desperately needed as my old firewall is making very > nasty noises. > > Long, tedious story that has gone to debian-users and netdrivers in > little hope below but thanks for reading this far anyway!! > > Chris > > Long story: > > I hope I can get some help on this list as I've dug myself in a hole > I think. > > I run debian stable (3.0r2) for a small home set up on ADSL that > handles Email (closed opt in!) for some charities. I've used old > hardware for a firewall and a server but the firewall is dying and I > replaced it with a lovely, small, near silent box with a VIA EPIA > mini-ITX motherboard which has two LAN ports controlled by a VT6105 > on board controller. If I stick a tried and tested realtek 8139 > clone PCI card in I can have the three ports I want .... > > Having always used old hardware and never hit compatibility problems > I didn't realise I was asking for trouble. The 2.4.18 kernel is the > latest in the Debian stable distro and I want to stick with Debian > 'cos I know and trust it, and stable 'cos of the security updates, > particularly important as this is firewall. Trouble is that I think > the driver I need is a via-rhine one but the one that comes with that > Debian kernel won't install (the rtl one does fine!). I've tried > pulling the driver (rhinefet) off the VIA motherboard site and the > via-rhine off the scyld site but I'm hopelessly out of my depth now > as there are clearly old and vexatious issues about the ways that > different distros store the headers and source, e.g. both VIA and > scyld's Makefiles and source want a modversions.h file that clearly > doesn't exist in Debian .. I've tried to work round that but modprobe > on the via-rhine.o I finally produced gives all sorts of unresolved > symbol complaints and I know I'm out of my league here. > > Can anyone help? The only alternative I can see looming is to spend > about a third as much as I paid for the entire machine on a totally > unnecessarily fast quadport Intel card (I need three ports and only > have one free PCI slot as the machine is so small). > > Sod, sod, sod: I'll take hardware compatibility more seriously in > future won't I?! > > TIA, > > Chris > > PSYCTC: Psychotherapy, Psychology, Psychiatry, Counselling > and Therapeutic Communities; practice, research, > teaching and consultancy. > Chris Evans & Jo-anne Carlyle > http://psyctc.org/ Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]