[Asterisk-Users] Update on System Freeze - Longest run yet - What I changed

[Jonathan Biggs]

Just to update on previous System Freeze messages.
My system has now run longer than ever before. Is the
problem gone? Only time will tell, however, I found
out someting interesting that may help others during
research into this problem.

System  RH 9 SMP Dual Pentium III

In following the bug reports and messages associated
with this behavior, it seem they were centered around
NIC interactions, certain NIC types/version, or bad
NIC cards.  This prompted me to do some research and I
was suprised at what I found.

What I have changed

1. Updated Asterisk to CVS 02/22/04-20:41:01 

2. Updated Kernel from RH to linux-2.4.20-30.9

3. Changed the NIC driver from the default eepro100.c
(original Becker) to the Intel version. 

In researching these drivers I was SHOCKED at what I
found

Seems the default driver eepro100.c THAT COMES WITH
THE Red Hat Distribution has not been updated SINCE
2000 at best. I check the URL for the eepro100.c
driver and it is activly maintained with a new version
with at least a 2003 update. WHY a driver not updated
since 2000 is default in the RH distribution I do not
know.  I'm assuming its the default. even if it is not
why is it even in there.  

In interest of time,  I have now been running the
Intel driver e100 instead.  

I am now leading to believe that running a driver
older than the NIC card itself may have caused some
issues. Looking at the new eepro100.c code, there are
work arounds for BIOS problems, etc. 

How this info helps someone

Version INFO BELOW

eepro100.c    "eepro100.c:v1.09j-t 9/29/99 Donald
Becker http://www.scyld.com/network/eepro100.html\n"
"eepro100.c: $Revision: 1.36 $ 2000/11/17 Modified by
Andrey V. Savochkin <saw at saw.sw.com.sg> and others\n";


Intel Driver  2.2.21       02/11/03


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Search - Find what you’re looking for faster
http://search.yahoo.com