Ethernet Errors - One Direction Only

[John]

This will be a difficult one!

RH 6.1, Kernel 2.2.13, D-Link DFE-530TX+, rtl8139 Driver Module, Samba
2.0.5a & now
Samba 2.0.6, D-Link 5 Port AutoSwitch, running 100baseT, factory
cables.  2 Win Boxes, 1 Win95b, other Win95a as clients.  Furthest from
the Switch, 30Ft., Linux and other WinBox 5 Ft. from Switch.  System has
been up and operating for months flawlessly except for ONE Damn item.
Can't figure out if it is OS, Samba or Hardware related although if
hardware, it's everywhere!  I have an identical system at a different
location with the same symptoms.  Here goes...

When using the Windows Explorer to transfer files  Win <--> Win Perfect,
never any errors.  Linux --> Windows, perfect, never any errors.  Win
--> Linux massive RX overruns, errors & dropped packets causing total
network crash.  Have to restart network on Linux before it can be used
again for anything.  Ah ha, hardware he says.  Wait there's more <G>

>From the Linux console, smbmount the win shares directly i.e. smbmount
//john/john-c /john-c user/passwrd etc.  /john-c now mounted and visible
when you cd /john-c.  Use cp anything in ANY direction, no errors,
overruns or dropped packets!  Copy gazillion megs that way with NO
errors at all!  Doesn't matter if you mount any share on any Win machine
that way from the Linux box, they all transfer data flawlessly!!!

Any ideas would save what little hair I have left <G>  BTW, system works
flawlessly when all Win NIC's are locked in 10baseT/full or half duplex.

I have tried all sorts of TCP_NODELAY and all the other options in the
smb.conf with no apparent effects, including varying the buffer sizes.


John Jaeger - Billings, Montana

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