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will a 3com net card work with tivonet?
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Posted by: wejones

After installing tivonet, I can't get it to respond to a ping. I've about eliminated everything else except for the network card, as the tivo shell seems to think the network is up.
I'm sorry if this is a frequently asked question, as I think I've seen something about this somewhere, but I can't find it now. I have an old 3com card that I know is or was good when I used it last a couple years ago. Will this work with tivonet? On their page, they talk about their card being "pre-configured", but there aren't and jumpers or switches to configure on these cards are there?
I guess it couldn't hurt to try it, but I was hoping for some encouragement with respect to whether it was likely to work before opening up the tivo again.
tnx

Posted by: Ein Jabroni

What makes you think it's the card?

at your bash prompt what responses do you get to the following commands -

route.tivo -n

ifconfig

cat /proc/modules

head -`grep -n "IP struct" /var/log/kernel|tail -1|cut -f1 -d:` /var/log/kernel |tail

The last one is ugly I admit - that's a backquote (on the key with ~) after the first - and the :.

Post your results - chances are that will show the problem clearly - if it is your card or not.

EJ

Posted by: wejones

Thanks.

TO :
route.tivo -n

Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
10.1.1.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 32767 0 0 eth0
0.0.0.0 10.1.1.6 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0
0.0.0.0 10.1.1.23 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0

TO :
ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:33:3A:83:36
inet addr:10.1.1.31 Bcast:10.1.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:12 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 coll:0
Interrupt:29 Base address:0x300

TO : cat /proc/modules
tivone 4508 1
8390 7264 0 [tivone]
mixaud 6124 1
pxmpegdecode 50276 0 [mixaud]
fpga7114 136996 0 (unused)
therm 1020 0 (unused)
fan 696 0
i2c 9848 0 [pxmpegdecode fpga7114 therm]
i2c 9848 0 [pxmpegdecode fpga7114 therm]

TO :
head -`grep -n "IP struct" /var/log/kernel|tail -1|cut -f1 -d:` /var
/log/kernel |tail
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Cleaning up old slices and bundles in /var/packag
es...
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Checking space in /var
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Scanning for phase1 repair scripts
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Initializing TiVo extension...
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Set up environment vars for hardware configuratio
n...
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Remove control is TIVO
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: MFS partition on /dev/hda10
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: Starting update ...
Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: SIOCSIFHWADDR: Operation not supported by device

Jan 1 00:00:13 (none) kernel: IP struct was not filled in!

##########################################

As a comment, I'd add that for experimentation purposes, I no longer have the network being set up by the rc.sysinit script, but instead I did it manually, but the results seem to be the same, except for the "Broadcast" in the ifconfig.
When the rc.sysinit did it, it came up with a Broadcast of
10.255.255.255 , which I changed manually to 10.1.1.255 to match what shows up on my other computers.
I was trying to set up the TIVO on 10.1.1.31 with it's default gateway at 10.1.1.6 (which is currently a ficticious address to keep the TIVO from calling out).
When I manually set up the network, each response was exactly as described at the TIVONET site when I checked the /var/log/kernel .
When I try to ping 10.1.1.31, sometimes a dropped packet shows up in the ifconfig response. Also, when the network cable is attached to the TIVO, when I try to ping other computers in my LAN by name, computers try to dial out, but if I cancel the dialing, the ping works, however, when the cable is not attached, the other computers can ping by name. I've tried pinging other nearby addresses, but only the other computers on my LAN work. The cable I'm using was previously being used without problems on another computer.

I've been mainly relying on the ifconfig response as an indication that the system thinks the network is up, and I'd appreciate an explanation of what your other tests have shown.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Posted by: wejones

One additional comment.

There are two default gateways reported above, ie
10.1.1.6 AND 10.1.1.23 because I was experimenting. I tried putting the gateway on a computer that existed, but didn't have winroute. Originally only one gateway appeared there, and it still didn't work.
Actually, my real internet gateway is on 10.1.1.5, but I have computers on 10.1.1.1 , 10.1.1.23 , 10.1.1.12 , 10.1.1.17 , 10.1.1.25 , and 10.1.1.27 . 10.1.1.31 is the TIVO.

Also, more info about things I've tried at:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-v...&threadid=50785

Thanks for any ideas.

Posted by: wejones

Sorry for replying again, but after looking at the above script that extracts info from /var/log/kernel , I finally figured out what it is doing, and I think that the output I posted was not what you were looking for, mainly because I had set up the network manually rather than by the rc.sysinit, and because my TIVO is not subscribed, and on bootup it spends a lot of time looking for data and trying to dial up, so things don't get done in the normal order.
So I'm adding below what I think you might be looking for, which was the kernel log entries after I set up the network.
To setup the network I did the following:
insmod -f /lib/modules/8390.o
insmod -f /lib/modules/tivone.o
ifconfig eth0 10.1.1.31 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 10.1.1.255 up
route.tivo add default gw 10.1.1.6

After doing that, the shell response was:

IP struct was not filled in!
sa is: 0x20000 0xa01011f 0x7ffffd34 0x7ffffd58
sa.sin_addr = 0x7ffffc98 a sockaddr is 16 bytes

I did a tail on the kernel log, and got:

Mar 23 21:07:37 (none) kernel: AMG: calcspace num syms: 259
Mar 23 21:07:37 (none) kernel: AMG: calcspace num syms: 91
Mar 23 21:07:37 (none) kernel: AMG: calcspace num syms: 259
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: NE*000 ethercard probe at 0x300
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: 8390.c:v1.10 9/23/94 Donald Becker (becker@cesdis
.gsfc.nasa.gov)
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: ne_probe(201)
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: 00 40 33 3a 83 36
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: eth0: TiVoNE found at 0x300, using IRQ 29.
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: ne_probe(243)
Mar 23 21:07:38 (none) kernel: route.tivo forgot to specify route netmask.

I then did a route.tivo -n and got:

Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
10.1.1.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 32767 0 0 eth0
0.0.0.0 10.1.1.6 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0

I then did an ifconfig, and got:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:33:3A:83:36
inet addr:10.1.1.31 Bcast:10.1.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 coll:0
Interrupt:29 Base address:0x300

I tried to ping 10.1.1.31 at this point, and it timed out.

It sure looks to me like the TIVO is seeing the net card, but the network doesn't seem to be seeing it.

Thanks.

Posted by: Ein Jabroni

Tried traceroute on the tivo to a local host? Looks like the modules are all loading fine and finding the card....

Is there a light on your hub/switch you can look at to confirm the connection? The 0 RX and TX packets in the ifconfig result seem like the card is talking to the Tivo but not seeing any outside traffic.

EJ

Posted by: wejones

Yes, I've tried traceroute, but it didn't show anyting but *'s . I tried watching the tx/rx lights on the netcard of the computer I was doing the traceroute to, and there was both send and receive activity, but I'm not sure whethere it really corresponded to anything coming from the TIVO or not.
After doing the traceroute, I did an ifconfig on the TIVO, and it still said no packets sent or received, but perhaps that doesn't register unless it got a sucess ack.
My guess at this point is that the TIVONET is sending, but is not seeing the responses from the network.
I DID answer the original question I asked here, and that is, that my old 3COM net card did NOT work. It came up as an unknown device. Either it isn't configured properly or perhaps is not compatable. I've read that cards that require DMA are not compatable.
I'm now assuming that my net card is defective, so I've ordered a new one. I am also going to install some software on my lan to monitor the net activity. I'm guessing that it will show that the TIVONET is transmitting but not receiving.
Thanks for the help, and thanks for the lesson in using nested command substitution in Unix.

Posted by: kazymyr

The only 3com card that'll work is the 3c503 (etherlink II).

Posted by: Ein Jabroni

quote:
Originally posted by wejones

Thanks for the help, and thanks for the lesson in using nested command substitution in Unix.

It would have been a cooler lession if it had worked on your logs and not just mine! :)

There are a few places you could have a problem...
- Network card
- Network cable
- Hub/switch ....
- every other machine on your network ;-)

If your switch doesn't have a connection light you can try just hooking up to one of your PCs with a crossover cable and see if you get green lights...
That would also let you send a lot of packets from the PC and see if the activity light comes on.

You might also want to use the config disk for the network card to insure it is set to IRQ 5 etc.

EJ

Posted by: wejones

I had been using the cable/hub with another computer for a week before putting it into the TIVO, so unless I broke a wire while inserting it through the hole in the TIVO, I think it is OK. The HUB has a light on it,which lights. I have lights the network card on the computer I'm pinging it with too.
Re IRQ-5, I don't remember seeing a config disk with the card? It was the pre-configured one from 9th-tee, but that is good to know. I didn't know the card needed to be software configured. I'll have to look to see if perhaps a disk came with it, and I misplaced it.
I ran a program that watches packets on the network yesterday. I didn't see any regular IP packets coming from the TIVO, except when I disconnected and re-connected the cable from the HUB, it's 10.1.1.31 IP address popped up, apparently just saying that it was there, but it still didn't respond to any pings. I could see the Hardware address of the TIVO in a list of MAC data (I don't know the difference between MAC data and IP... , but I assume it is just another protocol. The TIVO thinks it's HW address is
00:40:33:3A:83:36 but the network monitor shows it at:
Addtrn:3A:83:36 , I'm not sure why the initial bytes are missing. Most of the other cards in my network showed up with all the bytes showing but one other card showed up with a 3COM as the initial bytes, so I'm assuming this is a propriatary heading or something.
I could sometimes see byte activity on the card under the MAC listing, but not reliably. Never did see anything in the way of IP come out of the card except when the plug was removed and replaced. I could see the pings going to it from other computers, but no response. This thing just seems to be so close to working that I can smell it, so it must be something to do with the configuration of the card. I'll have to look to see if somehow I misplaced the configuration disk that came with the card. It will be interesting to see what packets come out of the thing when I get my new card that I ordered.
Thanks.