I'm having difficulties with an external CDROM on my indigo2.
I have tried both 512 and 2048 byte sector sizes, and have tried
three different drives.

The problem does not occur under NetBSD--only while the boot
program (/usr/src/sgimips/stand/boot) is attempting to read
the kernel.

The problem manifests itself when attempting to boot:
(disregard the fact that I'm obtaining 'boot' via bootp.
 The current CD image I'm using has a bad ecoff boot image
 and this is an ecoff Indigo2 R4000)

>> boot -f bootp():/abyss/indy/boot
Setting $netaddr to 198.182.227.85 (from server 198.182.227.1)
Obtaining /abyss/indy/boot from server 198.182.227.1
45952+0+384 entry: 0x89000000

NetBSD/sgimips 1.5ZC Bootstrap, Revision 1.1
(root@mod81, Thu Mar 28 18:28:24 CST 2002)

Mem block: type 0 base 0x0 size 0x1000
Mem block: type 1 base 0x1000 size 0x1000
Mem block: type 3 base 0x8002000 size 0x73e000
Mem block: type 6 base 0x8740000 size 0xc0000
Mem block: type 3 base 0x8800000 size 0x800000
Mem block: type 5 base 0x9000000 size 0xc000
Mem block: type 3 base 0x900c000 size 0x4ff4000
Local storage a87fe168
argv[0]: bootp():/abyss/indy/boot
argv[1]: ConsoleIn=serial(0)
argv[2]: ConsoleOut=serial(0)
argv[3]: SystemPartition=scsi(1)disk(4)rdisk(0)partition(8)
argv[4]: OSLoader=boot
argv[5]: OSLoadPartition=scsi(1)disk(4)rdisk(0)partition(0)
argv[6]: OSLoadFilename=netbsd
Boot: scsi(1)disk(4)rdisk(0)partition(0)netbsd
devopen: scsi(1)disk(4)rdisk(0)partition(0) type scsi file netbsd
4651408sc1,4,0: cmd=0x28 disconnected on non-word boundary (addr=8900e791, 0xfff left).  Resetting SCSI bus
dks1d4s0: retrying
dks1d4s0: Device not ready: Unit not ready, ASQ=0x1
dks1d4s0: retrying
dks1d4s0: Device not ready: Unit not ready, ASQ=0x1
dks1d4s0: retrying
dks1d4s0: Device not ready: Unit not ready, ASQ=0x1
dks1d4s0: retrying
dks1d4s0: Device not ready: Unit not ready, ASQ=0x1
dks1d4s0: retrying
dks1d4s0: Device not ready: Unit not ready, ASQ=0x1
dks1d4s0: Exhausted retries, i/o failed

[repeated ad nauseum until...]

dks1d4s0: Device not ready: Unit not ready, ASQ=0x1
dks1d4s0: Exhausted retries, i/o failed
read text: Input/output error
Boot failed!  Halting...
>> 

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Is anyone able to use an external CDROM on the Indigo2?  I2 R4000?

Thanks,
-scott