Yes, im following up my own message, got an additional data point.
It might not be hardware. [#-(

If anyone has any ideas on debuggin this further let me know.  This
was a machine that I was hoping was going to make it to USENIX.


I loaded Solaris 2.6 onto this machine and attemped to pull a bunch
of stuff in from over the network.

# uname -a
SunOS ss20 5.6 Generic_105181-05 sun4m sparc SUNW,SPARCstation-20
# fsck /export/home
** /dev/rdsk/c0t3d0s7
** Last Mounted on /export/home
** Phase 1 - Check Blocks and Sizes
** Phase 2 - Check Pathnames
** Phase 3 - Check Connectivity
** Phase 4 - Check Reference Counts
** Phase 5 - Check Cyl groups
3 files, 10 used, 4170148 free (20 frags, 521266 blocks,  0.0% fragmentation)
# 

At the same time i telneted in and ran from an NFS mounted volume:
$ cat * > /dev/null
$ du -k
26049   .
$


cyber@netbsd.org wrote:
] 
] 
] Ive netbooted an ss20 from another NetBSD machine and have attempted to
] run fsck on a filesystem on a local disk.  The machine then goes balistic
] about talking to the network.  The light on the hub cycles on and off
] with the messages.  The only thing on this hub is the ss20, an ss1 via
] thinnet, and a crossover cable to a 10/100 hub.  (The ss20 *really* didnt
] like the 10/100's auto sensing.)
] 
] Output is included below.
] 
] Additionally, anyone know of a cheap source of X1056A's?
] 
] thanks,
] -=erik.
] 
] Here is the boot messages:
] ---- Begin Boot Messages ----
] ea00
] >> NetBSD/sparc Secondary Boot, Revision 1.7
] >> (pk@flambard, Sun Dec 13 14:22:26 MET 1998)
] boot: client IP address: 192.195.199.193
] boot: client name: ss20
] root addr=192.195.199.6 path=/h/serv/net/ss20/root
] Booting netbsd @ 0x4000
] 1818624+129672+177260+[99876+117976]=0x2401f8
] OBP version 3, revision 2.22 (plugin rev 2)
] console is ttya
] Copyright (c) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
]     The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.  All rights reserved.
] Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993
]     The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
] 
] NetBSD 1.4 (GENERIC_SCSI3) #0: Sun May  9 04:05:20 MEST 1999
]     pk@flambard:/usr/src/sys/arch/sparc/compile/GENERIC_SCSI3
] real mem = 32800768
] avail mem = 27856896
] using 400 buffers containing 1638400 bytes of memory
] bootpath: /iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/ledma@f,400010/le@f,c00000
] mainbus0 (root): SUNW,SPARCstation-20
] cpu0 at mainbus0: TMS390Z50 v0 or TMS390Z55 @ 75 MHz, on-chip FPU
] cpu0: physical 20K instruction (64 b/l), 16K data (32 b/l), 1024K external (32 b/l): cache enabled
] obio0 at mainbus0
] clock0 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0x200000: mk48t08 (eeprom)
] timer0 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0x300000 delay constant 35
] zs0 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0x100000 level 12 softpri 6
] zstty0 at zs0 channel 0 (console)
] zstty1 at zs0 channel 1
] zs1 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0x0 level 12 softpri 6
] kbd0 at zs1 channel 0
] ms0 at zs1 channel 1
] fdc0 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0x700000 level 11 softpri 4: chip 82077
] auxreg0 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0x800000
] power0 at obio0 slot 0 offset 0xa01000 level 2
] iommu0 at mainbus0 ioaddr 0xe0000000: version 0x3/0x1, page-size 4096, range 64MB
] sbus0 at iommu0: clock = 25 MHz
] dma0 at sbus0 slot 15 offset 0x400000: rev 2
] esp0 at dma0 slot 15 offset 0x800000 level 4: ESP200, 40MHz, SCSI ID 7
] scsibus0 at esp0: 8 targets, 8 luns per target
] probe(esp0:3:0): max sync rate 10.00Mb/s
] sd0 at scsibus0 targ 3 lun 0: <QUANTUM, VIKING 4.5 SCA, 880R> SCSI2 0/direct fixed
] sd0: 4345MB, 6144 cyl, 8 head, 181 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 8899737 sectors
] probe(esp0:6:0): max sync rate 4.03Mb/s
] cd0 at scsibus0 targ 6 lun 0: <PLEXTOR, CD-ROM PX-4XCH, 1.22> SCSI2 5/cdrom removable
] ledma0 at sbus0 slot 15 offset 0x400010: rev 2
] le0 at ledma0 slot 15 offset 0xc00000 level 6: address 08:00:20:77:50:89
] le0: 8 receive buffers, 2 transmit buffers
] SUNW,bpp at sbus0 slot 15 offset 0x4800000 level 2 (ipl 3) not configured
] SUNW,DBRIe at sbus0 slot 14 offset 0x10000 level 9 not configured
] eccmemctl0 at mainbus0: version 0x0/0x2
] nfs_boot: trying RARP (and RPC/bootparam)
] nfs_boot: client_addr=0xc0c3c7c1 (RARP from 0xc0c3c706)
] nfs_boot: server_addr=0xc0c3c706
] nfs_boot: hostname=ss20
] root on atlas:/h/serv/net/ss20/root
] root file system type: nfs
] Automatic boot in progress: starting file system checks.
] mount: /: unknown special file or file system.
] setting tty flags
] starting network
] hostname: ss20.exodus.worst.com
] configuring network interfaces:.
] add net default: gateway 192.195.199.1
] root: WARNING: $dhclient is not set properly.
] root: WARNING: $wscons is not set properly.
] starting system logger
] starting rpc daemons: portmap.
] starting nfs daemons:.
] creating runtime link editor directory cache.
] ldconfig: /usr/pkg/lib: No such file or directory
] ldconfig: /usr/X11R6/lib: No such file or directory
] setting securelevel: kern.securelevel: 0 -> 1
] checking quotas: done.
] building databases...
] clearing /tmp
] standard daemons: update cron.
] starting network daemons:root: WARNING: $dhcrelay is not set properly.
]  inetd.
] starting local daemons:.
] Tue Jun  1 09:55:08 PDT 1999
] 
] NetBSD/sparc (ss20.exodus.worst.com) (console)
] 
] login: 
] ---- End Boot Messages ----
] 
] 
] And here is the output of the problem:
] 
] ---- Begin Problem ----
] ss20# newfs -O /dev/rsd0a
] /dev/rsd0a:     196992 sectors in 114 cylinders of 8 tracks, 216 sectors
]         96.2MB in 8 cyl groups (16 c/g, 13.50MB/g, 3008 i/g)
] super-block backups (for fsck -b #) at:
]  32, 27904, 55776, 83648, 111520, 139392, 167264, 195136,
] ss20# fsck /dev/sd0a
] ** /dev/rsd0a
] ** File system is clean; not checking
] ss20# fsck -f /dev/rsd0a
] ** /dev/rsd0a
] ** File system is already clean
] ** Last Mounted on
] ** Phase 1 - Check Blocks and Sizes
] ** Phase 2 - Check Pathnames
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] ^C
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] Junledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
]   1 10:07:34 ss20 /netbsd: ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] Jun  1 10:08:31 ss20 /netbsd: le0: device timeout
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] le0: lost carrier on UTP port, switching to AUI port
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] ledma0: error: csr=a046001e<ERR,DRAINING=3,IEN,DSBL_WR_INVAL,TP>
] le0: lost carrier on AUI port, switching to UTP port
] 
] ---- End Problem ----
] 
] 
] 


-- 
Hack the Media.                                       Life is an illusion.