I'm setting up a secondary network so that I can keep my machines on
static IP's and do some insecure things behind my Internet connection.
The only hangup is the ethernet card that I picked up for this old
IBM "Personal Computer 300PL" (a PIII workstation).  The built-in
fxp0 is what I wanted to use for my private LAN.  A cheap 10/100
was purchased to talk to the network that includes my DSL modem.


The card is (brace yourself) a Realtek-based card.  I'm not too
concerned about having the best that I can get in here, since
the bottleneck is the modem.  (At the same time, I bought another
card from the same manufacturer---also a Realtek---and it is working
well.)

The Realtek card (of Hawking manufacture, if anyonecares) is just
not working in the IBM system.  dmesg finds it.  ifconfig lists
it.  Its LED comes on.  It contacts my hub.

But when I try to *use* it, packets go into a black hole.
I occasionally get "watchdog" events on it from the kernel.

Another oddity is that it seems particularly hard to seat
the card, and I'm not 100% sure that the card is sufficiently
in.  (With sufficient pressure, it goes in, but it may be
physically stopped by something that I can't see.)

I've tried seating the card in different slot; that isn't helping.
After I send this message, I will take the machine down again and
try the third slot---and look again for any sign of a physical
obstruction.  In the meantime, I thought that I'd ask if anyone
has any suggestions based on the machine (is anyone familiar with
these beasts and their gotchas?), or maybe a suggestion I might
try by tweaking my kernel.  (1.6 vanilla)


(Well, suggestions *other* than "buy a new card".  I've seen that
one before, and if I'd been able to tell that this was a Realtek
before buying it, I wouldn't have bought it.  But I have two other
Realtek cards, one of which should be identical (hm, I can try
swapping that card in, too---though it's a pain to get at).  It
"should" work, and a 1.5 mbps (max) DSL modem isn't likely to stress
a 10/100 ethernet card.  If all else fails, I will go back to the
store and try a different card.  But I'd rather make the one I have
work, if I can.)


Thanks in advance.

-- 
  "I probably don't know what I'm talking about."  --rkr@olib.org