[vox-tech] NICs not detected / accessible during Debian Etch install

[Ted Deppner]

lspci -v ... find that card, not the major and minor device id numbers and
Google for details.

On Sat, Nov 04, 2006 at 10:16:01AM -0800, Richard Burkhart wrote:
> Hmmkay ... I hope someone can help me with this issue - I'm running out 
> of ideas.
> 
> I've got a machine I'm trying to install a Debian-variant (ANY!! 
> variant) onto, and either the installer refuses to see the NICs, or the 
> installer finds the NICs, but DHCP doesn't work.
> 
> The machine is a frankenbox, (w) a VIA KM266 chipset mobo (MSI MS-6390) 
> driving a Duron 950, RealTek8101L ethernet on the board (identifies 
> sometimes as rtl8139), and a Realtek 8139 in a PCI slot. 
> 
> When I run an installer from the most recent Etch builds (a full-install 
> disk from about 2 weeks ago, and net install daily release from last 
> week) the installer gets to the "detect & add network hardware" section, 
> and gives me a screen saying "I couldn't detect your NIC - please select 
> a driver from the list."  When I select either of the rtl8139 drivers, 
> the installer tries to use that driver, fails to do so, and returns me 
> to the choose a driver screen.  I've also tried an etch installer from a 
> few months ago, and a Sarge installer from last week; the installer 
> detects the cards, but is unable to pull an IP from the DHCP server on 
> the DSL router.
> 
> Knoppix disks and the most recent kubuntu installer simply refuse to 
> detect the card.  Within knoppix, trying to bring it up manually 
> (ifconfig eth0 inet dhcp ... or insmod (driver name) didn't work ... 
> though I'd have to repeat the steps to note down the returned error 
> messages).
> 
> While chasing this down I have
> a) tried many of the above tests with the on-board nic turned on in 
> BIOS, vs. turned off ...
> b) tried the above tests with the PCI card removed, to JUST access the 
> onboard NIC
> c) tried switching out the PCI nic for a US Robotics card, and running 
> many of the above tests (PCI card in and out, onboard card on and off).
> d) Tried putting a full install from the CD on the machine, then 
> activating the NIC manually.
> e) Booted into the demo Win Server 2003 install that's sitting on 
> /dev/hda1 to test the cards.  Windows boots up properly, loads up, and 
> grabs an IP from the router (confirmable from the router control panel).
> f) Tried the realtek PCI card in another machine, to confirm that it 
> shows up in linux.
> g) Tried a net-install of OpenSUSE.  That didn't work either. Once I 
> followed the menu options in the installer to activate the IDE 
> controller (for the CD) and the networking hardware, it refused to go 
> further -- it couldn't see the install media, and I gather couldn't go 
> out onto the web for it either.  *shrug*
> 
> The only thing I haven't explored fully is an 'IRQ conflict' ... but I'm 
> not sure how to pursue that ... and why didn't the same thing show up 
> within Windows? (According to some net searches, the 2.4/2.6 kernels 
> should be just as much of a plug-and-play OS as Windows).
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Richard Burkhart
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-- 
Ted Deppner
http://www.deppner.us/