ifconfig errors

Sorry to bother you all again, but...

I noticed today that on one of my NAT routers there are errors shown on
one of the interfaces:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:05:3C:83:34
inet addr:192.168.3.1 Bcast:192.168.3.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:206952593 errors:31 dropped:392 overruns:9 frame:0
TX packets:190185720 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:1 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:2634884933 (2512.8 Mb) TX bytes:3067191120 (2925.1 Mb)
Interrupt:12 Base address:0x2000


This computer connects into another router which shown 0 errors, 0
dropped and 0 overruns, does this show a hardware problem with this
computer?

Kevin Brown wrote:
> Sorry to bother you all again, but...
>
> I noticed today that on one of my NAT routers there are errors shown on
> one of the interfaces:
>
> eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:05:3C:83:34
> inet addr:192.168.3.1 Bcast:192.168.3.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
> UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
> RX packets:206952593 errors:31 dropped:392 overruns:9 frame:0
> TX packets:190185720 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:1 carrier:0
> collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
> RX bytes:2634884933 (2512.8 Mb) TX bytes:3067191120 (2925.1 Mb)
> Interrupt:12 Base address:0x2000
>
>
> This computer connects into another router which shown 0 errors, 0
> dropped and 0 overruns, does this show a hardware problem with this
> computer?
Most likely, yes.

In comp.os.linux.networking Kevin Brown <-NOSPAM-itismekevinb-NOSPAM-@hotmail.com>:
> Sorry to bother you all again, but...

> I noticed today that on one of my NAT routers there are errors shown on
> one of the interfaces:

> eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:05:3C:83:34
> inet addr:192.168.3.1 Bcast:192.168.3.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
> UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
> RX packets:206952593 errors:31 dropped:392 overruns:9 frame:0

Care to do the math? About 0.00001546% errors, wouldn't care much
if at all. But it's a good idea to keep an eye from time to time.

[..]

--
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mail: echo (E-Mail Removed) | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'
#bofh excuse 72: Satan did it

Kevin Brown wrote:
> Sorry to bother you all again, but...
>
> I noticed today that on one of my NAT routers there are errors shown
on
> one of the interfaces:
>
> eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:05:3C:83:34
> inet addr:192.168.3.1 Bcast:192.168.3.255
Mask:255.255.255.0
> UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
> RX packets:206952593 errors:31 dropped:392 overruns:9
frame:0
> TX packets:190185720 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:1
carrier:0
> collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
> RX bytes:2634884933 (2512.8 Mb) TX bytes:3067191120
(2925.1 Mb)
> Interrupt:12 Base address:0x2000
>
>
> This computer connects into another router which shown 0 errors, 0
> dropped and 0 overruns, does this show a hardware problem with this
> computer?

It's hard to say if there is some sort of hardware "failure" with these
relatively low error rates.

True failures will usually show more errors and give "eyeball" evidence
of problems with dropped connections, etc. Any clients complaining?

Also to be taken into account is what the router is connected to. A
modem to ISP? Another router? A switch?

How about the network load? Are you stressing the hardware's ability
to process packets? Do connected devices show any errors/complaints?
Have you monitored/noticed no errs at these volumes/loads before?

Have a look at ip-cref.ps on your box or here:
http://linux-ip.net/gl/ip-cref/node17.html

Also see if anything from mii-tool or ethtool gives clues.

You may have to tweak the settings, if available, for your nic/driver.

Except for changing a patch cord/switch port, I would check config
issues before replacing the nic with a spare (certainly before
purchasing a new one). At the very least confirm the physical error
source point.

hth,
prg