Is Tx_Carrier_Errors > 0 a problem or error?

Hi,

recently I have had a look at
/proc/net/nicinfo/eth0.info
and recognized
Tx_Carrier_Errors 7658

ifconfig eth0 schows
TX packets:7658 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:7658
collisions:0

Is a positive value for Tx_Carrier_Errors a problem or even an error?
What is the meaning for this?

Thanks for your hints.

Regards, Manfred

PS: Below you will find the dumps for ifconfig & eth0.info

=====================

root@linux: ~ = /root # ifconfig eth0
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:E0:18:BB:44:1C
inet addr:192.168.0.4 Bcast:192.168.0.255
Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::2e0:18ff:febb:441c/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST NOTRAILERS RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500
Metric:1
RX packets:13556 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:7658 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:7658
collisions:0
RX bytes:17362561 (16.5 Mb) TX bytes:612700 (598.3 Kb)

=====================


root@linux # cat /proc/net/nicinfo/eth0.info
Description Broadcom BCM4401 100Base-T
Driver_Name bcm4400
Driver_Version 1.0.1
PCI_Vendor 0x14e4
PCI_Device_ID 0x4401
PCI_Subsystem_Vendor 0x1043
PCI_Subsystem_ID 0x80a8
PCI_Revision_ID 0x01
PCI_Slot 9
PCI_Bus 0
Memory 0xf8000000
IRQ 5
System_Device_Name eth0
Current_HWaddr 00:e0:18:bb:44:1c
Permanent_HWaddr 00:e0:18:bb:44:1c
Part_Number

Link up
Auto_Negotiate on
Speed_Advertisement 10half 10full 100half 100full
Flow_Control_Advertisement
Speed 100
Duplex full
Flow_Control off
State up
MTU_Size 1500

Rx_Packets 13556
Tx_Packets 7658
Rx_Bytes 17362561
Tx_Bytes 612700
Rx_Errors 0
Tx_Errors 0

Tx_Carrier_Errors 7658 <-------------------------
Tx_Abort_Excess_Coll 0
Tx_Abort_Late_Coll 0
Tx_Deferred_Ok 1
Tx_Single_Coll_Ok 0
Tx_Multi_Coll_Ok 0
Tx_Total_Coll_Ok 0

Rx_CRC_Errors 0
Rx_Short_Fragment_Errors 0
Rx_Short_Length_Errors 0
Rx_Long_Length_Errors 0
Rx_Align_Errors 0
Rx_Overrun_Errors 0

Tx_MAC_Errors 0
Rx_MAC_Errors 0

Tx_Desc_Count 64
Rx_Desc_Count 64

Manfred Schneider <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Hi,

> recently I have had a look at
> /proc/net/nicinfo/eth0.info
> and recognized
> Tx_Carrier_Errors 7658

> ifconfig eth0 schows
> TX packets:7658 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:7658
> collisions:0

> Is a positive value for Tx_Carrier_Errors a problem or even an error?
> What is the meaning for this?

AFAIK this is related to cable/connector problems, I'd check those and
duplex settings ('mii-tool').

--
Michael Heiming

Remove +SIGNS and www. if you expect an answer, sorry for
inconvenience, but I get tons of SPAM

Hi,

Michael Heiming wrote on Saturday 06 September 2003 10:21:

> AFAIK this is related to cable/connector problems, I'd check those
> and duplex settings ('mii-tool').

thanks for the hints. First I have shutdown the pc, the router and the
DSL modem and checked the cables. All seems to be ok, but after
restart of all components the problem showed up again.

Then I played arount with
mii-tool -v -A 10baseT-FD
mii-tool -v -A 10baseT-HD
etc but the problem did not disappear.

Another guess for the cause. The network is configured with a MTU size
of 1500. The PC is connected to a DSL router which uses a MTU size of
1500 too. Could this be the cause for the carrier errors?

Thanks for your help.

Manfred



> Manfred Schneider <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Hi,
>
>> recently I have had a look at
>> /proc/net/nicinfo/eth0.info
>> and recognized
>> Tx_Carrier_Errors 7658
>
>> ifconfig eth0 schows
>> TX packets:7658 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:7658
>> collisions:0
>
>> Is a positive value for Tx_Carrier_Errors a problem or even an
>> error? What is the meaning for this?
>
> AFAIK this is related to cable/connector problems, I'd check those
> and duplex settings ('mii-tool').

Manfred Schneider <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
....
> thanks for the hints. First I have shutdown the pc, the router and the
> DSL modem and checked the cables. All seems to be ok, but after

There is no need for a shutdown do check NIC cables, they are usually
plug/play. Unsure how you where able to check them with just taking
a look, I'd try another cable and see if that works better.

> restart of all components the problem showed up again.

> Then I played arount with
> mii-tool -v -A 10baseT-FD
> mii-tool -v -A 10baseT-HD
> etc but the problem did not disappear.

How should that help? You could check the specs of your
DSL router, what it's capable. You can usually see the
info using mii-tool and perhaps try restarting auto-neg.

> Another guess for the cause. The network is configured with a MTU size
> of 1500. The PC is connected to a DSL router which uses a MTU size of
> 1500 too. Could this be the cause for the carrier errors?

Sounds good, shouldn't be a problem.

--
Michael Heiming

Remove +SIGNS and www. if you expect an answer, sorry for
inconvenience, but I get tons of SPAM

Hi,

Michael Heiming wrote on Saturday 06 September 2003 18:04:

> ... You can usually see the info using mii-tool and perhaps
> try restarting auto-neg.

wow! This is the solution. After a simple

mii-tool -r eth0

for restarting autonegotiation all works fine. No more
Tx_Carrier_Errors and no other errors.

Thanks a lot for your help :-)

Regards, Manfred






> Manfred Schneider <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> ...
>> thanks for the hints. First I have shutdown the pc, the router and
>> the DSL modem and checked the cables. All seems to be ok, but after
>
> There is no need for a shutdown do check NIC cables, they are
> usually plug/play. Unsure how you where able to check them with just
> taking a look, I'd try another cable and see if that works better.
>
>> restart of all components the problem showed up again.
>
>> Then I played arount with
>> mii-tool -v -A 10baseT-FD
>> mii-tool -v -A 10baseT-HD
>> etc but the problem did not disappear.
>
> How should that help? You could check the specs of your
> DSL router, what it's capable. You can usually see the
> info using mii-tool and perhaps try restarting auto-neg.
>
>> Another guess for the cause. The network is configured with a MTU
>> size of 1500. The PC is connected to a DSL router which uses a MTU
>> size of 1500 too. Could this be the cause for the carrier errors?
>
> Sounds good, shouldn't be a problem.