RE: Help Request -- Firewall-1 Link Down

["Schaar, Norbert" <Norbert.Schaar () Dresdner-Bank com>]

Due to constantly upcomming problems with the autonegotiation between SUN's
NICs and Cisco's Switches we also force the mode and speed in the way
described below:

To configure the hme ánd qfe driver parameters for all SUNW,hme and SUNW,qfe
devices in the system so that the parameter variables are always effective
(even after rebooting the system), enter the parameter variables in the
/etc/system file. When you reboot the system, the system reads the
/etc/system file and sets these parameter variables in the hme or qfe module
in the operating system kernel.

The important parameters to set are (examples for /etc/system):

* settings for single fast ethernet cards

set hme:hme_adv_10hdx_cap = 1   * forces the 10 Mbps half duplex mode
set hme:hme_adv_autoneg_cap = 0 * disables the autonegotiation mode

* settings for quad fast ethernet cards

set qfe:qfe_adv_100fdx_cap = 1  * forces the 100 Mbps full duplex mode
set qfe:qfe_adv_autoneg_cap = 0 * disables the autonegotiation mode

Mit freundl. Gruessen
Kindly regards

Norbert Schaar
Firewall Team - Network Security Services
Dresdner Global IT Services - DreGIS
Dresdner Bank AG

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Russell [mailto:Ryan.Russell () sybase com]
Sent: Samstag, 10. April 1999 18:42
To: Randy Grimshaw
Cc: Firewall-wizards
Subject: Re: Help Request -- Firewall-1 Link Down

> I will periodically lose
> connections to (and through) the firewall. The /var/adm/messages file will
> record this series of messages at each occurance.
>
> Mar 29 15:23:28 granite unix: SUNW,hme1: Link Down - cable problem?
> Mar 29 15:23:30 granite unix: SUNW,hme1: Link Down - cable problem?
> Mar 29 15:23:31 granite unix: SUNW,hme1: Using Internal Transceiver
> Mar 29 15:23:31 granite unix: SUNW,hme1: 100 Mbps half-duplex Link Up

I've had this a few times.  Didn't track this down completely, but the
problem
has to do with the Sun box trying to auto-sense speed and duplex on
the hme.  I was constantly having this problem when I had one interface
plugged directly into a Cisco 7513 using the older (non-VIP) 100Mb
router card, with a cross-connect cable.  The routers don't seem as
autosense-friendly as the switches do.  I fixed that by running it
through a Catalyst 5500 switch and then to the router.  For whatever reason,
the Cats sync up fine with the routers, go figure.

There are also Sun patches that are supposed to relate to this, though
the description specifically mentions Bay switches.  I remember the
patches fixing one similar problem I had on a Sun server.

There's the more obvious stuff... force one or both ends of the link to
a speed and duplex, make sure that you're using Cat 5 cable,
that none of the cable is marginal, etc...

                              Ryan