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From: peter@citylink.dinoex.sub.org (Peter Much)
Subject: Re: NetBSD 1.0 network hangs
Organization: SQE, Kassel
Message-ID: <D4zGMA.MqD@citylink.dinoex.sub.org>
References: <3j7db4$lq0@news.ed.ray.com>
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 19:54:09 GMT
Lines: 38
In article <3j7db4$lq0@news.ed.ray.com>,
Bill Heiser <heiser@spc280.ed.ray.com> wrote:
>I just installed NetBSD 1.0 binaries, and have run into a problem already :-(
>
>The machine is a very (very, very) generic 486/33, 24mb memory, IDE disk.
>The network card is a 3c509.
>
>The machine previously ran LINUX and stayed up for weeks without incident.
>(so I know the hardware is OK). However now with NetBSD installed, the
>machine doesn't stay up for more than 15 or 20 minutes before the network
>connection "hangs". The OS doesn't hang (I can still login on the console),
>but all network activity stops.
The following is only a theory!
You have a generic 486/33, You say. That means ISA-bus, yes?
ISA-bus will only be able to access 16 MB of RAM.
You have 24 Meg, You say.
Now the question is: Does Your network card DMA?
If it does, it has to do it thru the 16 MB wide ISA-Bus.
This *might* (i dont know the sources detailled) give problems. It *might*
give problems like You describe them. At least, I read some notice about
something like this in some FAQ. Dn't know if it's outdated yet.
I don't know exactly how linux does handle this, but i remind (form working
in the linux kernelsource - made a 286 RamextensionCard into a swapfile;) -
having read some stuff about reserving some lower memory for something.
Maybe somebody with more detailed knowledge can illuminate us further!
Anyway, it's easy to try out - run it with 16 MB for testing.
Peter
--
Write to: Peter Much * Koelnische Str. 22 * D-34117 Kassel * +49-561-774961
peter@citylink.dinoex.sub.org much@hrz.uni-kassel.de