5.3-R and D-Link DFE500TX cards [ SOLVED ]

[Matt Emmerton]

> > On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 22:24:25 -0500, "Matt Emmerton" <matt at gsicomp.on.ca>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > I just installed 5.3-R on a spare machine, which is equipped with a
> D-Link
> > > DFE-530TX network card.
> > > This is a "typical" Digital 21440A-based card which has worked fine
fine
> > > under 4.x before.
> >
> > Something misdetected your card, then. The DFE-530TX is via-rhine based
> > (vr0) - I should know, I have 3 boxen using them :)
> >
> > The DFE-530TX+, however, is based on an RTL8139.
> >
> > $ dmesg | grep vr0
> > vr0: <VIA VT3043 Rhine I 10/100BaseTX> port 0x1080-0x10ff mem
> 0xf0000000-0xf000007f irq 11 at device 14.0 on pci0
> > miibus0: <MII bus> on vr0
> > vr0: Ethernet address: 00:50:ba:df:6f:60
>
> I yanked the card out and noticed it's an older DFE-500TX card (not 530TX)
> with the DEC 21140 chipset.
> So I think it's rightly being detected as a 'de' device, but is not
working.
>
> Anyone out there have any hints/tips/advice?

Apparently the magic trick is to wear rubber-soled slippers, scuff your feet
across a plastic chair mat, while holding the NIC, and then discharge the
accumulated static (audibly and visibly) between the card and the PC
chassis.

After doing this and reinstalling the card, it was properly detected (and is
functional!).

--
Matt Emmerton