hi

same problem here with a
00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 7c)

computer is runing fine until i get the following in kern.log 
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000031] ------------[ cut here ]------------
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000048] WARNING: at /build/buildd/linux-2.6.31/net/sched/sch_generic.c:246 dev_watchdog+0x1f6/0x210()
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000054] Hardware name: System Product Name
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000058] NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth0 (via-rhine): transmit queue 0 timed out
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000062] Modules linked in: nls_iso8859_1 nls_cp437 vfat fat usb_storage snd_hda_codec_realtek snd_hda_intel snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_pcm_oss snd_mixer_oss snd_pcm snd_seq_dummy snd_seq_oss snd_seq_midi snd_rawmidi snd_seq_midi_event snd_seq snd_timer snd_seq_device snd iptable_filter soundcore lp psmouse serio_raw snd_page_alloc i2c_viapro ip_tables x_tables asus_atk0110 shpchp ppdev parport_pc k8temp parport dm_raid45 xor radeon ttm usbhid drm i2c_algo_bit floppy sata_via via_rhine mii amd64_agp agpgart
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000130] Pid: 0, comm: swapper Not tainted 2.6.31-15-generic #50-Ubuntu
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000135] Call Trace:
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000147]  [<c014518d>] warn_slowpath_common+0x6d/0xa0
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000154]  [<c04b0dd6>] ? dev_watchdog+0x1f6/0x210
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000160]  [<c04b0dd6>] ? dev_watchdog+0x1f6/0x210
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000168]  [<c0145206>] warn_slowpath_fmt+0x26/0x30
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000174]  [<c04b0dd6>] dev_watchdog+0x1f6/0x210
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000183]  [<c0127c38>] ? default_spin_lock_flags+0x8/0x10
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000191]  [<c0570dca>] ? _spin_lock_irqsave+0x2a/0x40
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000200]  [<c030765b>] ? blk_rq_timed_out_timer+0x10b/0x120
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000207]  [<c01501b7>] run_timer_softirq+0x117/0x200
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000216]  [<c01699f4>] ? tick_handle_oneshot_broadcast+0x124/0x130
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000223]  [<c04b0be0>] ? dev_watchdog+0x0/0x210
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000230]  [<c014b3b0>] __do_softirq+0x90/0x1a0
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000239]  [<c018f8fc>] ? handle_IRQ_event+0x4c/0x140
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000246]  [<c01925a4>] ? move_native_irq+0x14/0x50
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000253]  [<c014b4fd>] do_softirq+0x3d/0x40
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000260]  [<c014b63d>] irq_exit+0x5d/0x70
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000267]  [<c0104f10>] do_IRQ+0x50/0xc0
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000273]  [<c01039b0>] common_interrupt+0x30/0x40
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000281]  [<c0369fc4>] ? acpi_idle_enter_simple+0xff/0x130
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000291]  [<c04688c6>] cpuidle_idle_call+0x76/0xd0
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000297]  [<c010202c>] cpu_idle+0x8c/0xd0
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000305]  [<c055ee85>] rest_init+0x55/0x60
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000314]  [<c078e8cd>] start_kernel+0x2e6/0x2ec
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000321]  [<c078e406>] ? unknown_bootoption+0x0/0x1ab
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000329]  [<c078e07c>] i386_start_kernel+0x7c/0x83
Dec  8 13:01:33 gwa194l kernel: [86311.000334] ---[ end trace 6c68de6193a2fa98 ]---

after that hundreds of network interface ups and down but the network is dead. 

$ modrobe -r via-rhine
$ modprobe via-rhine
results in 

Dec 10 13:13:28 gwa194l kernel: [97858.176056] via-rhine 0000:00:12.0: PCI INT A disabled                                                                                                                       
Dec 10 13:13:31 gwa194l kernel: [97861.065437] via-rhine.c:v1.10-LK1.4.3 2007-03-06 Written by Donald Becker                                                                                                    
Dec 10 13:13:31 gwa194l kernel: [97861.065502] via-rhine 0000:00:12.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 23 (level, low) -> IRQ 23                                                                                               
Dec 10 13:13:31 gwa194l kernel: [97861.066931] eth0: VIA Rhine II at 0xfbdff800, 00:18:f3:0b:c6:4f, IRQ 23.                                                                                                     
Dec 10 13:13:31 gwa194l kernel: [97861.067646] eth0: MII PHY found at address 1, status 0x786d advertising 01e1 Link 45e1.                                                                                      
Dec 10 13:13:31 gwa194l kernel: [97861.242002] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1                                                                                                                  
Dec 10 13:13:42 gwa194l kernel: [97871.688026] eth0: no IPv6 routers present                                                                                                                                    
Dec 10 13:13:53 gwa194l kernel: [97883.000179] eth0: Transmit timed out, status 0003, PHY status 786d, resetting...                                                                                             
Dec 10 13:13:53 gwa194l kernel: [97883.000275] via-rhine: Reset not complete yet. Trying harder.                                                                                                                
Dec 10 13:13:53 gwa194l kernel: [97883.000853] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1                                                                                                                  
Dec 10 13:14:15 gwa194l kernel: [97905.000177] eth0: Transmit timed out, status 1003, PHY status 786d, resetting...                                                                                             
Dec 10 13:14:15 gwa194l kernel: [97905.000285] via-rhine: Reset not complete yet. Trying harder.                                                                                                                
Dec 10 13:14:15 gwa194l kernel: [97905.000862] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1                                                                                                                  
Dec 10 13:14:19 gwa194l kernel: [97909.000176] eth0: Transmit timed out, status 0003, PHY status 786d, resetting...                                                                                             
Dec 10 13:14:19 gwa194l kernel: [97909.000912] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1                                                                                                                  
Dec 10 13:14:23 gwa194l kernel: [97913.000179] eth0: Transmit timed out, status 0003, PHY status 786d, resetting...                                                                                             
Dec 10 13:14:23 gwa194l kernel: [97913.000278] via-rhine: Reset not complete yet. Trying harder.                                                                                                                
Dec 10 13:14:23 gwa194l kernel: [97913.000855] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1                                                                                                                  
Dec 10 13:14:27 gwa194l kernel: [97917.000174] eth0: Transmit timed out, status 0003, PHY status 786d, resetting...                                                                                             
Dec 10 13:14:27 gwa194l kernel: [97917.000250] via-rhine: Reset not complete yet. Trying harder.                                                                                                                
Dec 10 13:14:27 gwa194l kernel: [97917.000825] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1 

but network is still dead. only a reboots gets the interface up and runing for some time again