[Dell Precision T3400] Intermittent ethernet internet connection Ubuntu 12.04 (networking using the tg3 driver)

[d_mat]

I have spent hours trying out dozens of solutions from the ubuntuforums and askubuntu, nothing seems to help. Ethernet cable and plug (in office wall with many ethernet plugs available) switched to test if this is the problem.

My internet connection sporadically and regularly drops. Sometimes it is that webpages take a long time to load, or never do. Sometimes this can be fixed by reloading the page, sometimes this does nothing. In those cases the only solution is to either disable and enable networking or click on the supposedly connected wired connection I am using to get it to reconnect manually. In both these cases the connection is usually back within 5 seconds (very rarely I have to do this twice).

I have reinstalled network manager and resolvconf, I have disbled ipv6, I have edited NetworkManager.conf (along with a few other things that all don't seem to work). Generally the connection is stable for a long time following a reboot, but once it starts dropping out, it can stay stable for a half hour, or 2 minutes, and there seems to be no way to know.

Sometimes trying to load a page or an element in a page will trigger network manager to react to the loss of connection. What I mean is that in this case both skype and dropbox show that they have gone offline, and the network manager icon appears to look for a connection. This then happens within 5 seconds (as when I do this manually) and the connection is back. Again, this then can hold for a half hour or only 2 minutes, or anything in between.

#### sudo ifconfig -a ####
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1e:c9:3e:33:d6
          inet addr:172.16.10.253 Bcast:172.16.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1492 Metric:1
          RX packets:204291 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:73962 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
          RX bytes:126731107 (126.7 MB) TX bytes:18598744 (18.5 MB)
          Interrupt:17

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
          inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
          RX packets:3340 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:3340 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:245691 (245.6 KB) TX bytes:245691 (245.6 KB)

#### cat /etc/network/interfaces ####
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

#### dmesg | grep -e eth0 -e bcm ####
[ 2.833361] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: Tigon3 [partno(BCM95754) rev b002] (PCI Express) MAC address 00:1e:c9:3e:33:d6
[ 2.833365] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: attached PHY is 5787 (10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet) (WireSpeed[1], EEE[0])
[ 2.833368] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: RXcsums[1] LinkChgREG[0] MIirq[0] ASF[0] TSOcap[1]
[ 2.833371] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: dma_rwctrl[76180000] dma_mask[64-bit]
[ 11.257451] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 20.902607] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 23.935637] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: Link is up at 1000 Mbps, full duplex
[ 23.935641] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: Flow control is off for TX and off for RX
[ 23.935774] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[ 4720.680698] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 4723.084274] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: Link is up at 1000 Mbps, full duplex
[ 4723.084278] tg3 0000:04:00.0: eth0: Flow control is off for TX and off for RX
[ 4723.084408] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
---
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: dmat 1926 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfdffc000 irq 45'
   Mixer name : 'Analog Devices AD1984'
   Components : 'HDA:11d41984,10280214,00100400'
   Controls : 22
   Simple ctrls : 15
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=28dc762e-200c-4ffd-97fd-83543a2b9275
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release i386 (20120423)
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth0 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision WorkStation T3400
MarkForUpload: True
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 VESA VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-33-generic-pae root=UUID=8fa2d784-c6e0-4aca-965a-524b1da063ac ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-33.52-generic-pae 3.2.31
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-33-generic-pae N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-33-generic-pae N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
RfKill:

Tags: precise running-unity
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-33-generic-pae i686
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm lpadmin netdev sambashare sudo
WifiSyslog: Dec 5 10:14:28 koggies-Precision kernel: [84037.386144] type=1701 audit(1354698868.449:32): auid=4294967295 uid=1001 gid=1001 ses=4294967295 pid=10213 comm="chrome" reason="seccomp" sig=0 syscall=20 ip=0xb35ab424 code=0x50001
dmi.bios.date: 03/21/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A04
dmi.board.name: 0TP412
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 7
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA04:bd03/21/2008:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionWorkStationT3400:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0TP412:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct7:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Precision WorkStation T3400
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1086708

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

apport information

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

apport information

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

apport information

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

apport information

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

apport information

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

apport information

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

Internet cut out again, so I don't know if there is still something missing. If yes, let me know, and I will rerun apport

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.7 kernel[0] (Not a kernel in the daily directory) and install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-rc8-raring/

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

I tested the latest kernel (3.7 rc8). Testing takes a while as the internet issues start cropping up after about an hour of computer use (I think I left this out in the original description). The same issue starting occurring as well.

I am thinking of updating to 12.10 to get a clean install to work from in general, and with the hopes of solving this issue. Let me know if there is anything you think we can still try before I do so.

[Jean-Max Reymond (jmreymond-free)]

Have you seen the bug #1092104 ?
may be it is the same issue

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

Yes, I actually did try that option several times. I also tried other network managers than the default.
I have now gotten another network card and this one works. However, since my problems originally started when moving from 11.04 to 11.10 (I think, it might have been 11.10 to 12.04) I don't believe it is a hardware problem. Both cards now appear in the network manager. The one that did not work is Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5754 PCI Express, while the one that now works is a VIA Technologies VT6102. If there is anything else I can do, let me know!

[d_mat (matthisdrolet)]

I forgot, I actually have both cards in the computer, so testing is still possible. In addition, while the problems started a few versions ago, it started of with sporadicly slow internet, while lately it got to the point where I had to reset the connection every 10 minutes or so. Maybe it is a combination hardware and software problem? That might make this difficult to diagnose, but I will try if you have any other ideas.

[Christopher (soft-kristal)]

I can connect with kernel 3.8.0-14 but not with 15 and 16.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

d_mat, as per http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/19/Product/precision-t3400 an update is available for your BIOS (A14). If you update to this, does it change anything?

If not, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]