H E L P ! linux and netgear FA310tx

[TheOmegaCode]

I have installed Linux Mandrake on a little box we had laying around at work. The boss needs a cable/dsl router [emphasis on the dsl] by, well, ASAP. And he doesn't wanna go out and buy a linksys or a netgear, because he saw that $50 3com. The problem is, that won't get here in time, despite what they think. So I'm setting up a linux dsl router.
Now the problem is, it's not finding the NIC. It's coming up with the proper NIC, and the default the NIC that has been provided is not functioning. If I Ctrl-Alt-F2 and ping my loopback [127.0.0.1] I get no response! Is it that Mandrake just doesn't support Netgear, or visa vers? Please, I need help!

I think I found the original disk, and it looks like it has linux drivers on it. Now how do I install a driver of my choosing in Linux? I'm too used to windows.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Look on linuxdoc.org and linuxnewbie.org for information about compiling driver modules. That is probably what you will need to do.

 

[TheOmegaCode]

This just became a, what the hell am I supposed to do with this post! I found the driver, or what I think is the driver. I'm reading the .txt file that came with it, and WHOA, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?

Installation Procedure for Modular Kernel
-----------------------------------------

1. During installation of Linux, make sure that the "C Development"
selection is choosen under "Component to Install" window. This will
copy the C compiler into the system for compiling the driver.

2. Also the Network Configuration window during installation, you will
be asked if you want to configure LAN (not dailup) networking for
your installed system. Answer YES.

3. Insert the floppy disk with the FA310 driver, and mount the disk into
the system with the following command:

mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt

4. Copy the Linux-related files from the disk into the system hard disk
with the following command. Four files will be copies: "cctulip",
"tulip.c", "Copying", and "linux.txt".

cp /mnt/linux/*.* .

5. Compile tulip.c by executing the "cctulip" command at the prompt.
The following command will be executed.

gcc -DMODULE -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux/net/inet -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -O6 -c tulip.c

6. Find the names of the files in the /lib/modules directory. You
might see the following directories.

eg. "2.0.36-0.7" and "preferred".

7. Copy the newly compiled tulip.o into the latest kernel's modules.

cp tulip.o /lib/modules/2.0.36-0.7/net/tulip.o

8. Reboot the system.

9. You can check if the driver is properly activating the card using
the "dmesg" command right after system bootup.

Installation Procedure for Monolithic Kernel
--------------------------------------------

1. cp tulip.c /usr/src/linux/drivers/net/tulip.c

2. /user/src/linux# make config

set the following

a. EISA, VLB, PCI and on board controllers (CONFIG_NET_EISA) [N/y/?] Y
b. DECchip Tulip (dc21x4x) PCI support (CONFIG_DEC_ELCP) [N/y/m/?] Y

3. Rebuild and install new kernel and reboot.

a. make dep
b. make clean
c. make zImage or make zlilo


. . . h uh ?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Ok, try building a cutom kernel and making sure the tulip driver is installed (either as amodule or built into the kernel). If this is a tulip card there should be no problems if the driver is turned on, and the tulip driver starts. "modprobe tulip.o" I think...

 

[TheOmegaCode]

I'll try, but remember I am a hardcore linux n00b.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< I'll try, but remember I am a hardcore linux n00b. >>



This will be good for you then

 

[TheOmegaCode]

I'm trying to read how to build a custom kernel, but whoa, this is alot of info at once, not to mention I just crammed for a Cisco test. Got any tips?

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< I'm trying to read how to build a custom kernel, but whoa, this is alot of info at once, not to mention I just crammed for a Cisco test. Got any tips? >>



When you get into the menu (the X version or the command line version) read the comments there. Dont disable anything unless you absolutely know you wont need it. Look through your dmesg for clues. (also look through the dmesg for anything about the network card). Basically all you should have to do it go straight to the network/driver section (havent seen it in a while so Im not positive what it is called) and enable the tulip driver (if that is the correct driver and it looks like it from your earlier paste post) then compile like the instructions say.

 

[TheOmegaCode]

wait a minute, this says to

5. Compile tulip.c by executing the "cctulip" command at the prompt.
The following command will be executed

how do I execute this file?

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< wait a minute, this says to

5. Compile tulip.c by executing the "cctulip" command at the prompt.
The following command will be executed

how do I execute this file? >>



Ok, are you building a new kernel or following those instructions? Those instructions look like they are for an older kernel meaning an older driver. If you compile a new kernel you will not have to look at those instructions much (I dont think). The tulip driver will be made when you make modules (or compile the kernel if you dont like modules).

 

[StuckMojo]

noc, this is mandrake..i would be pretty surprised if tulip.o was not already built and installed on this system.
probably just a matter of getting it loaded at boot time.

to do that, go into your /etc/modules.conf file and add:

alias eth0 tulip

make sure there is no other alias eth0 entry in there. that *should* do the trick.

 

[StuckMojo]

oh yeah, and reboot after that to see if it worked
(you don't technically have to reboot, but its easier than walking u thru loading everything by hand)

 

[agnitrate]

Mandrake 8 detected my Netgear FA311 perfectly fine. Has the tulip drive built-in. Slackware on the other hand, I had to compile that in. Man did I feel like a linux user when it worked in slack

silver

 

[TheOmegaCode]

well, it's coming up with a tulip driver now. But I'm stil not connecting!?! And the incoming cable is a good one. This is the Mandrake 8.1 beta, btw, although I doubt that is going to make a difference.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< noc, this is mandrake..i would be pretty surprised if tulip.o was not already built and installed on this system.
probably just a matter of getting it loaded at boot time.

to do that, go into your /etc/modules.conf file and add:

alias eth0 tulip

make sure there is no other alias eth0 entry in there. that *should* do the trick. >>



Yeah, but it never hurts to check... And building a kernel is a great way to frustrat- I mean learn about the system

I remember a while back looking at FA310's and they werent supported (this was a while ago), but the FA311 was. Oh well, he'll figure it out

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< well, it's coming up with a tulip driver now. But I'm stil not connecting!?! And the incoming cable is a good one. This is the Mandrake 8.1 beta, btw, although I doubt that is going to make a difference. >>



Did you assign it an ip address?

ifconfig eth0 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0 (or something similar, man ifconfig for more help).

 

[TheOmegaCode]

HAHAHA, I rebooted.
GOOGLE NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!
thx guys!

We aren't running static, It's a DHCP server, running NT4.0

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< HAHAHA, I rebooted.
GOOGLE NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!
thx guys! >>



StuckMojo is the man

 

[StuckMojo]

first check to see the card is working (as root):

lsmod

should have this mixed into the output, or at least some mention of tulip:

tulip 33840 2 (autoclean)

then do:

ifconfig eth0

should give something like so:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:03:6D:1B:12:5D
inet addr:192.168.0.1 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:59228 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:53775 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
Interrupt:9 Base address:0xd000

if you don't see the "inet addr: " part, then you don't have an IP address set up yet.
if you're going to use DHCP to get an address, i recommend "pump".
if you need to use a static address, post back and ask how.

 

[StuckMojo]

doh! tired my fingers out for nutin

 

[TheOmegaCode]

Don't talk too soon.... Like I said, the only reason I'm undertaking this is so that it can be a dsl router, I got ETH0 on the net, and when I got to setup connection sharing on ETH1, I get an error saying
"Problems installing package caching-nameserver"
What do I do?

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Don't talk too soon.... Like I said, the only reason I'm undertaking this is so that it can be a dsl router, I got ETH0 on the net, and when I got to setup connection sharing on ETH1, I get an error saying
"Problems installing package caching-nameserver"
What do I do? >>



What kind of connection sharing are you trying to do? Why are you installing a name server?

 

[TheOmegaCode]

No, I just hit connection sharing, and it takes me to a windows that asks which nic I want to install it on. I select ETH1 and it then promps me, This NIC *BLAH BLAH BLAH* is already configured, do you want me to reconfigure it, or something to that effect. So I hit next, and it shows that is loading protocals, etc. Then I get the error.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< No, I just hit connection sharing, and it takes me to a windows that asks which nic I want to install it on. I select ETH1 and it then promps me, This NIC *BLAH BLAH BLAH* is already configured, do you want me to reconfigure it, or something to that effect. So I hit next, and it shows that is loading protocals, etc. Then I get the error. >>



I have no clue what you are doing, you are probably using some gui thingy (which a bad idea to have installed on a firewall type system).
Read up on IPTables/IP MASQ on linuxdoc.org.