Anyone experienced problems with Intel Gigabit NIC's and Linksys routers?

[David Whitney]

Hi, all..

I'm grasping at straws here on a problem, but I thought I'd at least
toss out this idea to see what I might find out.

Can anyone offer any experience that might involve problems Intel-based
Gigabit NICs communicating with or through Linksys routers?

I have two brand-new XP boxes w/SP2 w/Intel 10/10/1000 PL NICs, each
connected to a Linksys BEFSR41 router. Access from each PC to the Net
is fine, but peer access fails on large file transfers (small xfers
work fine). Each box can ping the other just fine; quick, small
transfers seem to work without issue. Copying large files, however,
hangs; the ultimate results in a "Path is too deep" error from Windows.
(The paths for source/dest are short).

I've tried about a dozen other fixes, registry hacks, new cables,
different ports, different files, latest drivers, latest router
firmware, and other ideas, but have failed to come up with anything. At
this point, I'm down to speculating on the possibility of a problem
with the NIC talking to the router properly (somehow?) as it sets up a
session destined for a peer, theorizing that the NIC starts
communication with the router in a manner peculiar to a gigabit NIC
that the router doesn't understand.

(I have seen *veeerrrrrrryy* slow download times from some FTP sites on
the 'net, but I think that was actual 'net sloggery, not part of this
issue.)

As I said, I'm grasping at straws and freely admit this theory may be a
red herring. But I'm scratching my head for fresh ideas to get the
problem resolved, and the router is now the next step in the chain to
diagnose.

Any thoughts appreciated.

David

Please reply to group; email herein is long since dead.

[CJT]

intrepid_dw@hotmail.com wrote:
Hi, all.. I'm grasping at straws here on a problem, but I thought I'd at least toss out this idea to see what I might find out. Can anyone offer any experience that might involve problems Intel-based Gigabit NICs communicating with or through Linksys routers? I have two brand-new XP boxes w/SP2 w/Intel 10/10/1000 PL NICs, each connected to a Linksys BEFSR41 router. Access from each PC to the Net is fine, but peer access fails on large file transfers (small xfers work fine). Each box can ping the other just fine; quick, small transfers seem to work without issue. Copying large files, however, hangs; the ultimate results in a "Path is too deep" error from Windows. (The paths for source/dest are short). I've tried about a dozen other fixes, registry hacks, new cables, different ports, different files, latest drivers, latest router firmware, and other ideas, but have failed to come up with anything. At this point, I'm down to speculating on the possibility of a problem with the NIC talking to the router properly (somehow?) as it sets up a session destined for a peer, theorizing that the NIC starts communication with the router in a manner peculiar to a gigabit NIC that the router doesn't understand. (I have seen *veeerrrrrrryy* slow download times from some FTP sites on the 'net, but I think that was actual 'net sloggery, not part of this issue.) As I said, I'm grasping at straws and freely admit this theory may be a red herring. But I'm scratching my head for fresh ideas to get the problem resolved, and the router is now the next step in the chain to diagnose. Any thoughts appreciated. David Please reply to group; email herein is long since dead.
I doubt you're on the right track -- I think it's more likely to be a
Windows problem.

I've used Intel NICS (including the gigabit ones) in a variety of
hardware under a variety of software connected to a variety of hubs,
switches, and routers (probably including Linksys, although I can't
recall a specific instance right now), and haven't seen the problem
you describe.

But I don't use XP, and avoid other variants of Windows to the extent
possible.

Why don't you try a different switch (LAN transfers don't really
implicate the router function, just the embedded switch) and see if the
problem goes away? For 10 bucks you could have your answer.

BTW, the BEFSR41 isn't gigabit, so the NIC won't be in gigabit mode when
all this is going on; 100 Mbps should be a piece of cake.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

[David Whitney]

Hi, CJT

Thanks for the help.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat, in that I don't *really* believe it's the
router, and in my heart-of-hearts, I think it's a Windows issue -
especially since it seems a common denominator that it seems to have
started after SP2. But I'm not an expert on networking hardware, and
just took a longshot that perhaps someone who is might have encountered
a similar problem and found it to be peculiar to a GBit NIC talking to
a non-GBit router.

It was precisely the fact that the BEFSR41 isn't Gigabit that made me
wonder about its interaction with a NIC that, in fact, was. And I
diddled with speed/duplex settings, all to no avail.

I appreciate your input and willingness to help. Thanks again.

David


CJT wrote: intrepid_dw@hotmail.com wrote: Hi, all.. I'm grasping at straws here on a problem, but I thought I'd at least toss out this idea to see what I might find out. Can anyone offer any experience that might involve problems Intel-based Gigabit NICs communicating with or through Linksys routers? I have two brand-new XP boxes w/SP2 w/Intel 10/10/1000 PL NICs, each connected to a Linksys BEFSR41 router. Access from each PC to the Net is fine, but peer access fails on large file transfers (small xfers work fine). Each box can ping the other just fine; quick, small transfers seem to work without issue. Copying large files, however, hangs; the ultimate results in a "Path is too deep" error from Windows. (The paths for source/dest are short). I've tried about a dozen other fixes, registry hacks, new cables, different ports, different files, latest drivers, latest router firmware, and other ideas, but have failed to come up with anything. At this point, I'm down to speculating on the possibility of a problem with the NIC talking to the router properly (somehow?) as it sets up a session destined for a peer, theorizing that the NIC starts communication with the router in a manner peculiar to a gigabit NIC that the router doesn't understand. (I have seen *veeerrrrrrryy* slow download times from some FTP sites on the 'net, but I think that was actual 'net sloggery, not part of this issue.) As I said, I'm grasping at straws and freely admit this theory may be a red herring. But I'm scratching my head for fresh ideas to get the problem resolved, and the router is now the next step in the chain to diagnose. Any thoughts appreciated. David Please reply to group; email herein is long since dead. I doubt you're on the right track -- I think it's more likely to be a Windows problem. I've used Intel NICS (including the gigabit ones) in a variety of hardware under a variety of software connected to a variety of hubs, switches, and routers (probably including Linksys, although I can't recall a specific instance right now), and haven't seen the problem you describe. But I don't use XP, and avoid other variants of Windows to the extent possible. Why don't you try a different switch (LAN transfers don't really implicate the router function, just the embedded switch) and see if the problem goes away? For 10 bucks you could have your answer. BTW, the BEFSR41 isn't gigabit, so the NIC won't be in gigabit mode when all this is going on; 100 Mbps should be a piece of cake. -- The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.