PCI Lan Card dropped from Gigabit to Fast Ethernet? [SOLVED]

[colossus75]

Hello fellow LMDE users,

I have somewhat of a odd situation, and I don't know how it occurred.

3 or so days ago, I was running 1000mbps speeds via my Trendnet PCI LAN network card. when I use ethtool, it was reporting as 1000mpbs.
It is a Realtek RTL-8169 driven card.

Now when I use ethtool today it is reporting back as 100mbps.

I have not done any recent LMDE updates for like 2-3 weeks..at this time there are 336 recommended updates since my last update.

I am uncertain as to what has caused my network connection to suddenly change to 100mbps from 1000mpbs. It has a significant impact when I transfer data across my home network between my wired desktops.

Tho..when I am in terminal and use ifconfig, it oddly reports back 1000mbps..but ethtool reports back 100mbps.

This is what I get from ifconfig :

Code: Select all

ifconfig
eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1f:d0:5a:31:9a  
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
          Interrupt:25 Base address:0xe000 

eth2      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:14:d1:18:3c:a4  
          inet addr:192.168.1.205  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::214:d1ff:fe18:3ca4/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:1699 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:1914 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:1541448 (1.4 MiB)  TX bytes:323907 (316.3 KiB)
          Interrupt:17 Base address:0xe000 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:30 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:30 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:1956 (1.9 KiB)  TX bytes:1956 (1.9 KiB)

this is what I get from ethtool :

Code: Select all

 sudo ethtool eth2
[sudo] password for ranma: 
Settings for eth2:
	Supported ports: [ TP MII ]
	Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
	                        100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
	                        1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full 
	Supported pause frame use: No
	Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
	Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
	                        100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
	                        1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full 
	Advertised pause frame use: No
	Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
	Link partner advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
	                                     100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
	Link partner advertised pause frame use: No
	Link partner advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
	Speed: 100Mb/s
	Duplex: Full
	Port: MII
	PHYAD: 0
	Transceiver: internal
	Auto-negotiation: on
	Supports Wake-on: pumbg
	Wake-on: g
	Current message level: 0x00000033 (51)
			       drv probe ifdown ifup
	Link detected: yes

The nice/interface I am connected to is eth2. eth1 is the on-board network port.

Any thoughts on how I may correct this..without reinstalling? Any help appreciated. If any other screen printouts are required I will provide.

[UPDATE] 03-29-2012 Thursday
I solved this issue by completely blacking out all the power to my entire network and machines for 15 minutes, then powered everything up 1 by 1 starting with the modem, then the router then my gigabit switch. All hardwired machines recognized as gigabit again. Thanks to those who replied.

[Aging Technogeek]

If I am reading the ethtool output correctly, your card is capable of 10, 100, or 1000 Mbps

Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full

and is advertising this to the network

Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full

. The external system you are connecting to is only capable of 10 and 100 Mbps

Link partner advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full

so your card is adjusting its speed to that of the system it is communicating with.

[colossus75]

The thing is tho. My two desktops are both connected to a gigabit switch, and have gigabit nics. Both machines were gigabit as of 3 days ago. My XP Pro system is still showing as gigabit when connected to the gigabit switch..yet my LMDE box is now only 100. I understand the auto-sensing to the environment, but it is a gigabit environment and I'm also using cat6 cables to connect to the the gigabit switch. Hence my confusion.

[jjaythomas]

Maybe stupid answer...BUT

have you tried a shorter cat cable. My 1000gigbyte showed 100 bit on a fresh LMDE but tried a shorter cable went back to 1000. (Maybe my cable got damaged tho.)

J.Jay