Dropping packets??

[Christopher Wagner]

I have a Redhat 7.2 Linux box running kernel 2.4.7-10 that I have on a real
IP to the net from UUNet/Worldcom through my Netopia firewall/router.  The
box is a fairly stock install of Redhat with a lot of junk left out.

It seems to be dropping packets like crazy..  If I reboot, the problem goes
away for a little while, then comes back after a day or so..

This is an old machine, it's a P100 with 48mb RAM and a small HD.  It has a
3com Etherlink III 3c905b ISA NIC..  I'm wondering whether the hardware is
bad or whether I've configured my network settings improperly..  I did
follow directions exactly for configuring my network on the firewall,
though, so I'm puzzled..

For instance:
-----
[root at sparky root]# ping newbolt.sonic.net
PING newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18) from 63.113.184.226 : 56(84) bytes
of data.
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=0 ttl=245
time=27.718 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=1 ttl=245
time=19.810 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=2 ttl=245
time=29.799 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=3 ttl=245
time=19.798 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=4 ttl=245
time=29.786 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=5 ttl=245
time=19.799 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=6 ttl=245
time=39.796 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=7 ttl=245
time=29.796 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=8 ttl=245
time=19.811 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=9 ttl=245
time=29.808 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=10 ttl=245
time=19.812 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=11 ttl=245
time=29.789 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=12 ttl=245
time=29.791 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=13 ttl=245
time=29.807 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=14 ttl=245
time=19.797 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=15 ttl=245
time=19.823 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=16 ttl=245
time=29.726 msec
64 bytes from newbolt.sonic.net (208.201.242.18): icmp_seq=17 ttl=245
time=29.799 msec

--- newbolt.sonic.net ping statistics ---
75 packets transmitted, 19 packets received, 74% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/mdev = 19.797/26.530/39.796/5.621 ms
-----

Any ideas folks?

- Christopher Wagner
chrisw at pacaids.com

Packaging Aids Corporation - Information Systems
P.O. Box 9144
San Rafael, CA 94912-9144
http://www.pacaids.com/
(415) 454-4868 x116