Hi,

I'm stuck trying to get my laptop to work with a Solwise PL-14PE HomePlug
adapter. I posted over on the Kubuntu forum, but got no replies.

The eth0 network port works fine when plugged directly into my router.
The eth0 network port doesn't work when plugged into the HomePlug adapter.
Tried two different cables and two different HomePlugs.
I tested the HomePlugs and cables on a desktop PC and an XBox - both work
fine.

/var/syslog when connected to router:
Aug 19 14:02:55 Laptop kernel: [ 17.212000] sky2 0000:09:00.0: v1.18 addr
0xfe8fc000 irq 16 Yukon-FE+ (0xb8) rev 0
Aug 19 14:02:55 Laptop kernel: [ 17.212000] sky2 eth0: addr
00:21:9b:cf:0a:65
Aug 19 14:02:55 Laptop kernel: [ 17.224000] sky2 eth0: enabling interface
Aug 19 14:02:55 Laptop kernel: [ 19.056000] sky2 eth0: Link is up at 100
Mbps, full duplex, flow control rx

/var/syslog when connected to HomePlug:
Aug 19 14:19:08 Laptop kernel: [ 997.964000] sky2 eth0: Link is up at 10
Mbps, half duplex, flow control none
Aug 19 14:19:08 Laptop kernel: [ 998.108000] sky2 eth0: Link is down.
Aug 19 14:19:10 Laptop kernel: [ 999.668000] sky2 eth0: Link is up at 10
Mbps, half duplex, flow control none
Aug 19 14:19:10 Laptop kernel: [ 999.788000] sky2 eth0: Link is down.
Aug 19 14:19:12 Laptop kernel: [ 1001.556000] sky2 eth0: Link is up at 10
Mbps, half duplex, flow control none
Aug 19 14:19:12 Laptop kernel: [ 1001.676000] sky2 eth0: Link is down.
Aug 19 14:19:14 Laptop kernel: [ 1003.888000] sky2 eth0: Link is up at 10
Mbps, half duplex, flow control none
Aug 19 14:19:14 Laptop kernel: [ 1004.024000] sky2 eth0: Link is down.
:
which repeats until I unplug the cable.

andrew@Laptop:~$ sudo ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
Supported ports: [ TP ]
Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Speed: 10Mb/s
Duplex: Half
Port: Twisted Pair
PHYAD: 0
Transceiver: internal
Auto-negotiation: on
Supports Wake-on: pg
Wake-on: d
Current message level: 0x000000ff (255)
Link detected: no

andrew@Laptop:~$ sudo lshw -C network
[sudo] password for andrew:
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: 88E8040 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller
vendor: Marvell Technology Group Ltd.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:09:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 12
serial: 00:21:9b:cf:0a:65
size: 100MB/s
capacity: 100MB/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=sky2
driverversion=1.18 duplex=full firmware=N/A ip=192.168.0.110 latency=0
link=yes module=sky2 multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=100MB/s
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:0b:00.0
logical name: eth1
version: 02
serial: 00:1f:3c:59:83:f2
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ipw3945 driverversion=1.2.2mp
firmware=14.2 1:0 () ip=192.168.0.199 latency=0 link=no module=ipw3945
multicast=yes wireless=unassociated

Any ideas what the problem is and how to resolve it? Thanks in advance.

Andrew Woodward <andrew@the-woodward-family.co.uk> wrote:
> The eth0 network port works fine when plugged directly into my router.
> The eth0 network port doesn't work when plugged into the HomePlug adapter.

Is it (wrongly) a cross-over cable that you're using? Many routers can
handle automatic cross-over detection, but the HomePlugs probably can't.

What's the output of "mii-tool eth0" for these two scenarios? (Each time,
wait one minute after plugging in the cable before trying the command.)


> Tried two different cables and two different HomePlugs.
> I tested the HomePlugs and cables on a desktop PC and an XBox - both work
> fine.

Do you mean that you plugged the desktop PC and the XBox into the
HomePlug adapter? If not, what exactly did you do to test the HomePlugs
and cables?

Chris

Chris Davies wrote:

> Andrew Woodward <andrew@the-woodward-family.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Is it (wrongly) a cross-over cable that you're using? Many routers can
> handle automatic cross-over detection, but the HomePlugs probably can't.
>

No, it's not a cross-over cable; definitely a patch lead.

> What's the output of "mii-tool eth0" for these two scenarios? (Each time,
> wait one minute after plugging in the cable before trying the command.)
>

(see below)

>
>> Tried two different cables and two different HomePlugs.
>> I tested the HomePlugs and cables on a desktop PC and an XBox - both work
>> fine.
>
> Do you mean that you plugged the desktop PC and the XBox into the
> HomePlug adapter? If not, what exactly did you do to test the HomePlugs
> and cables?
>

Yes, two different devices plugged into the same HomePlug / cable
combination worked immediately.

I *may* have solved the problem. After posting I began to wonder if it was
the driver that was causing the issues. Google returned lots of hits re the
sky2 driver on a slightly different model Marvell Yukon interface. I
downloaded and compiled the sk98lin driver as suggested. This time the
connection via the HomePlug was stable, but kept returning route errors,
e.g.
andrew@Laptop:~$ ping 192.168.0.1
PING 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 192.168.0.110 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.110 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.110 icmp_seq=4 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.110 icmp_seq=5 Destination Host Unreachable
:


I left the laptop connected for several hours while I went out, and when I
returned, without changing anything, it was working! I don't know why. It's
getting late now; I'll have a look tomorrow afternoon if I get chance.


Incidentally, under both scenarios sudo mii-tool eth0 returns
andrew@Laptop:~$ sudo mii-tool eth0
[sudo] password for andrew:
SIOCGMIIPHY on 'eth0' failed: Bad address