Help debugging network problem

[Luke Militello]

scott wrote:
> Michael Peek wrote:
>> Hi gurus,
>>
>> I have a machine running 2.6.24-19-server from the amd64 version of
>> 8.04LTS, and I have a strange networking problem. Periodically
>> (every few minutes) the network connection will stop working. The
>> strange thing is that 50% of the time, any active SSH connections
>> to the machine continue to work, I can ping the machine from the
>> outside, but new connections don't happen.
>>
>> As an example:
>>
>> In one window I ran tcpdump, while in the other window I attempted
>> to use apt-get to install a package. Apt said it was attempting to
>> contact http://us.archive.ubuntu.com, but no packets showed up in
>> tcpdump. Eventually apt quit with "Could not resolve
>> 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'", and when I quit tcpdump it said: "664
>> packets dropped by kernel"
>>
>> The network will work for a few minutes, then seize up for a few
>> minutes, then magically start working again -- for a few minutes.
>> During the network blackout, I can bring things back by
>> ifdown/ifup the interface. Then things will work again -- for a
>> few minutes.
>>
>> The ethernet is built in to a SuperMicro X7DWE, and is an Intel
>> 82563EB. I tried both the e1000 driver that came with the stock
>> kernel, and compiled the newer version that came on the motherboard
>> driver CD.
>>
>> Anybody have any idea why the kernel would drop packets? Is this a
>> driver issue, a hardware failure, or something completely
>> different?
>>
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>>
>> Michael
>>
> I just noticed you are using wired. My bad.
> 
> 

Not sure if this will solve anything, but have you tried upgrading your 
kernel?  2.6.24-21 is the latest for 8.04.  Worth a shot.