WeeJockMacFeegle wrote:
> > Auto MDI/MDX does not make any difference to the detection of speed and
> > duplex settings. He still has to get this right.
> >
> > Could it have been a *bad* crossover cable?
> >
> > /chris
>
> I don't think it was a bad crossover cable. Got the cable tester on it
> and it report all fine. I suspect it was probably a mis-match between
> NIC and switch speed/duplex settings. Switch was set to 100Mb/Full,
> NICs auto set themselves at 100Mb/Half.

That was certainly the source of your errors.

> Strapping the NICs to 100Mb/Full killed the connection. I suspect
> because the NIC could handle having the wrong cable at Half Duplex, but
> not at Full Duplex.

Sounds like a buggy driver.

Auto MDI/MDX and autonegotiation of link speed and duplex are all under
the driver's control. It sounds like your setup forced the NIC to wire
itself like a host port when you forced the speed and duplex.

The two features (MDI/MDX and link modes) are not necessarily related
to one another.

/chris