More details on Ethernet unreliability

[Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R]

Here is an lspci showing devices made with a 386 2869
kernel.  

00:00.0 Memory controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Memory Controller
(rev a3)
00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 ISA Bridge (rev a3)
00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation CK804 SMBus (rev a2)
00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller (rev a2)
00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller (rev a3)
00:04.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 AC'97
Audio Controller (rev a2)
00:06.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 IDE (rev f2)
00:07.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller
(rev f3)
00:08.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller
(rev f3)
00:09.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCI Bridge (rev a2)
00:0a.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 Ethernet Controller (rev a3)
00:0b.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)
00:0c.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)
00:0d.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)
00:0e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron]
HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron]
Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron]
DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron]
Miscellaneous Control
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV43 [GeForce
6600] (rev a2)
05:07.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3cSOHO100-TX Hurricane
(rev 30)
05:08.0 Serial controller: 3Com Corp, Modem Division 56K FaxModem Model
5610 (rev 01)

This is with the 3com controller on the third from the top PCI slot.
I switched to a different Hurricane controller and installed it in the
first slot.  Still got the time out failure with x86_64 3104 kernel.

I have now replaced the Hurricane controller with a gigabit controller.
It has not bombed out yet but hasn't had much uptime.   In the meantime
Comcast has gone erratic so I haven't received any mail today.