HDVR2 static IP, no arp, no ping

[hacker_chip]

I set my two tivos to static IPs with the information posted in this thread: http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45

One of them works perfectly as planned. The other sets up the network interface correctly, but will not ping nor respond to arp requests. Both were built with PTVnet and Instantcake.

I've attempted to revert back to DHCP and it will not acquire an address any more either. I also swapped the trendnet ethernet adapter with the working unit, but the problem persists.

From the serial console ifconfig reports eth0 properly configured only when set to a static IP address.

Where should I be looking for the problem? This TiVo was networking fine until I set it to a static IP. Now it will not talk at all.

I'm an experienced linux developer and networker, but only recent experience on hacked TiVos, so don't be afraid to answer too technical.

After running rmmod usbnet and insmod usbnet, the kernel will opps anytime the network is brought up and the TiVo reboots. Now if I even leave the net adapter plugged in the TiVo will be in a reboot loop.

This may be the strangest networking problem I have ever seen on embedded Linux devices. I've never heard of unloading and loading a module permanently breaking that module.

Now after booting with the net adapter unplugged, rmmod usbnet, rmmod usb-ohci, rmmod usbcore, and reloading them from /ptvupgrade/modules the net will configure, but still not work correctly. From the serial console ping to the gateway looks like:

bash-2.02# ping 10.250.0.1
PING 10.250.0.1 (10.250.0.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=28 ttl=64 time=98.3 ms
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=33 ttl=64 time=103.4 ms
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=34 ttl=64 time=91.1 ms
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=35 ttl=64 time=90.7 ms
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=36 ttl=64 time=80.9 ms
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=38 ttl=64 time=88.1 ms
64 bytes from 10.250.0.1: icmp_seq=342 ttl=64 time=1556.3 ms

Obviously some serious packet loss.

Any help with this problem would be appreciated.

[hacker_chip]

This whole problem appears to be a network duplex problem.

I'm not sure what when wrong when unloading and reloading the modules, but that problem seemed to quit when I did it a second time.

What I have found out is that when both of my TiVo's are plugged into the same 100mb HUB only one can talk. Before switching to a static IP there were no problems when connected to the same network HUB.

It appears after setting to a static IP full duplex is being forced on the network adapter.

Anyone know how to force this to half duplex or the proper auto detect? Why would this problem only occur with a static IP?