ok, so really it's only terrifying for me becausee I'm so dependent on the net...
I'm running sid on an i386. This machine, anarres, has its own internet IP address, 128.100.34.9, and sits behind a simple ethernet switch with one other computer, 128.100.34.8 (from which I'm currently writing). This switch & the two computers are themselves behind a gateway, 128.100.34.1. Sometime this morning, I think between 11 and 12 EST, something went wrong with my internet connection on anarres. I have checked the cables and they look fine; the little green and yellow lights by the ethernet jack are flashing much as they always have. But the only computer I've been able to ping anarres from is 128.100.34.8, which is its sister, so to speak. and from anarres, I can only reach a very small group of machines. SOme things I can't do from anarres: ping localhost ping 128.100.34.9 (which is localhsot too...) ping 127.0.0.1 ping 128.100.34.1 ping www.google.com (all of these _do_ work from 128.100.34.8) Some things I (surprisingly) can do: ping 128.100.34.8 ping 128.100.34.0 ping 128.100.34.x, where x is one of about 6 computers 128.100.34.0 says is on my localnet. so, I don't really understand networks all that well, but I don't see why this should be happening, especially since the 'net connection has worked flawlessly for about 2.5 years, and I wasn't doing anything wierd when the breakdown occurred. I've checked /var/log/(messages|syslog) and I don't see much in terms of suspects. But on the otherr hand I don't know much either! Both logs are flooded with lines like this: Nov 8 21:47:10 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=17249 PROTO=2 but they have been since july, cf. this from messages.5.gz: Jul 12 07:47:18 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=2797 PROTO=2 around the time of failure I notice the following lines in syslog: --- Nov 8 10:49:21 www imaplogin: DISCONNECTED, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11], headers=0, body=0 Nov 8 10:49:21 www imaplogin: Connection, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11] Nov 8 10:49:21 www xteld[8968]: warning: /etc/hosts.allow, line 14: missing newline or line too long Nov 8 10:49:21 www xteld[8968]: connect from kraken.noc.utoronto.ca (128.100.97.11) Nov 8 10:49:22 www imapd-ssl: Connection, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11] Nov 8 10:49:26 www imaplogin: DISCONNECTED, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11], headers=0, body=0 Nov 8 10:49:27 www imapd-ssl: Connection, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11] Nov 8 10:49:37 www last message repeated 2 times Nov 8 10:50:01 www /USR/SBIN/CRON[8980]: (list) CMD (/usr/lib/mailman/cron/gate_news) Nov 8 10:50:39 www sshd: warning: /etc/hosts.allow, line 14: missing newline or line too long Nov 8 10:51:10 www last message repeated 33 times Nov 8 10:51:15 www last message repeated 5 times Nov 8 10:51:15 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=13253 PROTO=2 Nov 8 10:51:16 www sshd: warning: /etc/hosts.allow, line 14: missing newline or line too long Nov 8 10:51:47 www last message repeated 34 times Nov 8 10:52:58 www last message repeated 34 times Nov 8 10:53:01 www /USR/SBIN/CRON[9219]: (mail) CMD ( if [ -x /usr/lib/exim/exim3 -a -f /etc/exim/exim.conf ]; then /usr/lib/exim/exim3 -q ; fi) Nov 8 10:53:20 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=13268 PROTO=2 Nov 8 10:54:15 www popa3d[9225]: Session from 128.100.97.11 Nov 8 10:54:27 www popa3d[9225]: Didn't attempt authentication Nov 8 10:54:48 www imaplogin: Connection, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11] Nov 8 10:54:58 www imaplogin: DISCONNECTED, ip=[::ffff:128.100.97.11], headers=0, body=0 Nov 8 10:55:01 www /USR/SBIN/CRON[9232]: (list) CMD (/usr/lib/mailman/cron/gate_news) Nov 8 10:55:25 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=13280 PROTO=2 Nov 8 10:56:20 www imapd-ssl: couriertls: accept: error:140760FC:SSL routines:SSL23_GET_CLIENT_HELLO:unknown protocol Nov 8 10:56:28 www xteld[9241]: warning: /etc/hosts.allow, line 14: missing newline or line too long Nov 8 10:56:28 www xteld[9241]: connect from kraken.noc.utoronto.ca (128.100.97.11) Nov 8 10:56:34 www xteld[9241]: read: Success Nov 8 10:56:52 www cvs-pserver[9243]: warning: /etc/hosts.allow, line 14: missing newline or line too long Nov 8 10:56:52 www cvs-pserver[9243]: connect from kraken.noc.utoronto.ca (128.100.97.11) Nov 8 10:57:30 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=13292 PROTO=2 Nov 8 10:59:35 www kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:50:99:bf:df:18:08:00 SRC=128.100.34.3 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=28 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=13303 PROTO=2 Nov 8 11:00:01 www /USR/SBIN/CRON[9259]: (list) CMD (/usr/lib/mailman/cron/gate_news) Nov 8 11:00:01 www /USR/SBIN/CRON[9260]: (matt) CMD (getmail) --------- The odd thing is that I know the final cron job listed there succeeded -- the mail was delivered -- but it was the last successful internet interaction this machine had. so if that weird xtel connection is the root cause of this problem (and why would it be?) it's strange that it took so long to take effect. I've tried ifdown -a && ifup eth0 several times but this changes nothing and also generates no error messages. I'd REALLY appreciate any help you can give as I run a web server from this machine and my students are at my throat. Also if you could CC me directly at this address I'd very much appreciate it, my regular email account is rendered as good as useless by this problem. Thanks v. much for your help. I look forward to hearing from some gurus! Matt ps, fyi, my /etc/network/interfaces looks like this: ------------- #/etc/network/interfaces -- configuration file for ifup(8), ifdown(8) # The loopback interface auto lo iface lo inet loopback # The first network card - this entry was created during the Debian installation # (network, broadcast and gateway are optional) auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static address 128.100.34.9 netmask 255.255.255.128 network 128.100.34.0 broadcast 128.100.34.127 gateway 128.100.34.1 -------------- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]