[conspire] How to kill a gigabit switch

[Rick Moen]

A short while backI spend a long, happy soak in the bathtub, then come
out to reconnect to my server for mail.  Network appears unreachable,
hmm.   Check the console of the server.  It's fine, but again network
is unreachable.  /var/log/messages:

Feb 21 01:07:23 linuxmafia kernel: [7961860.000343] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Down
Feb 21 01:07:25 linuxmafia kernel: [7961862.004283] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Feb 21 01:07:27 linuxmafia kernel: [7961864.000319] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Down
Feb 21 01:17:21 linuxmafia kernel: [7962458.000270] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Feb 21 01:19:20 linuxmafia kernel: [7962577.405612] e100 0000:00:0f.0: firmware: requesting e100/d101m_ucode.bin
Feb 21 01:19:20 linuxmafia kernel: [7962577.624418] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth2: link is not ready
Feb 21 01:19:20 linuxmafia kernel: [7962577.628317] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
Feb 21 01:19:20 linuxmafia kernel: [7962577.629071] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth2: link becomes ready
Feb 21 01:21:35 linuxmafia kernel: [7962712.000327] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Down
Feb 21 01:32:17 linuxmafia kernel: [7963354.000288] e100: eth2 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

I follow ethernet cable to the crawlspace under the house, and open the
hatch leading to the crawlspace.

Aha, there's your problem (said the auto mechanic who noticed the engine
being missing).  My Netgear GS108 8-port unmanaged ethernet switch for
the outside network has, as it often does, tumbled from its shelf onto
the floor of my crawl space, except _this_ time, there's about 5 gallons
of standing water near the corner, and the Netgear is lying square in
said pool, definitively, clinically dead.

Ave, Mr. Switch.  You were a good soldier.

I haul out one of my antique 100Mpbs ethernet hubs, and carefully place
it _outside_ the crawl space, so it cannot fall into any new standing
water that may ensue.

Why was there standing water under the floor of my house?  Not sure, but
am hoping it's just the Noachian deluge the entire Bay Area is now in
the middle of.

Anyway, that's why my server was offline for half an hour (if anyone
noticed the downtime).