network lost on windows xp with realtek

q16marvin

Renowned Member
Jul 16, 2013
50
0
71
Hi,

i have to make some tests with windows xp. i install some machines with realtek driver.

it works, but sometimes the lan connection is crashing and i have to shutdown and restart the machine.

What could be the reason?


Thx!

Erik
 
Yes, seem that are the latest. I had similar issues with virtio while e1000 were working. I had also a Win2000 that worked fine with realtek and proxmox 2.x but connection froze with 3.1. Installing e1000 in win2000 solved. In short, the virtio support for Windows is really a nightmare since day 0, is not proxmox fault but is affecting proxmox users a lot, is more like a "minefield" than something you can rely on (as it should instead be). Now I usually do test with iperf before deploy.
Sorry, but I've no more ideas and no XP VM on Proxmox 3.1 (maybe recent kvm break e1000 on XP? Yuppy...), I think that Win7 is a better choice.
 
If you have access to rhn.redhat.com I can recommend fetching Redhat's virtio driver package for Windows. Works every time for me on all Windows versions I have thrown at it. Remember Windows sometimes require a digitally signed package.
 
I've no access to rhn.redhat.com and fedora virtio packages should belong to the same codebase, just the former should be always from "stable" branch, signed and certified. I think XP does not need "signed" drivers, since this concept was "invented" later.
If you are suggesting that Fedora virtio drivers are broken "by design" to force people use RH virtualization, or at least subscribe their RH server solution, that means that KVM outside RH is doomed.
I use GNU/Linux everywhere possible but all business needs some M$ Windows VM running for legacy apps, so not being able to provide a reliable and good performing solution is a big problem.
I.e. I've been told that vmwhere "guest drivers" are stable, work with almost all M$ OS range, and let you do more things like clean shutdown of M$ server VM even if users are logged.
In comparison for Fedora is all a guestwork, with some really bad experience (i.e. something like "test the latest and the VM will never boot again, you have to restore the former backup", or "connectivity is lost sometime" etc.).
I really hope RH is doing his best for the community as usual, and that Proxmox can make enough money to have a look at virtion code and send some patches / provide signed drivers / whatever.
 
I am not suggesting that Fedora virtio drivers are broken by design. I am merely saying that if you want rock solid enterprise grade drivers you shouldn't rely on virtio drivers from Fedora as they by concept are bleeding edge.
 
Yes, sorry, I choose a bad wording. The meaning was that if the facts that you tell means that only those drivers work fine for windows, we are doomed.
That's my fear, not something you directly suggested / seem to belive.
Regards
 
Yes, sorry, I choose a bad wording. The meaning was that if the facts that you tell means that only those drivers work fine for windows, we are doomed.
That's my fear, not something you directly suggested / seem to belive.
Regards
But you could choose the versions available for Redhat customers since they can be downloaded from Fedora. Only difference is that the ones downloaded from Fedora is not signed by Redhat but signing is something which is easy. http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers/Download_Drivers

Redhat current version: virtio-win-1.6.4-1.el6_4.noarch.rpm (http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2013-0812.html)
Latest from Fedora: virtio-win-0.1-65
Prior from Fedora: virtio-win-0.1-59 (http://alt.fedoraproject.org/pub/alt/virtio-win/archives/virtio-win-0.1-59/)

Stable according to Fedora: 1-52 (http://alt.fedoraproject.org/pub/alt/virtio-win/stable/)

Have you tried the stable version?
 

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