Re: My modem problems...

[Bruce Smith <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Well, I think I may be on to something.  Or maybe I'm insane.
> 
> I think my second (Linux) hard drive may have something to do
> with the problem.  When It's working, the modem bonks out and
> whatever it's doing (downloading), it stops and stalls out. 
> When the HD is silent, the downloads fly along without a problem.
> 
> Does this make any sense?  Is the drive creating a magnetic field
> or making radio interferense or something silly like that, or is
> this just a coincidence that I'm seeing?

That's very common with IDE hard drives.  See Adam's tuning
presentation on the web site.  Especially the "hdparm" and
"irqtune" commands.

> On this computer, I can also hear my mouse in the box!  When X is
> running, I can move the mouse and I can hear a buzzing within the
> box.  When the speakers are on, the mouse-noise blairs from the speakers.
> 
> Any thoughts?  Is my computer possessed?  Do I have a bad video board
> / disk controller / sound card / phetzer valve...?

Sounds like you have an IRQ (interrupt) conflict.
If your mouse and the sound card are using the same IRQ,
mouse movement generates interrupts which activates the
sound card.

--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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