Description of problem: Once started, the nVidia CK804 ethernet driver wakes up 100 times per second, regardless of process use. It even continues waking up 100/sec when the ethernet is idle (no packets on wire) or when the cable is disconnected. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): kernel-2.6.23-0.74.rc2.git1.fc8 How reproducible: always Steps to Reproduce: 1. boot to single-user mode, run "powertop -d", note absence of ethernet wakeups. 2. "telinit 3" to multi-user mode; run "powertop -d"; ethernet is 100/sec. 3. kill all processes that were added by going multi-user; run "powertop -d"; ethernet is still 100/sec. Actual results: ethernet wakes 100/second Expected results: no ethernet wakeups if not being used by process and no packets on wire (silent network, or unplugged wire.) Additional info: $ /sbin/lspci 00:00.0 Memory controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Memory Controller (rev a3) 00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 ISA Bridge (rev a3) 00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation CK804 SMBus (rev a2) 00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller (rev a2) 00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller (rev a3) 00:04.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 AC'97 Audio Controller (rev a2) 00:06.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 IDE (rev f2) 00:07.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller (rev f3) 00:09.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCI Bridge (rev a2) 00:0a.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 Ethernet Controller (rev a3) 00:0b.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3) 00:0c.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3) 00:0d.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3) 00:0e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3) 00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration 00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map 00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller 00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control 01:0c.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. IEEE 1394 Host Controller (rev 80) 05:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV44 [GeForce 6200 LE] (rev a1) --
It's a known issue. See http://www.linuxpowertop.org/known.php#forcedeth for more info.
Here's the comment from drivers/net/forcedeth.c, for the curious: http://lxr.linux.no/source/drivers/net/forcedeth.c#L115