[plug] Hardware problem?

[Alan Graham]

I've got a machine running Linux 6.1, kernel version 2.2.12-45SAP which is 
giving me some problems.  It's a Duron 850, with an integrated mobo with an 
SiS 900 e/net adaptor.

First, it works fine for most things.  However, when I try to transfer large 
amounts of data, the network stops working.  no error messages, nothing in 
any log that I can find, it just doesn't respond.  This happens only when I 
try to move large data files around.  I've tried ftp, scp, and smb, all with 
the same (negative) result.  The interesting thing is that ifconfig shows
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:00:00:00:00:00  
          inet addr:192.168.1.220  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

Note the hardware address, or lack of it.  MTU is fine tho'.

I need to upgrade this machine to RH 7.1  When I try, the kernel panics.  I 
had assumed that it was because there isn't a driver for the SiS 900 on the 
standard boot image, but it doesn't work with the drivers disk either.  I'm 
now wondering if these problems aren't all related.  Will setting the 
hardware address of eth0 fix things (I'm going to try this this evening)?  Or 
is the missing address indicative of an underlying h/ware fault, that is 
causing the kernel panic?  Will Thorn ever find out that the baby was 
actually fathered by his stepbrother, and not the mad axe....  Sorry, warped 
into an alternate universe there.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Alan