A Linux file server has been experiencing random network disconnects. Users report that their SMB sessions drop several times an hour. The administrator captures the following kernel messages while the issue occurs:
e1000e 0000:00:19.0 eno1: NIC Link is Down
e1000e 0000:00:19.0 eno1: NIC Link is Up 100Mb/s Half Duplex, Flow Control: Rx/Tx
The switch port to which the server is connected is manually configured for speed 100 duplex full. Which of the following is the BEST first action to stop the disconnects and restore stable connectivity?
Enable autonegotiation on both the server NIC and the switch port (or manually set both to the same speed and duplex)
Lower the interface MTU to 1400 bytes to avoid fragmentation on the path
Disable Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE) on the server interface using ethtool --set-eee
Change TCP keep-alive parameters so idle sessions are refreshed more frequently
The log shows the NIC coming back up at half-duplex while the switch is fixed at full-duplex. This duplex mismatch is a well-known cause of late collisions, CRC errors, and intermittent link drops. Resolving the mismatch by allowing both ends to negotiate (or by manually setting the same speed and duplex on each side) removes the underlying physical-layer conflict and eliminates the random disconnects. Disabling EEE, altering MTU values, or changing TCP keep-alive settings do not correct a duplex mismatch and will not stabilize the link.
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What is duplex mismatch, and why does it cause network issues?
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What is autonegotiation, and how does it solve duplex mismatch?
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What does the kernel log message 'NIC Link is Up 100Mb/s Half Duplex' indicate?
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CompTIA Linux+ XK0-006 (V8)
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