What are symbol error frames?

[wes]

I have a 3548 connected to a 3508 via GBIC(sX. The 3548 every 40 minutes or so it will disappear from the network for 15-20 seconds (along with everything behind it). After a couple of days of looking around I've noticed the the "sh controllers ethernet-controllers" command show 20000+ Symbol error frames. The 3508 doesn't show any error frames and a randow check of 10 other switches doesn't show symbol errore either. I think this might be the root of the problem, but I'd like to get a better understanding of what these are before contacting TAC for an fix/RMA.

What are these Symbol error frames?

[milan.kulik]

Hi,

have you tried to swap GBICs?

"Symbol errors - Incremented each time a valid carrier was present and at least one invalid data symbol was received. "

(See http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/cat2950/12111yj4/lrescg/swtrbl.htm.)

"...loop timing is maintained by continuous streams of IDLE symbols sent on each wire pair during interframe gaps."

(See http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/ito_doc/ethernet.htm#xtocid23)

Regards,

Milan