[SWLUG] odd hardware problem - advice welcomed

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i've just replaced a mobo and cpu and psu in a box because i couldn't find out 
what was casuing it to hang. it no longer hangs  - hooray! 
but, I've just discovered/remembered why the replacement mobo wasn't being 
used - when left alone for a while the network interface goes down, i can't 
access the box's sshd or imap etc. from over the network,
but, if i simply press any key on the keyboard (via kvm) attached to the box 
then i can access the box over the network.  it's as though the interface goes 
to sleep and wakes up when  press a key, note that i'm not logged in locally 
to the box i just press any key on the locally attached keyboard.

does anyone have an idea what might be happening? the network driver is via-
rhine-II the mobo is an abit kv7, i'm running mageia1 but i this also happened 
when the mobo ran mandriva 2009.0

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"janet!, dr. scott!, janet!, brad!, rocky!"