Typically a "symbol" refers to a multi-valued (i.e. non-binary) data
chunk received during an interval of interest. Usually it's not simple
binary number, but rather some sequnce of bits in n-of-n coding, multiple
voltage levels or voltage/phase combinations that map into one or more
bits, "symbol errors" reflect invalid conditions per the coding map.
As far as "what does that mean for me", the sort form is that you have
a less than perfect link, either currently, *or* in the interval since
those counters were reset.
For more details you'd have to look at the documentation of the Gig-E
chipset and the technical details of the Gig-E stadards, but since I
don't see and actual packet counts on your interface, these could be
just open-wire noise or if it's not working but should be, a bad GBIC
or fiber link.
Picking a Gig-E intraface at random (7206VXR to adjacent switch), it's
seems that large numbers of these errors aren't completely normal.
underdog>show cont g1/0
Interface GigabitEthernet1/0(idb 0x6240A518)
Hardware is WISEMAN 2.1, network connection mode is auto
network link is up
loopback type is none
GBIC type is 1000BaseSX
...
FX1000 Statistics (PA1)
CRC error 0 Symbol error 0
Missed Packets 0 Single Collision 0
Excessive Coll 0 Multiple Coll 0
Late Coll 0 Collision 0
Defer 65074192 Receive Length 0
Sequence Error 1 XON RX 0
XON TX 0 XOFF RX 0
XOFF TX 0 FC RX Unsupport 0
Packet RX (64) 29539098 Packet RX (127) 2083850555
Packet RX (255) 98062700 Packet RX (511) 125415207
Packet RX (1023) 324977647 Packet RX (1522) 357468492
Good Packet RX 3019313699 Broadcast RX 116958085
Multicast RX 497385565 Good Packet TX 0
> From cisco-nsp-request@puck.nether.net Sat Aug 4 13:34:33 2001
> Resent-Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 13:34:59 -0400
> Received-Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 13:29:06 -0400
> From: Kevin Gannon <kgannon@lancomms.ie>
> To: "'Cisco-Nsp (E-mail)" <cisco-nsp@puck.nether.net>
> Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 18:21:24 +0100
> Subject: [nsp] Gigabit Errors ?
> Resent-From: cisco-nsp@puck.nether.net
> X-Mailing-List: <cisco-nsp@puck.nether.net> archive/latest/7478
> X-Loop: cisco-nsp@puck.nether.net
> Precedence: list
> Resent-Sender: cisco-nsp-request@puck.nether.net
>
> Anyone know what symbol and sequence errors mean on a gigabit ethernet card
> mean, in fact a general
> guide to he various errors on a Gigabit card. There doesnt seem to be any
> detailed debug guides for these
> PA's
>
>
> FX1000 Statistics (PA1)
> CRC error 0 Symbol error 268206578
> Missed Packets 0 Single Collision 0
> Excessive Coll 0 Multiple Coll 0
> Late Coll 0 Collision 0
> Defer 0 Receive Length 0
> Sequence Error 2098811 XON RX 0
> XON TX 0 XOFF RX 0
> XOFF TX 0 FC RX Unsupport 0
> Packet RX (64) 0 Packet RX (127) 0
> Packet RX (255) 0 Packet RX (511) 0
> Packet RX (1023) 0 Packet RX (1522) 0
> Good Packet RX 0 Broadcast RX 0
> Multicast RX 0 Good Packet TX 0
> Good Octets RX.H 0 Good Octets RX.L 0
> Good Octets TX.H 0 Good Octets TX.L 5268
> RX No Buff 0 RX Undersize 0
> RX Fragment 0 RX Oversize 0
> RX Octets High 0 RX Octets Low 1928
> TX Octets High 0 TX Octets Low 5268
> TX Packet 31 RX Packet 1296
> TX Broadcast 27 TX Multicast 4
> Packet TX (64) 23 Packet TX (127) 0
> Packet TX (255) 0 Packet TX (511) 4
> Packet TX (1023) 4 Packet TX (1522) 0
>
>
>
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