I just upgraded a server running SuSE 7.2 (kernel 2.4.16, SuSEFirewall(=ipchains)) to SuSE 8.0 (kernel 2.4.18, SuSEFirewall2(=iptables))..
That is not good, since 8.0 uses a complete different Structure in it's system and pathlocations. Copy all configs and additional files to a backupmedium and the setup again to lose double files. This may be the problem. Maybe there is an old driver in the old kernle left, that's installed with the new 2.4er kernel. After Installation use yast online update.
The inside nic is a Intel ethernet card and the outside nic is a IBM olympic token ring card.
That means kernel panic.
Sounds like NIC-Problem. Why you use this NIC (IBM)? Is is because of missing connectors on newer NIC's?
I don't think so, probably it's a NIC driver problem Which Intel driver are you using? If it's the e100 or the eepro100 you first could try to use the other driver, I had problems with the Intel driver (e100) but the eepro100 driver works without problems.
I used the eepro100 dirvers since two years and had no problems. Use Yast2 to autodetect the NIC's again. Use for the second NIC standard drivers. Philippe