Linux* Base Driver for the Intel(R) PRO/100 Family of Adapters
==============================================================
May 3, 2006
Contents
========
- In This Release
- Identifying Your Adapter
- Building and Installation
- Driver Configuration Parameters
- Additional Configurations
- Known Issues
- Support
In This Release
===============
This file describes the Linux* Base Driver for the Intel(R) PRO/100 Family
of Adapters. This driver supports 2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels. This driver
includes support for Itanium(R)2-based systems.
For questions related to hardware requirements, refer to the documentation
supplied with your Intel PRO/100 adapter.
The following features are now available in supported kernels:
- Native VLANs
- Channel Bonding (teaming)
- SNMP
Channel Bonding documentation can be found in the Linux kernel source:
/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt
NOTE: If you have the Intel® 82562v 10/100 Network Connection, you must
install the e1000 driver.
Identifying Your Adapter
========================
For more information on how to identify your adapter, go to the Adapter &
Driver ID Guide at:
http://support.intel.com/support/network/adapter/pro100/21397.htm
For the latest Intel network drivers for Linux, refer to the following
website. In the search field, enter your adapter name or type, or use the
networking link on the left to search for your adapter:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/support_intel.asp
Building and Installation
=========================
To build a binary RPM* package of this driver run 'rpmbuild -tb
<filename.tar.gz>'. Replace <filename.tar.gz> with the specific file name
of he driver.
NOTES: For the build to work properly it is important that the currently
running kernel MATCH the version and configuration of the installed
kernel source. If you have just recompiled your kernel, reboot the
system and choose the correct kernel to boot.
RPM functionality has only been tested in Red Hat distributions.
1. Move the base driver tar file to the directory of your choice. For
example, use: /home/username/e100 or /usr/local/src/e100.
2. Untar/unzip the archive by entering the following, where <x.x.x> is the
version number for the driver tar:
tar xfz e100-<x.x.x>.tar.gz
3. Change to the driver src directory by entering the following, where
<x.x.x> is the version number for the driver tar:
cd e100-<x.x.x>/src/
4. Compile the driver module:
make install
The binary will be installed as below:
/lib/modules/<kernel_version>/kernel/drivers/net/e100/e100.[k]o
The install location listed above is the default locations. It may
not be correct for certain Linux distributions. For more information,
see the ldistrib.txt file included in the driver tar.
5. Install the module:
modprobe e100
6. Assign an IP address to the interface by entering the following, where
<x> is the interface number:
ifconfig eth<x> <IP_address>
7. Verify that the interface works. Enter the following, where <IP_address>
is the IP address for another machine on the same subnet as the interface
that is being tested:
ping <IP_address>
Driver Configuration Parameters
===============================
The default value for each parameter is generally the recommended setting,
unless otherwise noted.
Rx Descriptors: Number of receive descriptors. A receive descriptor is a
data structure that describes a receive buffer and its attributes to
the network controller. The data in the descriptor is used by the
controller to write data from the controller to host memory. In the
3.x.x driver the valid range for this parameter is 64-256. The default
value is 64. This parameter can be changed using the command:
ethtool -G eth? rx n, where n is the number of desired rx descriptors.
Tx Descriptors: Number of transmit descriptors. A transmit descriptor is
a data structure that describes a transmit buffer and its attributes
to the network controller. The data in the descriptor is used by the
controller to read data from the host memory to the controller. In the
3.x.x driver the valid range for this parameter is 64-256. The default
value is 64. This parameter can be changed using the command:
ethtool -G eth? tx n, where n is the number of desired tx descriptors.
Speed/Duplex: The driver auto-negotiates the link speed and duplex settings
by default. Ethtool can be used as follows to force speed/duplex.
ethtool -s eth? autoneg off speed {10|100} duplex {full|half}
NOTE: setting the speed/duplex to incorrect values will cause the link
to fail.
Event Log Message Level: The driver uses the message level flag to log
events to syslog. The message level can be set at driver load time. It
can also be set using the command:
ethtool -s eth? msglvl n
Additional Configurations
=========================
Configuring the Driver on Different Distributions
-------------------------------------------------
Configuring a network driver to load properly when the system is started
is distribution dependent. Typically, the configuration process involves
adding an alias line to /etc/modules.conf or /etc/modprobe.conf as well
as editing other system startup scripts and/or configuration files.
Many popular Linux distributions ship with tools to make these changes
for you. To learn the proper way to configure a network device for your
system, refer to your distribution documentation. If during this process
you are asked for the driver or module name, the name for the Linux Base
Driver for the Intel PRO/100 Family of Adapters is e100.
As an example, if you install the e100 driver for two PRO/100 adapters
(eth0 and eth1), add the following to modules.conf or modprobe.conf:
alias eth0 e100
alias eth1 e100
Viewing Link Messages
---------------------
In order to see link messages and other Intel driver information on your
console, you must set the dmesg level up to six. This can be done by
entering the following on the command line before loading the e100 driver:
dmesg -n 8
If you wish to see all messages issued by the driver, including debug
messages, set the dmesg level to eight.
NOTE: This setting is not saved across reboots.
Ethtool
-------
The driver utilizes the ethtool interface for driver configuration and
diagnostics, as well as displaying statistical information. Ethtool
version 1.6 or later is required for this functionality.
The latest release of ethtool can be found from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gkernel.
NOTE: Ethtool 1.6 only supports a limited set of ethtool options. Support
for a more complete ethtool feature set can be enabled by upgrading
ethtool to ethtool-1.8.1.
Enabling Wake on LAN* (WoL)
---------------------------
WoL is provided through the Ethtool* utility. Ethtool is included with
Red Hat* 8.0. For other Linux distributions, download and install Ethtool
from the following website: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gkernel.
For instructions on enabling WoL with Ethtool, refer to the Ethtool man
page.
WoL will be enabled on the system during the next shut down or reboot.
For this driver version, in order to enable WoL, the e100 driver must be
loaded when shutting down or rebooting the system.
NAPI
----
NAPI (Rx polling mode) is supported in the e100 driver. NAPI is enabled
or disabled based on the configuration of the kernel. To override
the default, use the following compile-time flags.
To enable NAPI, compile the driver module, passing in a configuration
option:
make CFLAGS_EXTRA=-DE100_NAPI install
To disable NAPI, compile the driver module, passing in a configuration
option:
make CFLAGS_EXTRA=-DE100_NO_NAPI install
See www.cyberus.ca/~hadi/usenix-paper.tgz for more information on NAPI.
Known Issues
============
NOTE: For distribution-specific information, refer to the ldistrib.txt
file included in the driver tar.
Driver Compilation
------------------
When trying to compile the driver by running make install, the following
error may occur:
"Linux kernel source not configured - missing version.h"
To solve this issue, create the version.h file by going to the Linux
source tree and entering:
make include/linux/version.h.
Multiple Interfaces on Same Ethernet Broadcast Network
------------------------------------------------------
Due to the default ARP behavior on Linux, it is not possible to have
one system on two IP networks in the same Ethernet broadcast domain
(non-partitioned switch) behave as expected. All Ethernet interfaces
will respond to IP traffic for any IP address assigned to the system.
This results in unbalanced receive traffic.
If you have multiple interfaces in a server, either turn on ARP
filtering by
(1) entering: echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/arp_filter
(this only works if your kernel's version is higher than 2.4.5), or
(2) installing the interfaces in separate broadcast domains (either
in different switches or in a switch partitioned to VLANs).
Support
=======
For general information, go to the Intel support website at:
http://support.intel.com
If an issue is identified with the released source code on the supported
kernel with a supported adapter, email the specific information related
to the issue to linux.nics@intel.com.
License
=======
This software program is released under the terms of a license agreement
between you ('Licensee') and Intel. Do not use or load this software or any
associated materials (collectively, the 'Software') until you have carefully
read the full terms and conditions of the LICENSE located in this software
package. By loading or using the Software, you agree to the terms of this
Agreement. If you do not agree with the terms of this Agreement, do not
install or use the Software.
Trademarks
==========
Intel, Itanium, and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other
countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
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