Nic settings (how to determine)

gammy · 09-11-2007, 09:29 AM

I have a dell poweredge 2950 I am told it is on a gigabit network so I want to check my Nic settings. Here is the output from mii-too and ethtool. one command shows 100base T the other shows SPEED=1000MB/s...not sure what they tell me..help..
# mii-tool -v
eth0: negotiated 100baseTx-FD, link ok
product info: vendor 00:08:18, model 54 rev 5
basic mode: autonegotiation enabled
basic status: autonegotiation complete, link ok
capabilities: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD
advertising: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD flow-control
link partner: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD

[root@seebs5 dev]# ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
Supported ports: [ TP ]
Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Full
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Full
Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Speed: 1000Mb/s
Duplex: Full
Port: Twisted Pair
PHYAD: 1
Transceiver: internal
Auto-negotiation: on
Supports Wake-on: d
Wake-on: d
Link detected: yes

rjtucke · 09-11-2007, 11:00 AM

what settings do you want to check?

farslayer · 09-11-2007, 11:09 AM

Could just check check one of the logs..

Quote:

it-etch:/var/log# cat /var/log/messages | grep eth
Sep 10 12:16:42 it-etch kernel: eth0: Broadcom 4400 10/100BaseT Ethernet 00:1a:a0:08:67:08
Sep 10 12:16:42 it-etch kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Sep 10 12:16:42 it-etch kernel: b44: eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex.
Sep 10 12:16:42 it-etch kernel: b44: eth0: Flow control is off for TX and off for RX.
Sep 10 12:16:42 it-etch kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready

or

it-etch:/var/log# cat /var/log/dmesg | grep eth
eth0: Broadcom 4400 10/100BaseT Ethernet 00:1a:a0:08:67:08
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
b44: eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex.
b44: eth0: Flow control is off for TX and off for RX.
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready

it looks like mii-tool doesn't understand Gig.. I run the same commands on my server, and mii-tool doesn't list the card as being Gig capable when you can clearly see them as being gigabit NICs.

Quote:

mail:~# lspci | grep Eth
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme II BCM5708 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 11)
05:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme II BCM5708 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 11)

Code:

mail:~# ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
        Supported ports: [ TP ]
        Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
                                1000baseT/Full
        Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
        Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
                                1000baseT/Full
        Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
        Speed: 100Mb/s
        Duplex: Full
        Port: Twisted Pair
        PHYAD: 1
        Transceiver: internal
        Auto-negotiation: on
        Supports Wake-on: d
        Wake-on: d
        Link detected: yes


mail:~# mii-tool -v
eth0: negotiated 100baseTx-FD flow-control, link ok
  product info: vendor 00:08:18, model 54 rev 5
  basic mode:   autonegotiation enabled
  basic status: autonegotiation complete, link ok
  capabilities: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD
  advertising:  100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD flow-control
  link partner: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD flow-control
eth1: no link
  product info: vendor 00:08:18, model 54 rev 5
  basic mode:   autonegotiation enabled
  basic status: no link
  capabilities: 100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD
  advertising:  100baseTx-FD 100baseTx-HD 10baseT-FD 10baseT-HD flow-control

Sorry my server is in a 100 MB port.. kinda pointless to hook a mail server to anything faster when the Internet connection is only a T1

So basically I would go with the output from ethtool..

gammy · 09-11-2007, 11:15 AM

Am I running 100baset or 1000Mps?
Am I running half or FULL duplex?

From what I see (SPEED=1000Mps but it looks also like 100Bt...so, conflicting info for a newbie).

thanks in advance

farslayer · 09-11-2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gammy

Am I running 100baset or 1000Mps?
Am I running half or FULL duplex?

From what I see (SPEED=1000Mps but it looks also like 100Bt...so, conflicting info for a newbie).

thanks in advance

Look at the Lines SPEED and DUPLEX in ethtool directly under the advertised auto-negotiation line, those are your current settings. I put them in bold in my post.. (err during one of the edits.. )

gammy · 09-11-2007, 12:39 PM

Ok..so, I can assume that: #ethtool is the main command to use to gather this information...I am still not sure what mii-tool buys me.
Also, the grep information (messages, etc

is helpful.

tks again and if someone can explain the usage of mii-tool and why it says 100 vs. 1000Mbps that would be good.

farslayer · 09-11-2007, 01:51 PM

Just compare the man pages for the two..

looks like mii-tool was here first, but has not expanded it's capabilities and is limited in what it can do. it can only support detection and modification of speeds to 100MB.

ethtool looks newer, has many, many, more options such as the ability to change wake-on-lan parameters, and it supports up to Gig interfaces..

http://www.netadmintools.com/html/mii-tool.man.html

http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/ethtool8.html

looks like ethtool for me from here on out.

gammy · 09-12-2007, 08:09 AM

I agree..ethtool rules!
tks for all the responses.