How to find whether interface is buitin(onboard) or external(attached on pci slot )??

luvtux · 02-19-2010, 05:45 AM

Hi all,

I want to know if there any way to find out interface of Linux Box(Suse 9>)is onboard or externally attached (pci slot)???.

Note:- This is a problem which I am facing in my work. In onsite server we need to configure n/w card too. So some time when we configure, I'm confusing which interface should be configured. Client insisting us to configure embedded(onboard) interface. How to find out that. Help me !!!

By
LuvTux

TB0ne · 02-19-2010, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvtux

Hi all,

I want to know if there any way to find out interface of Linux Box(Suse 9>)is onboard or externally attached (pci slot)???.

Note:- This is a problem which I am facing in my work. In onsite server we need to configure n/w card too. So some time when we configure, I'm confusing which interface should be configured. Client insisting us to configure embedded(onboard) interface. How to find out that. Help me !!!

There are commands, like lspci and lsusb, to show the different devices connected. You can also fire up Yast, and show the hardware from there, too.

You can run dmesg to see what's been detected, but you'll get spotty results. Often, the onboard interfaces will show up as PCI devices.

But I'm not sure why this is such a problem...if you're onsite, plug the cable into the onboard interface, and it'll be the only one to detect a link. Or remove the PCI card, configure the box, and replace the card when you're done.

luvtux · 02-22-2010, 10:34 AM

Thanks for help Mr TBOne,
But we are accessing onsite remotely(I am the part of RIM team). So I cannot access server manually. But problem is when ever we try to configure n/w cards using yast we could see two groups of n/w cards. One group of cards have " (copper) ". Is that the indication of externally connected card ???. How can we find which is externally connected and which is onboard. lspci is good command, but normally many other cards may be attached to pci slot than n/w cards. If there any command to find onboard card as it would be more useful. Or if we can get it from any file that can be helpful.

TB0ne · 02-22-2010, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvtux

Thanks for help Mr TBOne,
But we are accessing onsite remotely(I am the part of RIM team). So I cannot access server manually.

That makes no sense. You're either on-site, or you're remote. You can't be both.

Quote:

But problem is when ever we try to configure n/w cards using yast we could see two groups of n/w cards. One group of cards have " (copper) ". Is that the indication of externally connected card ???.

No idea what you're talking about here. Copper? Guess it depends if you're dealing with old fiber cards, versus GigE Copper, so I guess it COULD show up that way, but I've never seen it.

Quote:

How can we find which is externally connected and which is onboard. lspci is good command, but normally many other cards may be attached to pci slot than n/w cards. If there any command to find onboard card as it would be more useful. Or if we can get it from any file that can be helpful.

Did you pay attention to what I wrote before?? You've got the commands, but again, the onboard may show up as PCI. So you won't be able to tell, unless you already KNOW that the onboard interface is (for example), Intel-based, and the external cards are 3Com.

Again, run YAST, look at the interfaces.

catkin · 02-22-2010, 01:58 PM

You're in luck if the motherboard manufacturer "brands" the firmware. Here's lspci -v output for an Intel motherboard with similar network chips both onboard and on a card:

Code:

02:03.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
        Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 0c4a
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 23
        I/O ports at b400 [size=256]
        Memory at feaff800 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Kernel driver in use: 8139too
        Kernel modules: 8139too, 8139cp

02:01.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
        Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 22
        I/O ports at b800 [size=256]
        Memory at feaffc00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
        Expansion ROM at 30000000 [disabled] [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Kernel driver in use: 8139too
        Kernel modules: 8139too, 8139cp