Intel PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapter on a Dell dimension E521

pf123user

I have to ask the basic questions first - are you sure its seated properly?

I run Intel Pro 1000 MT and PT NICS (dual & quad) in all my Dell machines but they are mostly Precision 490 machines. I can suggest two things - first, check to make sure your BIOS is up to date with most recent revision. Second, verify your hardware. Try installing Windows XP (or Windows 7 just don't activate it) on the machine and make sure there are no issues. Does the card function perfectly in another machine?

Dells can have heat issues. Do you see any blown caps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague) or any other heat issues?

Finally - if you can't seem to get that PT Quad NIC working you could always look at an Intel Pro 1000 MT Quad NIC and just run it in the PCI slot.

Try updating your BIOS then verify hardware which includes checking the motherboard for heat issues.

Jey-B

are you sure its seated properly
Yes :)

The NIC is detected, I see 4 ports in pfSense, I attribute EM0, EM1, EM2, EM3 to the 4 ports, but during this time of after (when I have the time for configure all interfaces), the text on the screen change and freeze.

Yes, I have the lastest bios, and the hardware is tested (RAM, CPU, etc.). I have no problem with all other NIC avec pfSense 2 on this machine.

I will download the backuped and original WinXP.

I will search for capacitor problem, thank you.

thank you very much for your help !

Jey-B

I have some news…

I have a Dell E521 in spare.
I tested with this PC, and I changed the PSU, the ram, the CPU, the HD, etc. = no prb !

So I added all NIC, I put this machine in IT room, I plugged all cables, and... freeze !

So, I tested all of the 9 RJ45 ports...

I found this : I can be in Gb in all ports, except on the Intel PT Quad Port !
In this quad port NIC, I don't have problem if I use a 100Mbits connection (on the other side). When I plugged a Gb connection, the machine freeze during the next 2 minutes.

Do you have an idea with this informations ?

Thank you for your help !

wallabybob

What is displayed on the console at the time of the freeze?

What is the nature of the "freeze"? (For example, complete the sentence When I did … I saw ... but I expected to see ...)

Jey-B

thank you for your help !

If I leave the cable in a port, the server freeze during the "boot" :
http://www.hebergeur-images.fr/images/929017493.jpg

If I plugg the cable after the boot, when I am on the console, after 2 minutes :
http://www.hebergeur-images.fr/images/822566660.jpg

Here, I can't use keyboard, or reboot the server.

wallabybob

Both links return 404 - Not Found when I click on them.

Jey-B

Maybe your are dropped because your are not in France or Europe ?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/64/98774296.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/92919400.jpg/

Good ?

wallabybob

@Jey-B:

Maybe your are dropped because your are not in France or Europe ?

I'm definitely not in Europe or France.

I could access the images on the revised URLs. Unfortunately they don't offer any information that would help identify the problem.

Please reboot, leave the offending cable out so the system doesn't freeze, and collect the output from the pfSense shell command: dmesg; pciconf -l -v Maybe there is some resource allocation issue associated with all those em interfaces.

@Jey-B:

In this quad port NIC, I don't have problem if I use a 100Mbits connection (on the other side). When I plugged a Gb connection, the machine freeze during the next 2 minutes.

Is it all ports on the quad-port that behave this way? Or only one particular port?

Jey-B

I could access the images on the revised URLs. Unfortunately they don't offer any information that would help identify the problem.

Please reboot, leave the offending cable out so the system doesn't freeze, and collect the output from the pfSense shell command: dmesg; pciconf -l -v Maybe there is some resource allocation issue associated with all those em interfaces.

Ok, I will !
thank you.

Is it all ports on the quad-port that behave this way? Or only one particular port?

With all ports.

Jey-B

@wallabybob:

Please reboot, leave the offending cable out so the system doesn't freeze, and collect the output from the pfSense shell command: dmesg; pciconf -l -v Maybe there is some resource allocation issue associated with all those em interfaces.

Ok, I use your command + | more

I don't see any error, only line like this :
EM0@PCI0:5:0:0 Class=0x0200000 card =0x10.. chip=0x10… rev=0... hdr=0...
Class=Network
Subclass=Ethernet

Thanks for your help !

Jey-B

I tested with other PC (Dell Vostro 230), but a production workstation, just for the test.

I don't have problem under Windows XP. So I changed the HD and installed pfSense 2.0. No prob, no freeze…

Jey-B

So, I will use pfSense without Intel PT quad port.

It'a little problem. Whis this setup, I don't have 1 (or more) free port for future use.

I use 2 TP-Link (realtek) in PCIe, 1 Broadcom (onboard), 1 NetGear (PCI), 1 Intel MT (dual port, PCI).

Thanks for your help…

dreamslacker

@Jey-B:

I have some news…

I have a Dell E521 in spare.
I tested with this PC, and I changed the PSU, the ram, the CPU, the HD, etc. = no prb !

So I added all NIC, I put this machine in IT room, I plugged all cables, and... freeze !

So, I tested all of the 9 RJ45 ports...

I found this : I can be in Gb in all ports, except on the Intel PT Quad Port !
In this quad port NIC, I don't have problem if I use a 100Mbits connection (on the other side). When I plugged a Gb connection, the machine freeze during the next 2 minutes.

Do you have an idea with this informations ?

Thank you for your help !

Can you try disabling the onboard graphics and trying again?

I don't remember the 6150LE supporting both IGP operation concurrently with a device in the x16 slot except for an Nvidia display card (for multiview).

Jey-B

Ok, I can !
But now, I need to find PCI or PCIe 1x card to have a display output.

I will test this, thank you !

Jey-B

I don't have PCI or PCIe 1x graphical card, so, I can't disable onboard GC without an addin card.

I will find a old card…

Jey-B

I don't know if a old PCI card can disable the onboard GC. In the bios, I see "PCI Express can disable integrated card".

Jey-B

Done !
I found my old (and first GC) Matrox Millenium.
Display work on this card, don't work on the onboard card, so I tested the quad port, and… same problem, or quicker than before : 15s before freeze (without any other card).

:(

dreamslacker

@Jey-B:

Done !
I found my old (and first GC) Matrox Millenium.
Display work on this card, don't work on the onboard card, so I tested the quad port, and… same problem, or quicker than before : 15s before freeze (without any other card).

:(

Did you enable "PCI express can disable integrated graphics"?
Also, check and see if there is an option to use PCI graphics first before PCIe or IGP.

Jey-B

The name of this option is not exactly the same, but yes, I choose "auto" for use the add in GC.

My PCI card work, I loose display on the onboard vga port.

I don't see any other option to disable onboard GC.

cikoshel

hi all.

i have same problem like jey-b. webgui freeze after add interface OPT2. console still ok.

im install on brand new dell r210 with broadcom pcie quadport. WAN and LAN on embedded NIC.

if i add OPT1 i can still access webgui but after add another interface OPT2 it start freeze webgui.

restart cannot solve the problem 2.

i have currently running about 4 pfsense in production with more than 2 years.

please help i had order 5 unit dell r210 with broadcom quadport.