Intel I340-T4 E1G44HTBLK Quad Port NIC
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Hello, I bought Intel I340-T4 E1G44HTBLK Quad Port NIC for a pfsense build. I also got a cheap Dell OptiPlex 3020 Small Form Factor Desktop. When the card is installed in the computer, the computer will not boot. It hangs during boot. It doesn't even allow me to get into Bios. If I remove the card, everything boots up just fine.
From what I can tell from reading, it may be trying to do a boot from the NIC. Has anyone experienced anything similar that can point me to a possible solution?
P.S.: The NIC works if I put it on a different machine, but I am trying to replace it with the Optiplex 3020.
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@tgdsilva
Pull the NIC out, then go into the BIOS and review the boot order. Then reinstall. -
@provels I reviewed the Bios settings several times. The NIC card is not even on the boot sequence order. In fact, I set it just for the hard drive.
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Did you try to update the Optiplex 3020 BIOS to latest version?
-Rico
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@tgdsilva
OK, try looking in your BIOS options to see if "Boot from Network" or similar wording is enabled somewhere (advanced boot options maybe?) and disable. Perhaps the NIC doesn't even appear in the BIOS boot order unless it's installed, but you'll never know if you can't get into the BIOS. Or perhaps disable UEFI and change to UEFI to Legacy Boot. Try another slot if available, too. And a BIOS update...https://topics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/optiplex-3020-desktop_Owners-Manual2_en-us.pdf
Check out top of Page 30. Disable PXE
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@Rico Yes, I updated the Bios from A09 to latest version A20. It didn't make any difference.
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@provels There are no "Boot from Network" options. UEFI is already disabled. It is using Legacy Boot. Unfortunately, it doesn't have another slot. BIOS is updated to the latest version.
I will look to disable PXE as described in the manual. But, I thought it was for the Integrated NIC that is on the Motherboard. I did disable the integrated NIC once and it didn't make any difference. I will disable the PXE as per the system manual and see if it makes a difference.
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@provels disabling the PXE didn't make any difference either. Those options are under the Integrated NIC.
Really does look like I can't get the settings of this card because I can't access BIOS with the card installed.
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@tgdsilva Its a hardware/bios thing.
Since you have updated to latest, there isnt much left that you can practically do than replacing the hardware.
It could also be faulty psu, faulty decoupling capacitors on motherboard, short circuited slot or faulty/rusty connectors on slot.
Or just something in the bios.
You could try another psu, and some contact cleaning spray, but I wouldnt trust this hardware for anything, even if it worked.
The cost in time/equipment to debug this any further will get you a few shinny new motherboards -
@tgdsilva said in Intel I340-T4 E1G44HTBLK Quad Port NIC:
Hello, I bought Intel I340-T4 E1G44HTBLK Quad Port NIC for a pfsense build. I also got a cheap Dell OptiPlex 3020
Hi,
I found a post (Dell), imaginable to help you (watch the end):
https://www.dell.com/community/Optiplex-Desktops/10gb-Intel-nic-on-Optiplex-3020-SFF-removes-one-memory-bank/td-p/7269973Cats bury it so they can't see it!
(You know what I mean if you have a cat) -
@DaddyGo
Clever. File under "Stupid Server Tricks"!
Hope it works.Peder
MAIN - pfSense+ 24.11-RELEASE - Adlink MXE-5401, i7, 16 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD. 500 GB HDD for SyslogNG
BACKUP - pfSense+ 23.01-RELEASE - Hyper-V Virtual Machine, Gen 1, 2 v-CPUs, 3 GB RAM, 8GB VHDX (Dynamic) -
@provels said in Intel I340-T4 E1G44HTBLK Quad Port NIC:
Hope it works.
Yes for sure, I also hope...
Then the OP will hopefully report on it -
Wa, nice hack. Be interesting to see what happens....
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I remember in the Before-Times I had a Promise Ultra-
10066 (whee!) IDE card that I was able to hack to RAID by adding a resistor and flashing it with the RAID BIOS. Good times!
https://www.overclockers.com/promise-ultra66-hack/ -
@provels said in Intel I340-T4 E1G44HTBLK Quad Port NIC:
I remember in the Before-Times
Those good times, hmmm
I even started with these U160 SCSI cards Adaptec 29160I don't even mention it
Lots of jumpers for IRQ, (ISA) later came plug-and-play, sorry plug-and-pray
Cats bury it so they can't see it!
(You know what I mean if you have a cat) -
Yeah, I had a RAID controller that would not show the boot up sequence of a HP Z420 but it would eventually boot. If I removed the card then the PC would boot normally. As implied above, I believe it was sharing/overwriting a memory area. C800 comes to mind but it's been years.
For pfSense I'm always using HP NC365T cards. These are quad Intel T-340 chipset cards. On eBay you can find them for $25-$50. I've plugged these cards into everything under the sun and they've always worked. Whether this would still be an issue with the Opti3020 (hard coded memory mapped/limitation per the link above) or possibly the NC365T uses a different memory block allowing a boot is a guess.
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@DaddyGo
Oh, I think you may mean the Adaptec 1542B SCSI-1 jumper monster, with the plug-in terminators. Still have one in the parts box. The 29160 came along a bit later, was at least PCI-64. Good times indeed!
Peder
MAIN - pfSense+ 24.11-RELEASE - Adlink MXE-5401, i7, 16 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD. 500 GB HDD for SyslogNG
BACKUP - pfSense+ 23.01-RELEASE - Hyper-V Virtual Machine, Gen 1, 2 v-CPUs, 3 GB RAM, 8GB VHDX (Dynamic) -
@netblues I think so... I am not having much luck with this.
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@DaddyGo Thank you for finding the post and the video. I tried both suggestions and did not work out in my case.
First I removed one of the memory dimms and tried to boot. But I got the same outcome.
Second, I put over the pins as suggested in the video and tried to boot. Both memories was installed. I got the same outcomes as before.
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@vegastech I may try to get tge card you mention. Thank you!
