# Performance and Troubleshooting

This section contains the following topics:

- PCI and PCI-X Performance Issues

- Common Problems and Solutions

- Indicator Lights

- Multiple Adapters

- PCI Configuration Troubleshooting

- Other Performance Issues

- Known Compatibility Issues

- Frequently Asked Questions

## PCI and PCI-X Bus Performance Issues

- If you insert a 64-bit PCI card into a 32-bit PCI slot, it will operate correctly, but not at peak performance.

- If you insert a 32-bit PCI card into a 64-bit slot, it will also operate correctly, but there will be no performance gain, and the bus will be slowed.

- The same conditions apply with PCI-X cards in a PCI slot, and vice versa. For example, if you have a 133mhz PCI-X adapter card and insert it into a PCI slot, it will still work, but far below its rated capacity.

- The entire bus will operate at the speed of the slowest PCI card installed in the bus.

## Common Problems and Solutions

In addition to the table below, review the product release notes.

Problem | Solution
--- | ---
Your computer can't find the adapter | Make sure the adapter is seated firmly in the slot. Download the latest drivers from the Intel support web site: http://www.intel.com/network Try a different PCI bus master slot. See your server's documentation to identify bus master slots. Check to see if your motherboard has the latest BIOS. Make sure your PCI slots are v2.2 compatible. Try rebooting the computer. Try a different Intel adapter.
Diagnostics pass but the connection fails | Check the responding link partner. Make sure the cable is securely attached, is the proper type and does not exceed the recommended lengths. Try another cable. Try running the Sender-Responder diagnostic Test. Make sure the duplex mode and speed setting on the adapter matches the setting on the switch. For NetWare*, make sure you specify the correct frame type in your AUTOEXEC.NCF file.
Another adapter stopped working after you installed the Intel PRO/1000 adapter | Make sure the cable is connected. Make sure your PCI BIOS is current. See PCI Installation Tips. Check for interrupt conflicts and sharing problems. Make sure the other adapter supports shared interrupts. Also, make sure your operating system supports shared interrupts. Unload all PCI device drivers, then reload all drivers. Try reseating all adapters.
Adapter unable to connect to switch at 1000 Mbps, instead connects at 100 Mbps | This is applicable only to copper-based connections. Check the cable type. Try another cable. Make sure the link partner is set to auto-negotiate. If this is not possible, manually set to 1000 Full Duplex. Link initiation may take longer. Verify that switch is IEEE 802.3ab-compliant (gigabit over copper) and that you are running the latest operating system revision for your switch.
The adapter stopped working without apparent cause | The network driver files may be damaged or deleted. Reinstall the drivers. Try reseating the adapter in its slot or different slot, if necessary. Try rebooting the computer. Try another cable. Try a different adapter. Run diagnostics.
The Link indicator light is off | Run the adapter and network tests described in Test the Adapter. Make sure you've loaded the adapter driver. Check all connections at the adapter and the switch. Try another port on the switch. Make sure the cable is securely attached, is the proper type and does not exceed the recommended lengths. Make sure that the link partner is configured to auto-negotiate (or forced to match adapter). Verify that the switch is SX-mode fiber or IEEE 802.3ab-compliant.
The link light is on, but communications are not properly established | Make sure the proper (and latest) driver is loaded. Both the adapter and its link partner must be set to either auto-negotiate or manually set to the same speed and duplex settings. The adapter's link indicator light may be on even if communications between the adapter and its link partner have not been properly established. Technically, the link indicator light represents the presence of a carrier signal but not necessarily the ability to properly communicate with a link partner. This is expected behavior and is consistent with IEEE's specification for physical layer operation.
RX or TX light is off (Gigabit only) | Make sure you've loaded the network drivers. Network may be idle; try creating traffic while monitoring the lights. Try another adapter.
The diagnostic utility reports the adapter is "Not enabled by BIOS" | The PCI BIOS isn't configuring the adapter correctly. Try PCI Installation Tips. Try another PCI or PCI-X slot.
The computer hangs when the drivers are loaded | Try changing the PCI BIOS interrupt settings. See PCI Installation Tips.
Event viewer message: A device attached to the system is not functioning | In Windows NT* and NetWare, if there is a BIOS setting for "Plug and Play OS", make sure it is set to NO.
Windows 2000 or XP: Unable to remove PROSet in SAFE mode | If you experience computer hangs (blue screens) after configuring network adapters with the Intel® PROSet utility, try the following: Start Windows in Safe mode. Go to the Device Manger, and disable the network adapters and teams. Restart the computer. Windows should be operating normally if the problem was caused by the disabled adapters. To uninstall Intel PROSet, perform the following steps: Start Windows in Safe mode. Use the Device Manager to disable all teaming instances. Restart the computer in Normal mode. Using Intel PROSet, remove all teams and VLANs shown. Go to the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs. Uninstall Intel PROSet.
Trouble with Teaming | See notes and warnings in the Teaming page.
Windows XP gives an error "Device cannot start (CODE 10)" when you install or update drivers for your gigabit adapter | Windows XP ships with some older plug-and-play drivers for gigabit adapters already present. Because XP has trouble replacing a driver file on-the-fly, updating these drivers with Intel's latest drivers may cause this error message. Rebooting your computer will clear the error and allow you to use the full functionality of your adapter.
Windows 98 is unable to update device driver files | If you're using Windows 98 and have updated or added an adapter, you may experience a problem with device driver update files not being copied. (This is a known problem, for which Microsoft has published a Knowledge Base article, Q242150.) To resolve this problem: Reboot the computer. Remove the adapter via Device Manager and reboot the computer again. When prompted for the adapter driver, choose the option "Display a list of all the drivers...". Then choose the adapter from the list and click Have Disk to update the drivers from the Intel CD. Reboot the computer.
Install prompting for Prodd.vxd and Prokddp.vxd files in Windows 2000 or 98 | If you use the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Windows Control Panel to remove an Intel adapter, and then try to install drivers from a later Intel CD, you may see a prompt asking for the following files: "Prodd.vxd" "Prokddp.vxd" This is because Windows is attempting to install the files associated with the earlier driver, which are not present on the later Intel CD. To resolve this problem, finish the installation and choose "Skip" when prompted for a missing file. Then, instead of removing the driver, update it with the later Intel CD. For instructions on updating the adapter driver, see the "Install the Network Drivers" section in the online guide on the Intel CD.
After upgrading operating systems, Intel PROSet is no longer available | If you are upgrading Windows operating systems and you have Intel PROSet II software installed, it will be deleted in the process. You will need to reinstall Intel PROSet II.
In Windows XP, IP addresses are lost or Intel PROSet becomes unstable with bridging enabled | With bridging enabled, Intel PROSet II does not retain adapter IP address information. If changes are made to any Intel PROSet II advanced feature after enabling bridging, the Intel PROSet II software becomes unstable.
Terminal Server support | When using Terminal Server, make sure only one session of Intel PROSet II is open at any one time. Simultaneous sessions are not supported in Intel PROSet II.

## Indicator Lights

The PRO/1000 F Server adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
TX | On | The adapter is sending data.
RX | On | The adapter is receiving data.
LNK | On | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner and is receiving link pulses.
Off | No link.
not labeled | Flashing | Identity. Use the "Identify Adapter" button in Intel® PROSet II to control blinking. See Intel PROSet II Help for more information.

| NOTE: Fiber-based adapters operate only at 1 gigabit. They do not step-down in speed.

The PRO/1000 T Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
not labeled | Flashing | Identity. Use the "Identify Adapter" button in Intel® PROSet II to control blinking. See Intel PROSet II Help for more information.
LNK | On | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Off | No link.
ACT | On | Data is being transmitted or received.
Off | No data activity.
10/100/1000 | Off | 10 Mbps
Green | 100 Mbps
Yellow | 1000 Mbps

The PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
ACT/LNK | Green on | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Green flashing | Data activity
Off | No link.
Yellow flashing | Identity. Use the "Identify Adapter" button in Intel® PROSet II to control blinking. See Intel PROSet II Help for more information.
10=OFF 100=GRN 1000=YLW | Off | 10 Mbps
Green | 100 Mbps
Yellow | 1000 Mbps

The PRO/1000 MT Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
ACT/LNK | Green on | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Green flashing | Data activity
Off | No link.
Yellow flashing | Identity. Use the "Identify Adapter" button in Intel® PROSet II to control blinking. See Intel PROSet II Help for more information.
10=OFF 100=GRN 1000=YLW | Off | 10 Mbps
Green | 100 Mbps
Yellow | 1000 Mbps

The PRO/1000 MT Dual Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
ACT/LNK | Green on | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Green flashing | Data activity
Off | No link.
Yellow flashing | Identity. Use the "Identify Adapter" button in Intel® PROSet II to control blinking. See Intel PROSet II Help for more information.
10=OFF 100=GRN 1000=YLW | Off | 10 Mbps
Green | 100 Mbps
Yellow | 1000 Mbps

The PRO/1000 MF Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
ACT/LNK | On | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Blinking | Adapter is actively passing traffic.
Off | No link.

The PRO/1000 MF Dual Port Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
ACT/LNK | On | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Blinking | Adapter is actively passing traffic.
Off | No link.

The PRO/1000 XF Server Adapter has the following indicator lights:

| Label | Indication | Meaning
LNK | On | The adapter is connected to a valid link partner.
Off | No link.
ACT | On | Data is being transmitted or received.
Off | No data activity.
not labeled | Flashing | Identity. Use the "Identify Adapter" button in Intel® PROSet II to control blinking. See Intel PROSet II Help for more information.

| NOTE: Fiber-based adapters operate only at 1 gigabit. They do not step-down in speed.

### Other Items to Check

- Use the drivers that came with your adapter, or download the latest ones from the Intel support web site.

- Make sure the cable is installed properly. The network cable must be securely attached at all connections. If the cable is attached but the problem persists, try a different cable.

  - For copper connections, make sure the cable is a 4-pair Category-5 or better.

  - For fiber connections, make sure the cable is 1000Base-SX multimode fiber. Check to see if the Rx and Tx port connectors have been reversed.

- Test the adapter. Run the adapter and network tests described in Test the Adapter.

- Check the Common problems table and try the recommended solutions

If none of these works, check the Late-breaking News document that came with the adapter or check the Intel support Web site. See Intel Customer Support for information on connecting to Intel's online services.

## Multiple Adapters

When configuring a multi-adapter environment, you must upgrade all Intel adapters in the computer to the latest software.

If the computer has trouble detecting all adapters, consider the following:

- If you enable Wake On LAN (WOL) on more than two adapters, the Wake on LAN* (WOL) feature may overdraw your system’s auxiliary power supply, resulting in the inability to boot the system and other unpredictable problems. For multiple desktop/management adapters, it is recommended that you install one adapter at a time and use the IBAUtil utility (ibautil.exe in \BootAgnt) to disable the WOL feature on adapters that do not require WOL capabilities. On most server adapters, the WOL feature is disabled by default.

  Adapters with Intel Boot Agent enabled will require a portion of the limited start up memory for each adapter enabled. Disable the service on adapters that do not need to boot PXE or RPL.

- Your operating system may need to re-enumerate the bus, especially if any devices with bridge chips are used. To force the re-numeration, uninstall or unload the drivers for all PCI devices installed and shutdown the computer. Then restart the computer and reinstall or reload all drivers.

  The Intel PRO/100 Dual-Port adapter incorporates a PCI bridge device which allows the card to appear as two adapters to the PCI bus controller. When configuring a multi-adapter environment - when one of the adapters is a dual-port device (such as the Intel PRO/100 S Dual Port) - you must upgrade all Intel adapters in the computer to the latest software.

- The "Plug and Play OS" setting in the BIOS should be set to "No" for Windows NT 4.0 and most other non-Windows operating systems.

If you are installing the original Intel PRO/1000 Gigabit Server Adapter along with newer Intel PRO/1000 adapters, you may see an error message "Device cannot start (CODE 10)". To correct this problem, you must reboot the computer.

Check the sections on installing driver software for your particular operating system for further information.

## PCI Configuration Troubleshooting

If the adapter is not recognized by your OS or if it does not work you may need to change some BIOS Setup program settings. Try the following only if you are having problems with the adapter.

- You may need to change the Plug and Play setting in your computer's BIOS. See your computer's manual for instructions on how to access.

- Enable the PCI slot. In some PCI computers, you may need to use the BIOS Setup program to enable the PCI slot.

- You must install the network adapter in a bus master slot. Some BIOS Setup programs require you to enable the slot for bus master/master. Check your BIOS Setup program and the computer's documentation to make sure the slot is set for bus master/master.

- Configure the slot for level-triggered interrupts. The PCI slot the adapter is using must be configured for level-triggered interrupts instead of edge-triggered interrupts. Check your BIOS Setup program to make sure triggering is set up.

- Reserve interrupts and/or memory addresses into the BIOS. This prevents PCI cards from trying to use the same settings as ISA cards. Check your BIOS Setup program; there may be IRQ options such as Enable for ISA or Disable for PCI.

Here are some examples of BIOS Setup program parameters:

> PCI slot #: Slot where the adapter is installed (1-3)
> Master: ENABLED
> Slave: ENABLED
> Latency timer: 40 - 80
> Interrupt: Choose any one of several that the BIOS Setup provides.
> Edge-level: Level

The exact wording of the parameters varies with different computers.

## Other Performance Issues

Attaining gigabit speeds requires that many components are operating at peak efficiency. Among them are the following:

- Cable quality and length. Do not exceed the maximum recommended length for your cable type. Shorter lengths provide better results. Straighten kinks and check for damaged sections of cable.

- Bus speed and traffic

- Processor speed and load

- Available memory

- Transmission frame size (see discussion of Jumbo Frames

- Operating System - Features vary by OS compatibility, such as offloading and multiprocessor threading.

| NOTE:

On NT4.0 computers, some applications may cause incorrect behavior and even blue screen at deserialized drivers. This is an operating system bug admitted by Microsoft that currently won't be fixed in NT4.0. This bug was fixed for Windows 2000 and later. Intel's base drivers are not affected.

## Known Compatibility Issues

This section lists the current known issues that have been observed by our testing labs.

> Issue: network adapter in systems that use the Intel 450GX chipset.

> Symptom: The computer locks up after running for a few minutes.

> Description: The 450GX chipset has an errata related to "zero-byte" write cycles that causes a system failure under certain conditions. For more information on the errata, download the latest specification update for the Intel® 450KX/GX chipset. A link to this specification update can be found at:
> http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/450GX/

> Solution: Run BIOS setup and change IOQ Depth From Auto or 8 to 1.

## Frequently Asked Questions

The IPv6 protocol does not seem to work after updating adapter drivers on Windows 2000 Advanced Servers.

> When using a Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1 with IPv6 bound to the adapter,
> you must unbind the IPv6 protocol from the adapter before updating drivers. This is a result of the operating system implementation of the IPv6 protocol. To update an adapter using the IPv6 protocol:

> 1. Unbind the IPv6 protocol from the adapter. To find the IPv6 setting, click
>    Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network and Dial-Up connections >
>    Local Area Connection ###. Right-click the Connection number to open
>    the Adapter Properties dialog box. Clear the IPv6 checkbox then click OK.

> 2. Update drivers.

> 3. Bind the IPv6 protocol to the adapter. In the Adapter Properties dialog box,
>    click the IPv6 checkbox. See step one for detailed instructions on finding
>    the IPv6 option.

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