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Troubleshooting: Broadcom NetXtreme® 57XX User Guide

 

Hardware Diagnostics

Troubleshooting Checklist

Checking for Network Link and Activity

Checking if Current Drivers are Loaded

Running a Cable Length Test

Testing Network Connectivity

Software Problems and Solutions


NOTE: For additional information, go to Broadcom Ethernet NIC Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.broadcom.com/drivers/faq_drivers.php.

Hardware Diagnostics

Loopback diagnostic tests are available for testing the adapter hardware. These tests provide access to the adapter internal/external diagnostics, where packet information is transmitted across the physical link (for instructions and information on running tests in an MS-DOS environment, see User Diagnostics; for Windows environments, see Diagnostics).


Troubleshooting Checklist

WARNING: Before you open the cabinet of your server to add or remove the adapter, review Safety Precautions.

The following checklist provides recommended actions to take to resolve problems installing the Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet Controller or running it in your server.


Checking for Network Link and Activity

See Network Link and Activity Indication or Vital Sign to check the state of the network link and activity as indicated by the port LEDs.


Checking if Current Drivers are Loaded

Windows

See Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 2 to view vital information about the adapter, link status, and network connectivity.

NetWare

To verify that the driver is loaded properly, type

LOAD B57.LAN FRAME_ETHERNET_II NAME=B57_1_EII

This command automatically verifies if the link is active. If the link is active, the command returns Link is up.

From the command line, type config then press ENTER. The following status information is displayed:

Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

Version:
Hardware Setting:
Node Address:
Frame Type:
Board Name:
LAN Protocol: ARP (see note)
LAN Protocol: IP Addr: (see note)

NOTE: The LAN protocol status is displayed after an IP address is assigned to the adapter.

Linux

To verify that the bcm5700.o driver is loaded properly, run:

lsmod

If the driver is loaded, a line similar to the one below is displayed, where size is the size of the driver in bytes, and n is the number of adapters configured.

Module
Size
Used by
BCM5700
size
n

Running a Cable Length Test

In Windows environments, a cable test is run in Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 2. See Cable Analysis for information about running a cable length test.


Testing Network Connectivity

NOTE: When using forced link speeds, verify that both the adapter and the switch are forced to the same speed, or that at least one link partner is configured for auto-negotiation.

Windows

Use the ping command to determine if the network connection is working.

NOTE: Network connectivity can also be tested using the Network Test feature in Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 2.
  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. Type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
  3. Type ipconfig /all to view the network connection to be tested.
  4. Type ping IP address, and then press ENTER.

The ping statistics that are displayed indicate whether the network connection is working or not.

NetWare

Ping an IP host on the network to verify connection has been established:

From the command line, type ping IP address, and then press ENTER.

The ping statistics that are displayed indicate whether the network connection is working or not.

Linux

To verify that the Ethernet interface is up and running, run ifconfig to check the status of the Ethernet interface. It is possible to use netstat -i to check the statistics on the Ethernet interface. Go to Linux Driver Software for information on ifconfig and netstat.

Ping an IP host on the network to verify connection has been established:

From the command line, type ping IP address, and then press ENTER.

The ping statistics that are displayed indicate whether the network connection is working or not.


Software Problems and Solutions

How to Add a Third-Party OEM Network Adapter to a RIS Installation

The following solution applies to Windows driver versions 7.97 to 8.27. For driver versions newer than 8.27, refer to Microsoft’s Knowledge Base article 246184 for Windows 2000 and 315279 for Windows XP.

Problem: Microsoft Remote Installation Service (RIS) installation fails for both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Solution: Refer to Microsoft Article Knowledge Base, "How to Add Third-Party OEM Network Adapters to RIS Installations (Article Nos. 246184 for deploying Windows 2000 and 315279 for deploying Windows XP)."

Additional Note: The b57win32.inf file included with the Broadcom B57xx adapter driver for Windows 2000 and Windows XP requires modifications if the Windows 2000 RIS server has Service Pack 2 or prior and/or if Windows XP is the image to be deployed. Please keep a copy of the original as the modified b57win32.inf file only applies in step 3a below.

    1. If the RIS server is running Windows 2000 Server and currently has Service Pack 2 or prior installed, the following modification must be made on the b57win32.inf:
      1. Change the BRCM variable under the Manufacturer section to equal Broadcom only.

        [Manufacturer]
        Original - %BRCM% = Broadcom, NTx86.5.1
        Revised - %BRCM% = Broadcom
        ....

    2. If the image to be deployed is Windows XP, the changes listed under 1a above will apply in addition to the following:
      1. Remove the entire [Broadcom] section.

        Delete the following:

        [Broadcom]
        %OEM1_DEV5% = OEM1_DEV5.Inst, PCI
        \VEN_14e4&DEV_165D&SUBSYS_865d1028
        .
        .
        %BCM5750B0F% = BCM5750B0MF.Inst, PCI
        \VEN_14e4&DEV_167E&SUBSYS_057D1014&REV_10
        ....

      2. Rename the Broadcom.NTx86.5.1 label to Broadcom.

        Example:

        Original - [Broadcom.NTx86.5.1]
        Revised - [Broadcom]
        ....


        Effectively, you have just replaced the original Broadcom section with the Broadcom.NTx86.5.1 section.

    3. The following steps were taken from the Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles listed above and enhanced for clarity as applicable to the Broadcom B57xx adapter driver (the enhancements are in bold print):
      1. On the RIS server, copy the OEM-supplied .inf and .sys files for the network adapter to the RemoteInstall\Setup\Language\Images\Dir_name\i386 folder. (This allows Setup to use the driver during the text-mode portion of the installation). Please use the modified b57win32.inf file for these instructions if applicable.
      2. At the same level as the i386 folder on the RIS image, create a $oem$ folder. Use the recommended structure: \$oem$\$1\Drivers\Nic.
      3. Copy the OEM-supplied driver files to this folder. Note the folder in which the .inf file looks for its drivers. Some manufacturers place the .inf file in a folder and copy the driver files from a subfolder. If this is the case, create the same folder structure below the one you created in this step. Please use the original b57win32.inf file for these instructions. The .cat file supplied with the appropriate driver must also be included.
      4. Make the following changes to the .sif file that is used for this image installation:
      5. [Unattended]
        OemPreinstall = yes
        OemPnpDriversPath = \Drivers\Nic
        .....


        Stop and then restart the Remote Installation service on the RIS server. To do this, type the following from a command prompt:

        net stop binlsvc
        net start binlsvc

    Using the System Preparation Tool

    Problem: I want to be sure that my Broadcom NetXtreme adapter works properly if I use the System Preparation utility (Sysprep.exe) to install an existing configuration on my system.

    Solution: On the Sysprep.inf file, modify the [Unattend] header as shown below:

    [Unattend]
    OemPnPDriversPath=Drivers\Net
    OemPreinstall = Yes

    The driver files for the Broadcom NetXtreme adapter must reside in this folder, which is located on the system drive (where the operating system resides). If other drivers are to be loaded, then Drivers\Net can be appended to the paths listed and separated by a semicolon:

    Example

    OemPnpDriversPath=Drivers\Video;Drivers\Net

    For Windows XP, the driver files to be included are B57win32.inf, B57win32.cat, and B57xp32.sys.

    For Windows 2000, the driver files to be included are B57win32.inf, B57win32.cat, and B57w2k.sys.

    The Sysprep utility must run with the –pnp switch, which enables the system to rescan for new devices that can be added during the mini-setup.

    A Sample Sysprep.inf file for Windows XP is shown below.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ;SetupMgrTag
    [Unattended]
    OemSkipEula=Yes
    OemPreinstall=Yes
    TargetPath=\Windows
    UnattendedInstall=Yes
    OemPnpDriversPath=Drivers\Net

    [GuiUnattended]
    AdminPassword="password"
    EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
    AutoLogon=Yes
    AutoLogonCount=99
    OEMSkipRegional=1
    OEMDuplicatorstring="XP System"
    TimeZone=4
    OemSkipWelcome=1

    [UserData]
    FullName="User"
    OrgName="Organization"
    ComputerName=*

    [SetupMgr]
    DistFolder=C:\sysprep\i386
    DistShare=whistlerdist

    [Identification]
    JoinDomain=workgroup

    [Networking]
    InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Linux BASP

    Problem: When obtaining the IP address for an SLB virtual interface through DHCP, the IP address gets lost during heavy traffic.
    Answer: Always set a static IP address for all of the virtual interfaces in an SLB team.
       
    Problem: When compiling BASP under Red Hat 4 AS, numerous warnings are displayed.
    Answer: This is not a problem. These warnings are harmless and BASP will compile correctly.
       
    Problem: In the event of a failover when using a BASP Smart Load Balancing type of team, BASP temporarily switches the MAC address of the newly-promoted primary adapter and/or the address of the failing primary adapter. System management software that requires a static MAC address may be affected.
    Answer: This is only the case with a Smart Load Balancing type of team. A Generic Trunking (GEC/FEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static type of team or a Link Aggregation 802.3ad type of team is a better choice if MAC switching is a problem.
       
    Problem: I am running a distribution with a 2.6.x kernel. After I start Broadcom Advanced Server Program, a call trace is placed in the message file.
    Answer: This is not a problem, but a harmless event that can be ignored.

    Linux and ASFIPMon

    Problem: I brought down the interface and now I cannot bring it back up. When I try, the following message appears, "SIOCSIFFLAGS: Resource temporarily unavailable."
    Answer: When ASFIPMon is running, it does a quick access to flash ROM every 30 seconds or so. If the interface is brought down while this is happening, you cannot bring the interface back up in the usual way. To bring up the interface, unload and then reload the driver module.

    Linux Red Hat 3.0 AS x86_64 and BMAPI

    Problem: Broadcom Management Application Programming Interface (BMAPI) is not compatible with the Red Hat 3.0 AS x86_64 distribution.
    Answer: There is no solution to this compatibility issue at this time. Try using a different 64-bit Linux distribution.

    Broadcom Boot Agent

    Problem: Unable to obtain network settings through DHCP using PXE.
    Answer: For proper operation make sure that the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is disabled or that portfast mode (for Cisco) is enabled on the port to which the PXE client is connected. For instance, set spantree portfast 4/12 enable.

    Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP)

    Problem: The 802.3ad team member links disconnect and reconnect continuously (applies to all operating systems).

    Solution: This is a third-party issue. It is seen only when configuring an 802.3ad team with more than 2 members on the system and connecting to an HP2524 switch, with LACP enabled as passive or active. The HP switch shows an LACP channel being brought up successfully with only 2 team members. All other team member links disconnect and reconnect. This does not occur with a Cisco Catalyst 6500.

    Miscellaneous

    Problem Solution
    When the bus on the system is operating in PCI mode, the Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet Controller performs at PCI mode if it is added after the system has booted. When the system is booted up without any adapter, the bus operates at the lowest mode, which is PCI mode. Reboot the system after the adapter has been added.
    The Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter may not perform at optimal level on some systems if it is added after the system has booted. The system BIOS in some systems does not set the cache line size and the latency timer if the adapter is added after the system has booted. Reboot the system after the adapter has been added.
    The Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter cannot be seen on the PCI BUS. This is because some of the older servers are advertising themselves as PCI-X capable systems. This causes the Broadcom NetXtreme network adapter to operate in PCI-X mode, in which case it cannot to be seen by the PCI bus. This problem can be resolved by configuring the firmware to operate in forced PCI mode. Refer to b57diag for configuration instructions.
    Large Send Offload (LSO) and Checksum Offload are not working on my team. If one of the adapters on a team does not support LSO, LSO does not function for the team. Remove the adapter that does not support LSO from the team, or replace it with one that does. The same applies to Checksum Offload.
    Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is not functioning properly. IPMI works only when LiveLink™ is disabled. For Windows operating systems, see Configuring LiveLink for a Smart Load Balance and Fail Over Team; For Linux operating systems, see Configuring Teaming.
    The teaming changes I made when I modified my team using INETCFG did not take effect. When you modify a team using INETCFG, you may need to reboot after reinitialization for the changes to the team to take effect.


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