Intel I218-LM LAN card speed slow

[Richard_Compal]

Dear All,
we found Intel I218-LM LAN card intird speed very slowly, only about 2MB/s,
LAN chip PIC ID is 8086 155A
iPXE version: iPXE.efi(d38b)
file size:250MB
cost time:100s~120s
average: 2MB/s

but use Realtek PCIe GBE LAN card NB boot to iPXE, load same file only need about five seconds.
i also checked iPXE source, and can not find 8086 155A in intel.c, who can help me solve this issue? or tell us how to modify it. Many thanks for your great support.

update: the same unit(8086 155A) boot to iPXE with Legacy model, the speed is normal.

Sorry for my english very poor. ^_^!

[robinsmidsrod]

It's not clear if you're using the native iPXE driver or SNP/NII driver. If you're using the SNP driver then this is most likely an issue with your firmware-provided NIC driver.
If the PCI id is not present in intel.c, you could try to add a PCI_ROM() line for the I218LM and see how it works. If it is able to achieve linkup and transfer data we can add it. It might linkup at the wrong speed, which is a known problem with some chipsets using the intel driver. We're working on a fix. Have patience.

[Richard_Compal]

Dear Robin,
oh, i only git the source code from iPXE, and build ipxe.efi with command: make bin-x86_64-efi/ipxe.efi EMBED=myscript.ipxe, i don't know i use which driver. (In fact, we used iPXE with Legacy loong time, but we didn't know it deeply. -_-! )

I add PCI_ROM ( 0x8086, 0x155a, "i218lm", "I218-LM", 0 ) into intel.c, and rebuild ipxe.efi, but it seems like no improvement, current we cannot make sure this is a BIOS issue or Intel driver issue as you said, because the same NB boot to Legacy model with iPXE, the speed normal. Do you have any idea about it? or tell me how to do for using the native iPXE driver or SNP/NII driver?

By the way, we test so much LAN chipset, they all no speed issue, except Intel I218(VEN_8086&DEV_155A) and I217(VEN_8086&DEV_153A&SUBSYS_05BD1028) have speed slowly issue.

[Richard_Compal]

Dear Robin,
I also found another thread http://forum.ipxe.org/showthread.php?tid=7553, my issue like this, but i not only find I218-LM (rev 04) speed slowly, but also I217(VEN_8086&DEV_153A&SUBSYS_05BD1028)

--richard

[Richard_Compal]

Dear Robin,
I try rebuild snponly.efi, and use Intel I218 LAN card boot to UEFI, boot fail, then i add PCI_ROM ( 0x8086, 0x155a, "i218lm", "I218-LM", 0 ) into intel.c, and rebuild snponly.efi again, it can boot to iPXE, but initrd file speed slowly, the phenomenon same as ipxe.efi.

[robinsmidsrod]

If you're using snponly.efi or snp.efi, you're not using the native iPXE-based intel driver, but the one provided by your UEFI environment. To be certain that you're using the iPXE intel driver you should compile intel.efi (with the added PCI_ROM line) and see if that one works at all. If it works, but only links up at 10Mbps then that last part is a known issue with some Intel NICs with the current intel.c driver.

[Richard_Compal]

I compiled intel.efi(with the added PCI_ROM line), it can boot to efi, but the speed also slowly,
1. Intel LAN card(8086/155A, 8086/153A), intel.efi(with added PCI_ROM line, 250MB file, initrd cost 80~90 seconds.
2. Intel LAN card(8086/155A, 8086/153A), ipxe.efi and snponly.efi, 250MB file, initrd cost 120 seconds.
3. others Intel LAN card, realtek LAN card, ipxe.efi and snponly.efi, 250MB file, initrd cost 5~10 seconds.

[Richard_Compal]

who can tell me the difference with intel.efi,snponly.efi and ipxe.efi? which driver are they using? and all of these driver all code by IPXE,isn't it?

[robinsmidsrod]

It seems like the 8086:155a and 8086:153a Intel cards are hit by the same issue plaguing other Intel models. It ends up in 10Mbit half-duplex mode, even though it is capable of gigabit. Hopefully this can be resolved at some point. I have a feeling that fixing the single bug might fix it for all the models we see with issues.

The only option for now is to be patient and wait for the developers to fix the issues and use another NIC if the speed is too much of an issue. If you have enough experience debugging things you should join us on IRC and help out with testing.

[Richard_Compal]

We can not change the LAN model, because we are ODM for NoteBook,I am a Junior programmer, and i have programming experience with C,VB,VC, but have no driving programming experience. I have enough time and lots of type LAN card(intel/Realtek) Notebook for debugging and testing, How can i join your team for this issue debugging?

[Richard_Compal]

Hi, Robin, can you give me the server and chanel for IRC?

[Richard_Compal]

oh, forgot one info: the same unit with Intel LAN card(8086 155A) boot to iPXE with Legacy model, the speed is normal.

[robinsmidsrod]

You can find all the contact details over at http://ipxe.org/contact which includes the IRC channel and network (#ipxe on Freenode for those familiar with IRC conventions).

[sebus]

I also noticed that Intel I217 is simply unusable with ipxe. All my Broadcom/Realtek/other Intel (mostly onboard in Dell/Lenovo/HP hardware - desktops/laptops) work perfectly fine, these Intel in Lenovo Thinkcentre M73z are just tragic!

450 Mb wim (wimboot) on normal machine takes ~ 3 seconds, on I217 takes over 5 minutes

Any cure available?

sebus

[sebus]

I have exactly the same with I217 (PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153B), ipxe legacy only (not UEFI)

Booting undionly.kkpxe --> pxelinux.0 (syslinux 4.06) for menu --> ipxe.lkrn --> .ipxe with wimboot kernel (maybe not the most efficient?)

HTTP download speed is beyond tragic, 450 Mb wim (that takes less then 5 sec on Realtek, it takes over 5 min on I217)

Can this be improved in any way (what would I need to do)?

sebus

[mcb30]

(2016-02-03 20:49)sebus Wrote:  I have exactly the same with I217 (PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_153B), ipxe legacy only (not UEFI)

Booting undionly.kkpxe --> pxelinux.0 (syslinux 4.06) for menu --> ipxe.lkrn --> .ipxe with wimboot kernel (maybe not the most efficient?)

HTTP download speed is beyond tragic, 450 Mb wim (that takes less then 5 sec on Realtek, it takes over 5 min on I217)

Can this be improved in any way (what would I need to do)?

In drivers/net/intel.c, you'll see some PCI_ROM() lines that include INTEL_NO_PHY_RST. This is a workaround for this issue.

Try adding INTEL_NO_PHY_RST to the relevant PCI_ROM() lines for your NIC and see if that fixes the problem. If it does, please send a patch to ipxe-devel@lists.ipxe.org.

Michael

[sebus]

Michael, many thanks. Works perfectly now

sebus

[mcb30]

(2016-02-04 17:44)sebus Wrote:  Michael, many thanks. Works perfectly now

Great! Please do send a patch to the mailing list, so that this fix is available to everyone.

Michael