Topic: list of supported NICs (integrated or separately added)?

[piran]

Am building a new box (server gateway)
www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=572&l4=0&model=1875&modelmenu=2
to replace an existing but rather ancient production box.
Asus P5E3 Deluxe is helpfully fitted with 2 different integrated NICs.
Unhelpfully neither of the 2 NICs appear to be supported:
a) Realtek RTL-8110SC/8169SC - apparently unrecognised
and the SME wiki cites an issue or issues with '8169'.
b) Marvell 88E8056 - apparently recognised for use with 'sky2'
is wantonly unreliable at best and fatal at worst (crashes SME).
Tried manually with the 'sk98lin' (Marvell 88E8001) to no good.

Supplied with BIOS 1203 but am working on the subsequently
published updates (1303, 1401, 1404) of unknown provenance.

Disabling both onboard NICs and fitting a single 3com NIC
works as an intranet server only box. There are no further
spare PCI slots (ie to then allow use as a server gateway).

Propose taking a list of SME Server supported NICs to the
manufacturer's support forum. They might be able to spot
something that might work better. Have not been able to
sleuth my way into the stuff on the SME install disc (for a text
list of supported NICs). Does the forum or wiki have any such?

Will later update the wiki's area that cites 'known problems'...
wiki.contribs.org/KnownProblems#Problem_with_NIC_card_or_integrated_NIC
...if my old login still works.

----best wishes, Robert

associated reference on the wiki:
wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter5#Selecting_Your_Local_Ethernet_Adapter

[PostEdit: amended subject title - added motherboard model]

[Stefano]

Propose taking a list of SME Server supported NICs to the
manufacturer's support forum. They might be able to spot
something that might work better. Have not been able to
sleuth my way into the stuff on the SME install disc (for a text
list of supported NICs). Does the forum or wiki have any such?

since SME is CentOS and Centos is Redhat, I think we should only create a link to RH HCL page..

ciao
Stefano

[piran]

since SME is CentOS and Centos is Redhat, I think we should only create a link to RH HCL page..

ciao
Stefano

First I need to derive or otherwise obtain a list;~)
I'm slightly puzzled exactly what the smolt area show,
I'm not entirely sure whether it shows submitted details
or is a hitlist for problem issues. Meanwhile ...a list?
----best wishes, Robert

[mschool11]

Hello, I am just starting out with SMEServer 7.4 and an ASUS Server P5BV-C /4L Series MotherBoard.  I have four intergrated NICs (Marvell 88E8056 Giga PCI-E LAN Controllers) {taken directly from the manual}.  I did not recieve a driver disk with the system.  I installed SME7.4 and it would not work.  I have found out that it will only work with the first NIC (A) enabled in the BIOS.  If I enable any of the other NICs either by themselves or in any combination, the system will not light up in the back.  The boot screen shows as OK while scrolling but, none of them will work at all.  I am able to use the onboard NIC (A) only with no problems at all.  I hope this helps someone.  I know that I was about to forget about trying SME before I knew I could get atlease one working.  I hope that a fix is found as I REALLY THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE SME.  I am going to try the 8 beta next.

mschool11@comcast.net

[mschool11]

CORRECTION-UPDATE  I know, I have never posted and now two in a row.  I am not sure what I did yet but, I was able to get two of the four NICs working.  It seems to be something with making sure that there is a load (working CAT5) on everyone AND IN ORDER that you are trying to activate.  If you skip one then anything after that will give you an issue.  Believe it or not, I had two cabling issues, one was a patch cable and the other a bad building hard run.  I believe that I kept using one or the other in either the first or second port and this was causing the confusion.  I will be bringing a cable/run tester to school with me from now on and testing everything.  I am going to be working on trying to get all four NICs up and running and am still planning on trying V8 beta.  I have a couple of weeks of playing with a lab of 2 servers, 2 NAS and 24 student stations as well as some laptops and an admin station.

Hope this helps.

[cactus]

I am going to be working on trying to get all four NICs up and running

Don't bother SME Server only supports two NICs.

[CharlieBrady]

CORRECTION-UPDATE  I know, I have never posted and now two in a row.

Please start your own thread next time, rather than hi-jacking the thread on a different topic started by another.