you are right, the interfaces are set on auto_detect per default. Working around that is not as easy as it might seem, as you need to speccify certain paramaters while loading the kernel driver module. And depending on the type of the network card, these options are different.
If you know your type of network card and the option, you could modify the /etc/modules.conf and add the parameters there, so they get loaded automatically after the restart. But as modifying the underlaying will void your support, i do not recommend it.
I would rather know why you need to set it to full duplex? maybe we can find the reason why they do not autoddetect the right mode?
The reason i want to try Full Duplex, is that i am having transfer problems from LAN to DMZ i.e. a file transfer... i suspect the Astaro box is the issue, since there where no problems before. Normally you would set you NIC (on a Windows Server box) to Full Duplex, in order to be sure that the NIC is performing at its optimum, and to avoid the overhead of exchanging the correct speed/duplex every time...however i am unsure about Linux on this issue.
All other NIC's involved in the file transfer is set to Full Duplex (100mb), including the 2 switches involved...
Or maybe it's a performance problem on the box ? - i am using a P3-1100 Celeron with 1 gb ram
[ QUOTE ] Normally you would set you NIC (on a Windows Server box) to Full Duplex, in order to be sure that the NIC is performing at its optimum, and to avoid the overhead of exchanging the correct speed/duplex every time...however i am unsure about Linux on this issue.
[/ QUOTE ] Actually, you should be able to leave the Ethernet configuration on the servers at its default of Auto, and the Nway negotiation between Ethernet card and switch will automatically set ithe connection to full duplex for you. There is no software overhead or delays involved in Nway Ethernet negotiation, as it is a hardware based protocol that completes in less than 2 seconds when the link is first connected or powered up.
What does the LEDs on your switch tell you? Most 100BaseTX switches have LEDs for both speed and duplex mode. If you use good quality, brand name Ethernet cards and switches, it should not be nessessary to have to force the equipment into full duplex mode. The hardware will select full duplex automatically whenever it is possible to use full duplex.
Hi, for some HUB's (often used for small DMZ networks) it is nessesary to set the speed and the duplex-mode because the autonegotiation does not work right in some combinations of HUBs and NICs.
Hubs don't do full duplex. Which is why it is always best to leave the speed and duplex mode on the Ethernet cards in your machines at Auto, since you may change how they are connected later, such as when you introduce a hub in an Ethernet link that was previously a switched, full duplex connection.
Did some reconfig on one of the switches... seems like there might be a bad port involved... havent't seen any problems since... btw. all NIC's indicated 100 FDX...
if you dont want to use auto negotiation, always set both the nic and the switch port to 100/full. otherwise the one who is in auto mode will always try to negotiate but it will not receive an answer ...
few years ago there was a problem with sun nics and cisco switches, so there it was a good choice to set it to a fixed value.
[ QUOTE ] few years ago there was a problem with sun nics and cisco switches, so there it was a good choice to set it to a fixed value.
[/ QUOTE ]
We had the same problems with cisco switches and 3com nics. I guess the auto negotiation between switches and nics from different providers doesn't work as well as planned. So we always set the speed/duplex fix on the nic and switch, because we had lots of trouble with auto negotiation.
I recommend ASL should also allow to add the speed/duplex configuration for nics, because auto negotiation can cause a lot of performance problems. If support is void for editing the modules.conf ASL can't be first choice for a company which depends on support.
[ QUOTE ] few years ago there was a problem with sun nics and cisco switches, so there it was a good choice to set it to a fixed value.
[/ QUOTE ]
We had the same problems with cisco switches and 3com nics. I guess the auto negotiation between switches and nics from different providers doesn't work as well as planned. So we always set the speed/duplex fix on the nic and switch, because we had lots of trouble with auto negotiation.
I recommend ASL should also allow to add the speed/duplex configuration for nics, because auto negotiation can cause a lot of performance problems. If support is void for editing the modules.conf ASL can't be first choice for a company which depends on support.
