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Issue with hardware offloading (offloading tx-checksumming) in an WGI211AT Ethernet controller.

User1581478229267931
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-- Summary of problem --

The issue is loading a Web UI from a web server running on a conga-QA3 QSeven module (Q7) (running Linux) via an Intel WGI211AT Ethernet controller will stop part way thorough.

The problem is very repeatable with the Web UI failing to load in the same place each time. So we suspect is not a physical layer problem.

It may be related to the configuration of the I211, but we did verify this and is matches the settings we load in production for the other units. 

 

The problem has only been found on this one product after over 3x years of production.

 

I found now that disabling hardware offloading tx-checksumming (which also disables tcp-segmentation-offload) fixes the problem. It seems like for some reason this particular I211 controller doesn't handle tx offloading correctly as we use on the others.

 

Maybe someone has seen similar behaviour to this before on the I211 controller? Or can suggest some further tests I can do or settings I can check in the controller. Would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

Daniel

 

-- More details --

We have 2x Ethernet ports on our product, one uses an i210 Ethernet controller on-board the Q7 module (Rear port), the other uses an external Intel WGI211AT Ethernet controller (Service port) which is mounted to the carrier board.

The 4x I211 differential Ethernet pairs are connected to an RJ45 jack.

 

The interface form the Q7 module to the WGI211AT is a PCIe bus on the Q7s module's edge connector. The on-board Ethernet controller outputs 4x differential Ethernet pairs on the Q7s module's edge connector. These are routed to an RJ45 jack.

 

The on-board Ethernet connection is working and the Web UI loads as expected when the main page is browsed to, but the connection through the external Ethernet controller is not working.

 

On connection through the external controller, the Web UI stops loading the main page part way though. This occurs in the same place each time.

 

We don't think the issue is with the physical layer as problem is not intermittent and is very repeatable. 

 

We have only seen the issue on this carrier board after over 3 years production of the product.

 

 

-- Testing --

My test setup is a Win 7 PC with an extra network card (an Intel Gigabit CT Desktop Adapter) connected directly to the Ethernet port I am testing on the product.

I am running Wireshark on the PC and capturing packets I see during the loading of the Web UI main page. I have attached the Wireshark pcaps in a zip file.

 

Web UI display on service port (external I211 controller) is not working -

'Service port - Web UI - My Win 7 PC - B1002 SN504523 - not loading.pcapng'

 

Web UI display on the rear (internal controller) port is working as usual -

'Rear port - Web UI - My Win 7 PC - B1002 SN504523 - working.pcapng'

 

You can see in the packet capture the connection fails in the same place, which is when the image is downloaded http://169.254.30.1/static-2.0.0-96/img/ps_logo_lx.png.

However, I found that this request works when called by itsself but an earlier request is failing to load.

 

This is the first request which is failing to load over the Service port -

169.254.30.1/static-2.0.0-96/css/kendo/kendo.dataviz.bootstrap.min.css

 

Here is pcap for the failing kendo request -

'Service port - kendo bootstrap css - My Win 7 PC - B1002 SN504523 - not loading.pcapng'

 

Here's the command I used to disable hardware offloading for the tx checksum calculation.

sudo ethtool -K enp1s0 rx on tx off

Actual changes:

tx-checksumming: off

       tx-checksum-ip-generic: off

       tx-checksum-sctp: off

tcp-segmentation-offload: off

       tx-tcp-segmentation: off [requested on]

       tx-tcp6-segmentation: off [requested on]

 

pcap for the working request for the Kendo URL -

'Service port - kendo bootstrap css - My Win 7 PC - B1002 SN504523 - tx offload off - working.pcapng'

 

Loading of the Web UI mainpage over the Service port with tx checksum hardware offloading off which is working now -

'Service port Web UI - My Win 7 PC - B1002 SN504523 - tx offloading off - working.pcapng'

 

 

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12 Replies
Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
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Hello User15814782292679312331,

 

Thank you for posting in Intel Ethernet Communities. 

 

Please share the output of 'ethtool -i enp1s0' as this would help us in checking your request.

 

We look forward to your response.

 

In case we don't hear from you, we'll follow up after 3 business days.

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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User1581478229267931
3,559 Views

Hi Crisselle

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

Here's the output:

 

driver: igb

version: 5.4.0-k

firmware-version: 0. 6-2

expansion-rom-version:

bus-info: 0000:01:00.0

supports-statistics: yes

supports-test: yes

supports-eeprom-access: yes

supports-register-dump: yes

supports-priv-flags: no

 

Best regards

Daniel

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
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Hello Daniel,

 

Thank you for the reply.

 

Can you share where was the driver downloaded from? Have you tried the latest Intel generic driver from the link below?

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/13663/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-82575-6-82580-I350-and-I210-211-Based-Gigabit-Network-Connections-for-Linux-?product=64403

 

Hoping to hear from you.

 

In case we don't receive a reply, we'll follow up after 3 business days.

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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User1581478229267931
3,559 Views

Tried the latest Intel driver but no luck, web ui is still not loading on the faulty unit.

 

[b1002@b1002 igb]$ ethtool -i enp1s0

driver: igb

version: 5.3.5.42

firmware-version: 0. 6-2

expansion-rom-version:

bus-info: 0000:01:00.0

supports-statistics: yes

supports-test: yes

supports-eeprom-access: yes

supports-register-dump: yes

supports-priv-flags: no

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

Thank you for the effort in trying out the latest driver.

 

Please allow us to further check on this. Rest assured that we will get back to you within 2-3 business days.

 

Hoping for your patience.

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

Since you've mentioned that the issue on the WGI211AT was only seen after more than 3 years production of the product, does it mean the issue just happened recently and it's been working fine for the past 3 years even with the hardware offloading turned on?

 

Have you tried to check the issue with your system manufacturer? As the I211AT is an integrated component to the system, the manufacturer might customized it to better fit into your system and application. It is best to check with them so you don’t lose features or customizations of the Ethernet controller

 

Please provide the Linux OS name and kernel version as this would help in our investigation.

 

We look forward to your response.

 

In case we don't hear from you, we'll follow up after 3 business days.

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

Good day!

 

We'd like to follow up the additional requested information for us to further check on your request.

 

Hoping to hear from you.

 

We'll follow up after 3 business days in case we don't receive a reply from you,

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

Please be informed that we will now close this request since we haven't received any response from our previous follow ups. Just feel free to post a new question if you may have any other inquiry in the future.

 

May you have a lovely day ahead!

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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User1581478229267931
3,559 Views

Hi Crisselle,

 

Sorry about the late reply.

 

We are happy with our design as it has been working on a number of units in production now. This is with the hardware offloading turned on.

I think I have narrowed down the problem to being a fault with this IC but just hard to find the exact cause.

Possibly the next step will replace the IC to prove it is the problem and not something else on the board.

Just the way the problem is so easily repeatable, it seems like it's not an issue with signal integrity on the board.

 

Would you like to do an RMA or to verify the IC hardware?

Would it be possible to check over our configuration?

 

OS: Fedora 24

Kernel version: 4.9.13-100.fc24.x86_64

 

Best regards

Daniel

 

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

No a problem at all.

 

Since the Intel® Ethernet Controller I211-AT is embedded on your system, being an Original equipment manufacturer (OEM), we would suggest that you request RMA or to verify the IC hardware to your manufacturer. OEMs might have altered the features, incorporated customizations, or made other changes to the controller thus, it is best to check with them.

 

Let us know if you have additional questions and clarifications.

 

Awaiting to your response.

 

In case we don't hear from you, we'll follow up after 3 business days.

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

Good day!

 

We'd like to check if you have already contacted your manufacturer to raise this issue? If yes, please share some updates with us.

 

We look forward to hear from you.

 

Should there be no response, we'll follow up after 3 business days.

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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Caguicla_Intel
Moderator
3,559 Views

Hello Daniel,

 

How are you doing today?

 

Please be informed that we will now close this request since we haven't received any response from our previous follow ups. Just feel free to post a new question if you may have any other inquiry in the future.

 

May you have a lovely day!

 

Best regards,

Crisselle C

Intel® Customer Support

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