NVM Upgrade on I226-V fails (no error message)

[fvolk]

Hi,

I'm having issues updating the NVM firmware on an Intel I226-V. The NIC is running NVM version 2.17 with the infamous "random disconnect" bug that is supposed to be fixed with NVM version 2.22 and up.

My system supplier gave me a version 2.23 binary together with eeupdatew64e.exe in version 5.38.10.00 (Pro Network Connections SDK v2.38.10).

However, whenever I try to flash the image file, the process takes very long and is not successful.

> eeupdatew64e /NIC=1 /D FXVL_125C_V_2MB_2.23.bin

Using: Intel (R) PRO Network Connections SDK v2.38.10
EEUPDATE v5.38.10.00
Copyright (C) 1995 - 2022 Intel Corporation
Intel (R) Confidential and not for general distribution.

NIC Bus Dev Fun Vendor-Device Branding string
=== === === === ============= =================================================
1 2 00 00 8086-125C Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V

Writing SHARED FLASH. PLEASE DO NOT INTERRUPT THIS PROCESS.

Sometimes, I get a timeout after 5 hours; sometimes this goes on without any visible change for 12 hours until I manually terminate the process.

It seems that no data is actually written to the eeprom: after a reboot, I'm still with NVM version 2.17.

Anything that I missed? (tried cmd.exe, powershell.exe, both with administrative privileges, Win11 23H2)

Best regards,

Florian

[mingmou]

Can you share FXVL_125C_V_2MB_2.23.bin? I need it, please.

[Rosendo-Rivas]

I found this link that includes a downloadable file with the i226V firmware (FXVL_125C_V_2MB_2.25.bin). I assume it's version 2.25, but it's specifically for VERSA CSG150 devices. I have a 4-port NIC from Fenvi. Will it work for the update?

https://support.versa-networks.com/support/solutions/articles/23000028082-csg150-i226-nic-nvm-update

[fvolk]

I'm sorry, I can't help you with this.

Neither Intel nor the OEM of my system are willing to help in any way to solve the issue. I have disabled the Intel device and bought a product from a competitor that cares about their customers. Sad.

[Rosendo-Rivas]

I experienced something strange: I had my NIC i226 working fine on an OpenWrt x86 router that I built (I’m a beginner). It was running 24/7 for 7 months without issues, until I decided to update OpenWrt to the latest version, and that’s when the disconnection problems began. I tried rolling back to the previous version (the one I had been using and was working correctly), but the failure persisted. I even tested with Ubuntu and Debian, and the same problem occurred. Today I ran tests on Windows and did not have that issue; I checked the Event Viewer and there were no errors.

I want to continue with my small home lab projects, so I need to use OpenWrt or Debian. Do you recommend buying a NIC RTL8125BG or the Intel i350?
I’m looking for stability and good speed since I’ll be using the PC as a router, Plex server, and NAS.

[fvolk]

Thanks for sharing your insights und observations. I have some other i226-V devices in use - without any issues. It really seems to be a firmware/OS incompatibility. One of my early observations was that the disconnects only start after quite some data has been transferred via the adapter in a short time (around 1 GB). A reset of the adapter / reboot of the system fixed this until another gigabyte had accumulated. It almost feels like some buffer is not being cleared fast enough and, thus, overflows. At this point in time I did not look any further into the issue.

Unfortunately, I cannot make a qualified recommendation for an alternative adapter as I did not do a thorough comparison. I just bought a random USB-C/3.0 2.5 GB Ethernet dongle (RTL8156BG chip), which serves me well.