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Help configuring VLAN's in a PRO1000 PL network adapter

idata
Employee
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Hey all, I'm not sure if this is even going in the correct spot, but I've got a question regarding the proper configuration of an Intel PRO/1000 desktop adapter with 802.1q VLAN's. My situation is that I've got a physical desktop (Windows XP SP3, no Windows firewall enabled) that has a single NIC in it but it needs to be a part of multiple VLAN's. I've configured the advanced networking services to include both VLAN's that I want it to access. I've got the IP settings on both virtual adapters set correctly. I've configured the port on my Cisco 3550 switch as a trunk permitting both VLAN's. I am unable to get this to communicate with other devices on either VLAN. I've setup a SPAN port on the switch and used Wireshark to capture the traffic. When I ping from the problem desktop to another device I can see it sending multiple ARP requests for the destination machine. I can also see the destination machine replying to those ARP requests, but for some reason the problem desktop will not place the MAC in its ARP cache. If I statically define the ARP entry and ping again I can see the ICMP Echo's as well as ICMP replies, but again, the problem desktop will not get these replies. The receive packet counters on the interface will not increment. The only way I can get this to work even part way is to define two VLAN's on the problem desktop where one of them is the Untagged VLAN. I then configure the interface on the 3550 to use a different native VLAN. With this config I can get traffic to flow on the untagged VLAN, but the tagged VLAN will not pass traffic. I know that just inserting a second NIC will get this to work fine, but now that I've started on this I must defeat it. I am soooo severly frustrated right now. Any insight from the Intel experts would be great.

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idata
Employee
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Hello,

I reading your post a question that comes to mind is desktop vs. server. The server adapter supports the multiple VLAN, but not the desktop. Before posting this I contacted some folks over in our NIC adapter group and asked for more guidance. A few questions first so I can go obtain the correct help:

1. Is the NIC onboard or add-in? If onboard it is desktop adapter and may require an actual server adapter to correctly achieve the goal.

2. Does PROSet show the NIC as having the capability to configure multi-VLANs?

You are using the correct protocol 802.1q, but the concern is whether you are using a desktop adapter (which would not have the required firmware) or server adapter.

Don

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idata
Employee
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I have the exact same problem.

My NIC is an add-in Intel Pro 1000 GT Desktop Adapter. I do have the capability to configure multi-VLANs.

The VLANs receive a DHCP address but they can't communicate on the network. I took a packet capture and it shows the NIC is sending out ARPs and the switch is replying back to the NIC but the NIC keeps asking for the ARP over and over again.

ie. NIC says "who has the mac-address for 172.31.6.1" ?

switch says "here's the mac-address".

this keeps repeating over and over

the only way I've been able to get it to work is by statically creating an ARP entry on the Windows system for the default gateway.

Is the desktop adapter just not compatible with multi-VLANs?

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idata
Employee
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I have the same problem with the Pro 1000 MT Server Adaptor.

Ipconfig/all shows each VLAN nic as having the same MAC address and you can't selectively change them, if you change one they all change, I suspect this is the problem, and if it is then it's a driver issue I'd say??

Any assistance here would be appreciated Intel.......

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idata
Employee
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About your Cisco switch port, did you set it as "TAGGED" on your vlan config?

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idata
Employee
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I also run into problems related to this post.

Some Vlans need special treatment which is accomplished by sourcing from a different mac address. Now this is not possible with the CT and PL desktop network adapters which I own. Is there a sollution for this issue?

kind regards,

Richard Gosen

EDIT:

Sometimes you must let go an issue if you aren't able to figure it out fast. I was in that state, but I have fixed the problem.

As stated above, you can change the root mac address and all the vlans, that you have configured, will source from that locally administered address. Since the mac address is locally significant on a network subnet it doesn't matter that it is the same address. So.....my issue is gone.

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