Ethernet Card Tips

Installing an Ethernet Card

To install an additional Ethernet interface (let's call it le1):

1) Put the card in and from the ok> prompt do a boot -r

1) create /etc/hostname.le1 that contains the host name

2) make the interface known to the system:

ifconfig le1 plumb

3) configure the interface:

ifconfig le1 up netmask + broadcast +

4) test the connection

Sun Network Interface Duplex

Checking and setting the link parameters of Sun hme network interfaces requires the use of the ndd command. The procedure for qfe interfaces is similar, except that the instance must be specified. For example, the Sun QuadFast Ethernet card would have instances 0-3: qfe0, qfe1, qfe2, qfe3.

Checking the current running speed(s):

Choose the interface instance:

# ndd -set /dev/qfe instance 0

That selects the first instance: qfe0. Note that the default instance is 0.

Check the status, speed & mode:

# ndd -get /dev/qfe link_status
1 = up
0 = down
# ndd -get /dev/qfe link_speed
1 = 100 Mb
0 = 10 Mb
# ndd -get /dev/qfe link_mode
1 = Full Duplex (FDX)
0 = Half Duplex (HDX)

Hot to configure individual interfaces via ndd commands:

These commands are usually placed in a startup script such as /etc/rc2.d/S99qfe.

Hot to force 100Mbs Full Duplex (FDX) on qfe1:

ndd -set /dev/qfe instance 1
ndd -set /dev/qfe adv_100T4_cap 0
ndd -set /dev/qfe adv_100fdx_cap 1
ndd -set /dev/qfe adv_100hdx_cap 0
ndd -set /dev/qfe adv_10fdx_cap 0
ndd -set /dev/qfe adv_10hdx_cap 0
ndd -set /dev/qfe adv_autoneg_cap 0

It is important to run these commands in the above order. The link will be renegotiated when the final command is run.