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WebSite Information => Article Discussions => Topic started by: eirik on 2012.04.14, 13:26:14

Title: MultiMac ethernet drivers updated on BetaZone - Intel e1000e 0.2.2, Realtek r8169-0.0.4
Post by: eirik on 2012.04.14, 13:26:14
The recent Intel e1000e-0.2.2 driver works excellent on my Thinkpad T410 :-)  I do not know what happened when the 0.2.1 version failed (it could be an unfortunate sequence of eventes that temporarily made my jfs drives halt), but if there were any errors in the past version, they are now fixed.  Excellent job by the MultiMac team :-)  Thanks / Eirik
Title: Re: MultiMac ethernet drivers updated on BetaZone - Intel e1000e 0.2.2, Realtek r8169-0.0.4
Post by: DougB on 2012.04.14, 17:10:49
Yes, the Intel e1000e-0.2.1 driver had a problem, that is fixed in the Intel e1000e-0.2.2 driver (on my Lenovo ThinkPad T510). However, the Intel e1000e-0.2.2 driver did introduce a problem that wasn't in the Intel e1000e-0.1.8 driver. I can no longer use Virtual Switch with Virtual PC 5.1.

I also use the r8169 0.0.4 driver (on my Asus M3A78-EM motherboard, where I had to replace the defective onboard 8168 adapter with a plug in 8169 adapter). It also works well, but has the same problem with Virtual Switch. The GENMAC driver works okay with Virtual Switch, but the performance isn't as good otherwise.

I also have a machine with an older Asus A8N-SLI motherboard, but it is going to take me a couple of weeks (perhaps months - it is very low priority) to clean that machine up, and get it operational. I am pretty sure that the NVETH driver should work with it.

QuoteExcellent job by the MultiMac team :-)  Thanks / Eirik

Indeed...
Title: Re: MultiMac ethernet drivers updated on BetaZone - Intel e1000e 0.2.2, Realtek r8169-0.0.4
Post by: ALT on 2012.04.16, 15:35:05
Quote from: DougB on 2012.04.14, 17:10:49
I also use the r8169 0.0.4 driver (on my Asus M3A78-EM motherboard, where I had to replace the defective onboard 8168 adapter with a plug in 8169 adapter). It also works well, but has the same problem with Virtual Switch. The GENMAC driver works okay with Virtual Switch, but the performance isn't as good otherwise.

Doug, funny you should mention that... I just had to replace the defective onboard NIC in my Asus M4A78-TD mainboard (bought last summer) with a plugin card as well.  Something about recent Asus boards and RTL816x NICs maybe?

I'd been using v0.12 of the RealTek MultiMAC driver (R8110.OS2) with a manually specified MAC address (without which the card wouldn't work at all) with the onboard card.  (The separate RTGNDA.OS2 driver also works with the same trick.) 

The new PCI NIC is also RealTek Gb so I just swapped it in and it kept working, no need to fiddle with the drivers at all (try doing that on Windows!). 

However I have noticed that VPC Virtual Switch isn't working.  (I don't actually remember if it worked with the onboard NIC, I don't use VPC much on this box these days.)  I may try GenMAC with this card if it works as you suggest.

I haven't tried the latest MultiMAC build, but I'm curious to find out if it picks up the hardware MAC address correctly now.
Title: Re: MultiMac ethernet drivers updated on BetaZone - Intel e1000e 0.2.2, Realtek r8169-0.0.4
Post by: DougB on 2012.04.16, 18:17:06
QuoteSomething about recent Asus boards and RTL816x NICs maybe?

I don't know. It appears that some power line went bad on my motherboard. The 8168 NIC actually works, but it won't drive anything to the interface. I also discovered that none of the PCIe sockets will work. Fortunately, I don't need those in my current configuration, so I have ignored the problem.

QuoteI'd been using v0.12 of the RealTek MultiMAC driver (R8110.OS2) with a manually specified MAC address
Quote

I didn't use Multimac (R8110), with the 8168, long enough to find the time to try it with VPC, but I didn't have a problem with the MAC address (which seems to depend more on the hardware implementation, than on the driver). I also had no problem when I used GENMAC with it, although if I ever tried to use it at 1 Gbs, it would cause a system trap in GENMAC. I had no problem at 100 Mbs (which was fine since my router was 100 Mbs).

Quoteno need to fiddle with the drivers at all

Actually, you should get the new 8169 driver. It is newer than the R8110 driver, and may actually contain the fix for the MAC address problem (you will need to try it). I know that it works fine for me, without worrying about the MAC address. It is only with Virtual Switch, that it has problems. If I need that service, I will, temporarily, go back to GENMAC, which also works fine with it, although it is slower.
Title: Re: MultiMac ethernet drivers updated on BetaZone - Intel e1000e 0.2.2, Realtek r8169-0.0.4
Post by: Matthew Walsh on 2012.04.16, 21:43:42
On my BioStar AMD Phenom MB the .0.3 multimac Realtek driver works fine, but the 0.4 version fails.  Not sure why, but it locks up and doesn't work.  I went back to .0.3 and it's fine. Just FYI.
Matt W.