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Windows® Server 2003 Driver Software: Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter User's Guide

This chapter provides the following information:

Installing the Driver Software

Modifying Configuration Parameters

Removing the Driver Software

Installing the Driver Software

When the Windows Server 2003 system first boots up after installing a new hardware device, such as a Gigabit Ethernet Adapter, the system automatically detects the new hardware and prompts you to install the driver software for that device.

NOTE – The Gigabit Ethernet Adapter must be physically installed in your system prior to installing the driver software. See Installing the Hardware for details.


NOTE – Drivers are located on the Dell Resource CD as well as the Dell website at www.dell.com. These drivers may need to be extracted to a temporary directory on your hard drive.

NOTE – If the Windows Server 2003 system detects a Gigabit Ethernet adapter and installs a default driver, update the driver as described in "Updating the Adapter Software".

To install the adapter software for Windows Server 2003, do the following

NOTE – Before beginning this procedure, verify that the Windows Server 2003 system has been upgraded to the latest version with the latest service pack applied.

Using the Driver Installer

  1. Start your Windows Server 2003 system and log in. You must have Administrator privileges to install the driver software.

    When you boot up the Windows Server 2003 system after installing the adapter card, a series of Found New Hardware windows are displayed.

 

Manually Installing the Driver Software

When you boot up the Windows Server 2003 system after installing the network device, a series of Found New Hardware windows display.

The Welcome to the Found New Hardware window then displays.

  1. Choose the Install the Software Automatically (Recommended) option, then click Next. The Found New Hardware Wizard then searches for the appropriate driver and automatically installs the software.

The following window appears notifying you to wait while the wizard installs the software.

  1. If asked to specify the location of the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM instead, click Browse (do not use the text field) and locate the path to the Gigabit Ethernet drivers that was previously specified.

  1. When the software installation is complete, click Finish to close the wizard and complete the software installation.

Updating the Adapter Software

NOTE – If using a 5704 device in this system, rebooting may be required after completing the driver update to properly load the new drivers.

NOTE – When updating the adapter software on existing Broadcom devices, the Advanced Property settings may not be updated unless the existing Broadcom device is removed by following the instructions in the "Removing the Driver Software" section. You must then perform a scan for hardware changes in the device manager, followed by re-installing the Broadcom device with the current adapter software as described in the "Installing the Driver Software" section.

Prior to uninstalling the Broadcom device, ensure to capture all Advanced Property settings because the parameters will be lost.

To update the adapter software for Windows Server 2003, do the following:

  1. Start your Windows Server 2003 system and log in. You must have Administrator privileges to update the driver software.

  2. From the Start menu, right click My Computer and select System Properties to display the following menu.

  1. When the System Properties window opens, click the Hardware tab to display the following menu.

  1. When the Device Manager window opens, right-click on the Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet adapter and select Update Driver.

  1. Insert the media that was supplied with the Broadcom hardware.

  2. In the Hardware Update Wizard window, select Install the software automatically (Recommended), then click Next.

The Hardware Update Wizard searches for the appropriate driver and automatically updates the software.

If asked to specify the location of the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM instead, click Browse (don’t use the text entry field) and locate the path to the Gigabit Ethernet drivers that was specified above.

  1. Once the software update is complete, click Finish to close the wizard and complete the software installation.

Once installation of the driver software is complete, you are ready to modify configuration parameters.

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Modifying Configuration Parameters

Although the default values should be appropriate in most cases, you may change any of the available options to meet the requirements of your specific system. Once the adapter driver software has been installed, you can use this procedure to verify or change the following adapter properties:

NOTE – The following steps may be slightly different if the "Classic Start Menu" is set.

Driver Properties Advanced Tab

To configure the adapter parameters, bring up the Driver Properties Advanced tab as follows:

  1. Click Start then select Control Panel from the pop-up menu.
  2. Double-click the System icon.
  3. Click the Hardware tab and then click Device Manager. The Device Manager window displays.
  4. Scroll down the list of hardware devices to Network Adapters. Click the plus (+) to the left of the icon to display the list of adapters currently configured.
  5. Double-click the Gigabit Ethernet Adapter you want to configure. The Gigabit Ethernet Properties window displays, showing the General tab.

  6. Click the Advanced tab. A window showing the list of configurable properties (and default values) for the adapter displays.

  7. Change the operating parameters as desired. To change adapter operating parameters listed under the Advanced tab, click on the options listed under Property and then use the pull-down window under Value to change the default or assigned value.

802.1p QOS Parameter

The 802.1p QOS parameter is a standard that enables Quality of Service (QOS). It is responsible for the QOS provisions on the local segment, and the avoidance of the "all packets are treated equally" issue, which falls onto the hub or switch servicing segment. 802.1p QOS provides prioritization of packets traversing a subnet. Thus, when the local segment becomes congested and the hub or switch workload results in the delay (dropping) of packets, those packets with flags that correspond to higher priorities will receive perferential treatment, and will be serviced before packets with lower priorities. Disabled by default, select Enable from the Value drop-down menu to enable this parameter. Once enabled, select Disable from the Advanced tab Value drop-down menu to disable this parameter.

NOTE – Enabling 802.1p QOS also requires an 802.1p aware switch.

Checksum Offload Parameter

Normally the Checksum Offload function is computed by the protocol stack. By selecting one of the Checksum Offload parameters, the checksum can be computed by the Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. To enable one of the Checksum Offload parameters, select the parameter from the Advanced tabValue drop-down menu. These parameters are described and shown below:

Ethernet@WireSpeed™ Parameter

The Ethernet@WireSpeed parameter enables a 1000BASE-T Ethernet adapter to establish a link at a lower speed when only 2 pairs of wires are available in the cable plant. By default, the adapter is set to Enable. To disable the Ethernet@WireSpeed™ parameter, select Disable from theValue drop-down menu as shown below:

Flow Control Parameter

The Flow Control parameter allows the user to enable or disable the receipt or transmission of PAUSE frames. PAUSE frames enable the adapter and the switch to control the transmit rate. The side that is receiving the PAUSE frame will momentarily stop transmitting. The recommended selection is Auto, which will optimize PAUSE frame receipt and transmission. Enabled by default, to disable Flow Control to receive, transmit, or receive and transmit PAUSE frames, select the appropriate parameter from the Advanced tab Value drop-down menu described and shown below.

Jumbo Mtu Parameter

The Jumbo Mtu parameter allows the adapter to transmit and receive oversized Ethernet frames that are greater than 1514 but less than 9000 bytes in length. Note that this parameter will require a switch that is able to process large frames.

Set at 1500 bytes by default, to increase the size of the received frames, increment the byte quantity in 500-byte increments from the Advanced tab Value counter, shown below.

Large Send Offload Parameter

Normally the TCP segmentation is done by the protocol stack. By enabling the Large Send Offload value, the TCP segmentation can be done by the Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. To enable the Large Send Offload, select the parameter from the Advanced tab Value drop-down menu. These values are described and shown below:

NOTE – Large Send Offload features is not supported on the 5700 NetXtreme Adapter.

Locally Administered Address Parameter

The Locally Administered Address is a user-defined address that will be used in place of the MAC address originally assigned to the adapter. Every adapter in the network must have its own unique MAC address. This locally administered address consists of a 12-digit hexadecimal number.

The appropriate assigned ranges and exceptions for the Locally Administered Address include the following:

Speed & Duplex Parameter

The Speed & Duplex parameter allows the user to set the connection speed and duplex mode of the network. Note that Full-Duplex Mode allows the adapter to transmit and receive network data simultaneously. The adapter is set to Auto (optimum connection) by default. Set the speed and mode as described and shown below:

NOTE – 1Gbps speed is enabled by selecting Auto.

 

 

NOTES – Auto is the recommended selection. This selection allows the adapter to dynamically detect the line speed and duplex mode of the network. Whenever the network capability changes, the adapter will automatically detect and adjust to the new line speed and duplex mode. Ensure that the link partner is also configured for Auto.

1000 Mbps makes use of Auto-Negotiation, some switches (Cisco 6509) do not alllow setting Auto on ports but allow 1000 Mbps.

Wake Up Capabilities Parameter

The Wake Up Capabilities parameter allows the user to set the adapter to wake up from a low power mode when it receives a network wake up frame. Two wake up frames are possible: Magic Packet and Wake Up Frame. By default, the adapter is set to Both. To set the adapter to wake up from a frame, select the appropriate Advanced tab parameter from the Value drop-down menu as described and shown below:

WOL Speed Parameter

The WOL Speed parameter allows the user to select the speed at which the adapter connects to the network during Wake-on-LAN mode. By default, the adapter is set to Auto. Set the speed as described and shown below:

NOTE – WOL Speed at 100 Mbps is only supported on the 5701, 5703, and 5704. 5700-based network adapters only support a WOL connection speed of 10 Mbps. This is the network speed when the system is in a standby mode awaiting wake up on LAN.

NOTE – Wake on LAN is supported at 10 Mbps on the 5700 and 5704 adapters. The 5701 and 5703 adapters support Wake on LAN at 10 or 100 Mbps. Dell supports Wake on LAN on one device in the system at a time.

 

Save Settings

  1. When the adapter parameter configuration is complete, click OK at the Gigabit Ethernet Controller Property screen to accept the settings.
  2. If prompted to restart your computer, click Yes. Note that, while it is not necessary to reboot the system for new adapter properties to take effect, rebooting is recommended to reinitialize all registers.
  3. Verify that the adapter port LEDs operate as described in the Physical Description section of the Introduction.

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Power Management

Power management specifies whether the operating system turns off the selected device if that device is able to be turned off. If the device is busy doing something, however, (servicing a call, for example), the operating system will not shut down the device. The operating system will try to shut down every possible device only when it is hibernating. Some devices must stay on at all times. If you need the device to stay on at all times, do not check this box.

NOTE – To enable the Wake-on LAN in standby mode for the Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet adapter you must select the "Allow the device to bring the computer out of standby" checkbox.

 

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Removing the Driver Software

Before physically removing an adapter from your system, first remove the adapter driver software.

  1. Start your Windows Server 2003 system and log in. You must have Administrator privileges to remove the driver software.
  2. Open the Control Panel and double-click the System icon.
  3. At the System Properties screen, click the Hardware tab.

  4. Click Device Manager. The Device Manager screen will appear.

  5. Expand Network adapters (click the + sign). All network adapters will display.
  1. Right-click on the adapter to be removed and select Uninstall.

  2. A Confirm Device Removal window appears, click OK to complete the uninstall.

NOTE – Not all driver files are removed as part of this procedure. Note that the driver and adapter can be removed via Hot Plug, if supported.

 

 

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