29.5. Ethernet Parameters

Important

Most modern Ethernet-based network interface cards (NICs), do not require module parameters to alter settings. Instead, they can be configured using ethtool or mii-tool. Only after these tools fail to work should module parameters be adjusted. Module paramaters can be viewed using the modinfo command.

Note

For information about using these tools, consult the man pages for ethtool, mii-tool, and modinfo.

Hardware	Module	Parameters
3Com EtherLink PCI III/XL Vortex (3c590, 3c592, 3c595, 3c597) Boomerang (3c900, 3c905, 3c595)	`3c59x.ko`	`debug` — 3c59x debug level (0-6) `options` — 3c59x: Bits 0-3: media type, bit 4: bus mastering, bit 9: full duplex `global_options` — 3c59x: same as options, but applies to all NICs if options is unset `full_duplex` — 3c59x full duplex setting(s) (1) `global_full_duplex` — 3c59x: same as full_duplex, but applies to all NICs if full_duplex is unset `hw_checksums` — 3c59x Hardware checksum checking by adapter(s) (0-1) `flow_ctrl` — 3c59x 802.3x flow control usage (PAUSE only) (0-1) `enable_wol` — 3c59x: Turn on Wake-on-LAN for adapter(s) (0-1) `global_enable_wol` — 3c59x: same as enable_wol, but applies to all NICs if enable_wol is unset `rx_copybreak` — 3c59x copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames `max_interrupt_work` — 3c59x maximum events handled per interrupt `compaq_ioaddr` — 3c59x PCI I/O base address (Compaq BIOS problem workaround) `compaq_irq` — 3c59x PCI IRQ number (Compaq BIOS problem workaround) `compaq_device_id` — 3c59x PCI device ID (Compaq BIOS problem workaround) `watchdog` — 3c59x transmit timeout in milliseconds `global_use_mmio` — 3c59x: same as use_mmio, but applies to all NICs if options is unset `use_mmio` — 3c59x: use memory-mapped PCI I/O resource (0-1)
RTL8139, SMC EZ Card Fast Ethernet, RealTek cards using RTL8129, or RTL8139 Fast Ethernet chipsets	`8139too.ko`
Broadcom 4400 10/100 PCI ethernet driver	`b44.ko`	`b44_debug` — B44 bitmapped debugging message enable value
Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5706/5708 Driver	`bnx2.ko`	`disable_msi` — Disable Message Signaled Interrupt (MSI)
Intel Ether Express/100 driver	`e100.ko`	`debug` — Debug level (0=none,...,16=all) `eeprom_bad_csum_allow` — Allow bad eeprom checksums
Intel EtherExpress/1000 Gigabit	`e1000.ko`	`TxDescriptors` — Number of transmit descriptors `RxDescriptors` — Number of receive descriptors `Speed` — Speed setting `Duplex` — Duplex setting `AutoNeg` — Advertised auto-negotiation setting `FlowControl` — Flow Control setting `XsumRX` — Disable or enable Receive Checksum offload `TxIntDelay` — Transmit Interrupt Delay `TxAbsIntDelay` — Transmit Absolute Interrupt Delay `RxIntDelay` — Receive Interrupt Delay `RxAbsIntDelay` — Receive Absolute Interrupt Delay `InterruptThrottleRate` — Interrupt Throttling Rate `SmartPowerDownEnable` — Enable PHY smart power down `KumeranLockLoss` — Enable Kumeran lock loss workaround
Myricom 10G driver (10GbE)	`myri10ge.ko`	`myri10ge_fw_name` — Firmware image name `myri10ge_ecrc_enable` — Enable Extended CRC on PCI-E `myri10ge_max_intr_slots` — Interrupt queue slots `myri10ge_small_bytes` — Threshold of small packets `myri10ge_msi` — Enable Message Signalled Interrupts `myri10ge_intr_coal_delay` — Interrupt coalescing delay `myri10ge_flow_control` — Pause parameter `myri10ge_deassert_wait` — Wait when deasserting legacy interrupts `myri10ge_force_firmware` — Force firmware to assume aligned completions `myri10ge_skb_cross_4k` — Can a small skb cross a 4KB boundary? `myri10ge_initial_mtu` — Initial MTU `myri10ge_napi_weight` — Set NAPI weight `myri10ge_watchdog_timeout` — Set watchdog timeout `myri10ge_max_irq_loops` — Set stuck legacy IRQ detection threshold
NatSemi DP83815 Fast Ethernet	`natsemi.ko`	`mtu` — DP8381x MTU (all boards) `debug` — DP8381x default debug level `rx_copybreak` — DP8381x copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames `options` — DP8381x: Bits 0-3: media type, bit 17: full duplex `full_duplex` — DP8381x full duplex setting(s) (1)
AMD PCnet32 and AMD PCnetPCI	`pcnet32.ko`
PCnet32 and PCnetPCI	`pcnet32.ko`	`debug` — pcnet32 debug level `max_interrupt_work` — pcnet32 maximum events handled per interrupt `rx_copybreak` — pcnet32 copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames `tx_start_pt` — pcnet32 transmit start point (0-3) `pcnet32vlb` — pcnet32 Vesa local bus (VLB) support (0/1) `options` — pcnet32 initial option setting(s) (0-15) `full_duplex` — pcnet32 full duplex setting(s) (1) `homepna` — pcnet32 mode for 79C978 cards (1 for HomePNA, 0 for Ethernet, default Ethernet
RealTek RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver	`r8169.ko`	`media` — force phy operation. Deprecated by ethtool (8). `rx_copybreak` — Copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames `use_dac` — Enable PCI DAC. Unsafe on 32 bit PCI slot. `debug` — Debug verbosity level (0=none, ..., 16=all)
Neterion Xframe 10GbE Server Adapter	`s2io.ko`
SIS 900/701G PCI Fast Ethernet	`sis900.ko`	`multicast_filter_limit` — SiS 900/7016 maximum number of filtered multicast addresses `max_interrupt_work` — SiS 900/7016 maximum events handled per interrupt `sis900_debug` — SiS 900/7016 bitmapped debugging message level
Adaptec Starfire Ethernet driver	`starfire.ko`	`max_interrupt_work` — Maximum events handled per interrupt `mtu` — MTU (all boards) `debug` — Debug level (0-6) `rx_copybreak` — Copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames `intr_latency` — Maximum interrupt latency, in microseconds `small_frames` — Maximum size of receive frames that bypass interrupt latency (0,64,128,256,512) `options` — Deprecated: Bits 0-3: media type, bit 17: full duplex `full_duplex` — Deprecated: Forced full-duplex setting (0/1) `enable_hw_cksum` — Enable/disable hardware cksum support (0/1)
Broadcom Tigon3	`tg3.ko`	`tg3_debug` — Tigon3 bitmapped debugging message enable value
ThunderLAN PCI	`tlan.ko`	`aui` — ThunderLAN use AUI port(s) (0-1) `duplex` — ThunderLAN duplex setting(s) (0-default, 1-half, 2-full) `speed` — ThunderLAN port speen setting(s) (0,10,100) `debug` — ThunderLAN debug mask `bbuf` — ThunderLAN use big buffer (0-1)
Digital 21x4x Tulip PCI Ethernet cards SMC EtherPower 10 PCI(8432T/8432BT) SMC EtherPower 10/100 PCI(9332DST) DEC EtherWorks 100/10 PCI(DE500-XA) DEC EtherWorks 10 PCI(DE450) DEC QSILVER's, Znyx 312 etherarray Allied Telesis LA100PCI-T Danpex EN-9400, Cogent EM110	`tulip.ko`	`io` `io_port`
VIA Rhine PCI Fast Ethernet cards with either the VIA VT86c100A Rhine-II PCI or 3043 Rhine-I D-Link DFE-930-TX PCI 10/100	`via-rhine.ko`	`max_interrupt_work` — VIA Rhine maximum events handled per interrupt `debug` — VIA Rhine debug level (0-7) `rx_copybreak` — VIA Rhine copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames `avoid_D3` — Avoid power state D3 (work-around for broken BIOSes)

Table 29.2. Ethernet Module Parameters

29.5.1. Using Multiple Ethernet Cards

It is possible to use multiple Ethernet cards on a single machine. For each card there must be an alias and, possibly, options lines for each card in a user-created <module_name>.conf file in the /etc/modprobe.d/ directory.

For additional information about using multiple Ethernet cards, refer to the Linux Ethernet-HOWTO online at http://www.redhat.com/mirrors/LDP/HOWTO/Ethernet-HOWTO.html.