Intel® Network Adapter Installation

Install the Intel® Ethernet Adapter

Installing an Adapter

  1. Turn off the computer and unplug the power cord. If performing a "hot plug" install, see your server documentation first.
  2. Remove the computer cover and the adapter slot cover from the slot that matches your adapter. You may utilize a slot that is longer than your adapter’s connector with no harm, but do not attempt to install in a slot that is shorter than the connector.
  3. Firmly place the adapter into the slot and secure the bracket.
  4. Replace the computer cover. Plug in the power cord.

Installing a Mezzanine Card

  1. Turn off the computer and unplug the power cord.
  2. Remove the computer cover.
  3. Align the PCIe connector on the mezzanine board with the connector and four plastic standoffs on the motherboard.
  4. Press the adapter until it is fully inserted into the MB connector and snaps into the four standoffs.
  5. Replace the computer cover. Plug in the power cord.

Attach the Network Cable

Copper Adapters:

For 10 Mbps networks, use Category 3, 4, or 5 Twisted Pair Ethernet (TPE) network cable.
For 100 or 1000 Mbps networks,and for any residential networks, use Category 5 (4 pair) cable.
For 10 Gbps networks, use Category 6, Category 6a, or Category 7 Ethernet cabling.

Fiber Adapters with SC Connector:

Remove and save the fiber optic connector cover. Insert a 1000Base-SX duplex type SC fiber optic connector into the TX/RX ports on the adapter bracket.

Fiber adapters with LC connector:

Remove and save the fiber optic connector cover. Insert an LC connector into the adapter, with correct cabling for your adapter. Conversion cables to other connector types (such as SC) may be used if the cabling matches the optical specifications of the adapter, including length limitations.

SFP+ Pluggable Optics:

Install the module and attach the cable according to the module manufacturer’s directions.

CX4 Connector:

Physical cabling must meet IEEE Std 802.3ak, Clause 54 specifications. The required cable connector is an MDI latch-type receptacle, as defined by IEC 61076-3-113.

Start your computer and follow the driver installation instructions below.

Install the Drivers

Microsoft* Windows* Operating Systems

NOTES:
  • Installing drivers requires administrator rights to the operating system.
  • See the System Requirements page in the Adapter Guide for supported operating systems.

The adapter will be detected as new hardware when Windows starts. To install the correct driver:

  1. Download the latest driver package from http://support.intel.com.
  2. If the Found New Hardware wizard starts, press the Cancel button.
  3. Start the Intel Network Connections autorun program from the driver package.
  4. Click the Install Drivers and Software button.

Linux*

To build a binary RPM* package of this driver, run 'rpmbuild -tb <filename.tar.gz>'. Replace <filename.tar.gz> with the specific file name of the driver.

NOTES:
  • For the build to work properly, the currently running kernel MUST match the version and configuration of the installed kernel sources. If you have just recompiled the kernel reboot the system now.
  • RPM functionality has been tested only in Red Hat distributions.
  1. Move the base driver tar file to the directory of your choice. For example, use '/home/username/e1000e' or '/usr/local/src/ixgb'.
  2. Untar/unzip the archive, where <x.x.x> is the version number for the driver tar file:
    tar zxf e1000e-<x.x.x>.tar.gz
  3. Change to the driver src directory, where <x.x.x> is the version number for the driver tar:
    cd e1000e-<x.x.x>/src/
  4. Compile the driver module:
    make install

    The binary will be installed as:

    /lib/modules/<kernel_version>/kernel/drivers/net/e1000e.o

    The install locations listed above are the default locations. They might not be correct for certain Linux distributions.

  5. Install the module:
    modprobe e1000e <parameter>=<value>
  6. Assign an IP address to the interface by entering the following, where <x> is the interface number:
    ifconfig eth<x> <IP_address>
  7. Verify that the interface works. Enter the following, where <IP_address> is the IP address for another machine on the same subnet as the interface that is being tested:
    ping <IP_address>

FreeBSD*

This driver has been developed for use with FreeBSD kernel, versions 4.8 and later.

NOTE: You must have kernel sources installed in order to compile the driver module.

In the instructions below, x.x.x is the driver version as indicated in the name of the driver tar file.

  1. Move the base driver tar file to the directory of your choice. For example, use /home/username/ixgb or /usr/local/src/ixgb.
  2. Untar/unzip the archive:
    tar xfz ixgb-x.x.x.tar.gz

    This will create an ixgb-x.x.x directory.

  3. To install man page:
    cd ixgb-x.x.x
    gzip -c ixgb.4 > /usr/share/man/man4/ixgb.4.gz
  4. To load the driver onto a running system, perform the following steps:
    cd ixgb-x.x.x
    make

    OR

    cd ixgb-x.x.x/src
    make load
  5. To assign an IP address to the interface, enter the following:
    ifconfig ixgb<interface_num> <IP_address>
  6. Verify that the interface works. Enter the following, where <IP_address>is the IP address for another machine on the same subnet as the interface that is being tested:
    ping <IP_address>
  7. If you want the driver to load automatically when the system is booted:
    cd ixgb-x.x.x/src
    make load
    cp if_ixgb.ko /modules

    Edit /boot/loader.conf, and add the following line:

    if_ixgb_load="YES"

    OR

    compile the driver into the kernel (see item 8). Edit /etc/rc.conf, and create the appropriate ifconfig_ixgb<interface_num> entry:

    ifconfig_ixgb<interface_num>="<ifconfig_settings>"

    Example usage:

    ifconfig_ixgb0="inet 192.168.10.1 netmask 255.255.255.0"
  8. If you want to compile the driver into the kernel, enter:
    cd ixgb-x.x.x/src
    mkdir /usr/src/sys/dev/ixgb
    cp if_ixgb* /usr/src/sys/dev/ixgb
    cp ixgb* /usr/src/sys/dev/ixgb
    cp Makefile.kernel /usr/src/sys/modules/ixgb/Makefile

    Edit the /usr/src/sys/conf/files.i386 file, and add the following line:

    dev/ixgb/ixgb_hw.c optional ixgb
    dev/ixgb/ixgb_ee.c optional ixgb
    dev/ixgb/if_ixgb.c optional ixgb

    Remove the following lines from the /usr/src/sys/conf/files.i386 file, if they exist:

    /dev/ixgb/if_ixgb_fx_hw.c optional ixgb
    /dev/ixgb/if_ixgb_phy.c optional ixgb

    Edit the kernel configuration file (i.e., GENERIC or MYKERNEL) in /usr/src/sys/i386/conf, and ensure the following line is present:

    device ixgb

    Compile and install the kernel. The system must be reboot for the kernel updates to take affect.

For additional information on compiling the kernel, consult the FreeBSD operating system documentation.

More Information

For more information, see the Adapter User Guide on the Intel support web site: http://www.intel.com/support.

*Legal Information