Duplex problem

[Ad0]

I try to use robocfg to force the WAN interface to use 100 mbit full duplex. This is a requirement from the ISP. It negotiates to 100 mbit HALF duplex...

admin@RT-AC68U:/tmp/home/root# robocfg showports
Switch: enabled
Port 0: 100HD enabled stp: none vlan: 2 jumbo: off mac: 00:0a:41:65:84:3f
Port 1: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 14:fe:b5:a4:b0:c8
Port 2: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 3: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 4: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 8: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 2 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00

Once I try "robocfg port 0 media 100FD" the port 0 goes from 100HD to DOWN... No more wan connection, as the cable was never connected. I use the cable shipped with the RT-AC68U, and tried it locally with my laptop at 100FD, and it worked...

So is the router physically incapable of 100 mbitFD? that would be rather strange...

eth0: Broadcom BCM47XX 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet Controller 6.37.14.105 (r485445)

I use the latest merlin, resetted to factory defaults and all that.

 

[Calisro]

Im on latest merlin and it reporting 1000FD for port 0. also using AC68U.

 

[Ad0]

Im on latest merlin and it reporting 1000FD for port 0. also using AC68U.

Good to hear that you got lucky with your negotiation, but as I said, I need to adhere to 100MB full duplex which the remote interface is configured as, which means that I need to know how to force it.

 

[Calisro]

I was just answering your Q on the routers ability.

 

[Ad0]

I was just answering your Q on the routers ability.

I know that the router's ability is 10/100/1000 Mbps, but I wondered about it's ability to force a certain speed

 

[tsunami2311]

Force the nic on your pc to 100 FD, PC probaly automaticly set it to 100 FD, and the router will use 100 FD

System>devices>NIC>properties

 

[Ad0]

Force the nic on your pc to 100 FD, PC probaly automaticly set it to 100 FD, and the router will use 100 FD

System>devices>NIC>properties

Hi! The "other end" is the fiber -> ethernet adapter, and there is no way to change it. My NIC on my PC is connected to the LAN side of the router. I am asking for the WAN side of the router connected to this fiber -> ethernet adapter. It is me who has to force it on the WAN side.

 

[Calisro]

Just fyi, i tried forcing mine to 1000FD (which is what it already is) and I lost connectivity. Seems something amiss with robocfg tool or fw.

 

[Ad0]

Just fyi, i tried forcing mine to 1000FD (which is what it already is) and I lost connectivity. Seems something amiss with robocfg tool or fw.

Yes exactly. But would changing to something lie dd-wrt and tomato remedy the problem? That's the big question. I am in dire straits here because I have to move a server today and everything was supposed to be set up.

 

[Ad0]

robocfg.c header says "Broadcom BCM5325E/536x switch configuration utility". Maybe it just writes the wrong stuff to the wrong registers, which makes the link go in to fail mode?
I suspect so. where's mii-tool? I see the .c file in the merlin source...

https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/blob/master/release/src/router/utils/mii-tool.c

 

[Calisro]

I havent tried it but there is one in entware.

SUSWRT-Merlin RT-AC68U_3.0.0.4 Fri Jul 17 03:17:04 UTC 2015
t-ac68u: /tmp/home/root # opkg list | grep mii
et-tools-mii-tool - 1.60-3 - Program mii-tool from net-tools. Checks or sets the
status of a network interface's Media Independent Interface (MII) unit.

 

[Calisro]

No bueno:

t-ac68u: /tmp/home/root # mii-tool
IOCGMIIPHY on 'eth0' failed: Bad address
IOCGMIIPHY on 'eth1' failed: Operation not supported
IOCGMIIPHY on 'eth2' failed: Operation not supported
o MII interfaces found
t-ac68u: /tmp/home/root #

 

[RMerlin]

Try using Broadcom's own et tool instead.

usage: et [ [ -a | -i ] interface ] and one of:
    up
    down
    loop <0 or 1>
    dump
    clear_dump
    msglevel <bitvec> (error=1, trace=2, prhdr=4, prpkt=8)
    promisc <0 or 1>
    qos <0 or 1>
    speed <auto, 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full>
    port_status <0, 1, 2, 3, 4, all>
    sw_mctbl [<port <port#>] | [vid <vid#>]
    phyrd [<phyaddr>] <reg>
    phywr [<phyaddr>] <reg> <val>
    robord <page> <reg> [length] (length can be 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 bytes. Default length is 2 bytes)
    robowr <page> <reg> <val> [length] (length can be 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 bytes. Default length is 2 bytes)
    switch_mode <phy> <mode> (mode normal=0, auto=1, manual=2, both=3)
    pktc <0 or 1>
    pktcbnd <val>

 

[Ad0]

Try using Broadcom's own et tool instead.

usage: et [ [ -a | -i ] interface ] and one of:
    up
    down
    loop <0 or 1>
    dump
    clear_dump
    msglevel <bitvec> (error=1, trace=2, prhdr=4, prpkt=8)
    promisc <0 or 1>
    qos <0 or 1>
    speed <auto, 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full>
    port_status <0, 1, 2, 3, 4, all>
    sw_mctbl [<port <port#>] | [vid <vid#>]
    phyrd [<phyaddr>] <reg>
    phywr [<phyaddr>] <reg> <val>
    robord <page> <reg> [length] (length can be 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 bytes. Default length is 2 bytes)
    robowr <page> <reg> <val> [length] (length can be 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 bytes. Default length is 2 bytes)
    switch_mode <phy> <mode> (mode normal=0, auto=1, manual=2, both=3)
    pktc <0 or 1>
    pktcbnd <val>

Yes I tried this as well. Gave me an error which nobody else had

admin@RT-AC68U:/tmp/home/root# et -i eth0 speed 100full
etcspeed: Invalid argument

 

[Ad0]

Thanks for helping guys. My fear is that I need to get an Edgerouter Lite https://www.ubnt.com/edgemax/edgerouter-lite and set the asus as a "stupid" AP.

This is from the manual for the transciever MRV EM316F/S1:

"C. LIN does not operate in an “Auto Negotiation Environment”. All attached units must be set to Full Duplex and 100 Mega Bit Per Second for proper operation. LIN is continuously verifying the Link condition once the missing signal is back, the LIN will re-establish the entire link."

Wikipedia on 100 duplex:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duplex_mismatch

"When a device set to autonegotiation is connected to a device that is not using autonegotiation, the autonegotiation process fails. The autonegotiating end of the connection is still able to correctly detect the speed of the other end, but cannot correct the duplex mode. For backwards compatibility with Ethernet hubs, the standard requires the use of half duplex in these conditions. Therefore, the autonegotiating end of the connection uses half duplex while the non-negotiating peer is locked at full duplex, and this is a duplex mismatch."

 

[Ad0]

Bump! Firmware bug or hardware limitation?

 

[nord_musician]

My 68U under the latest merlin release is working with full gigabit speeds on both wan port and lan port 1, I haven't tried the rest of the ports since I'm using a gigabit switch.

 

[Calisro]

That isn't the ops question at all.

 

[Ad0]

I "Fixed" the problem by buying an Ubiquiti EdgeRoter Lite

 

[L&LD]

I "Fixed" the problem by buying an Ubiquiti EdgeRoter Lite

I'd love the play by play.