Force LAN 1 to 1000FD?

[Alnico]

I just loaded up Asuswrt-Merlin on my RT-AC87U; and have to say, first, I love the 'Stealth Mode (disable all LEDs) function. I actually called ASUS support about this the day after I opened my device because I didn't want to cut lithographers tape to fit over the LEDs like I have other, flat faced devices. Now onto my question:

How can I force LAN 1 to 1000FD? I have it attached to different vendors switch which cannot be forced, and the two are not auto-negotiating well; sometimes 10FD, sometimes 100FD, never 1000FD, although both ends are capable of 1000FD /w jumbo frames. Other device is TP-Link SG1008D; has no configuration interface.

 

[mstombs]

FWIW I have one of those 8-port unmanaged gigabit switches on an N66 lan port, it correctly auto negotiates as 1000FD, you can check with

admin@RT-N66U:/tmp/home/root# robocfg show
Switch: enabled gigabit
Port 0: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 2 jumbo: off mac: 00:01:5c:...
Port 1: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:13:10:...
Port 2:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:...
Port 3:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:...
Port 4: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 90:fb:a6:...
Port 8: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: b8:ca:3a:...
VLANs: BCM53115 enabled mac_check mac_hash
   1: vlan1: 1 2 3 4 8t
   2: vlan2: 0 8u

[Tomato Shibby has a web gui display of this]

I do not use jumbo frames.

It is wrong to try to force a device to connect at higher speed than auto, so may not be possible, but other things can be configured using the robocfg command. I recommend try a better quality patch cable first.

 

[sfx2000]

If you can avoid LAN1 on the 87U, you'll be much better off - that port is controlled by the QTN chipset working thru a Realtek ethernet chip, and it's one that if left alone, perhaps all the better...

 

[Alnico]

My experience with managed enterprise switches tells me that it's not uncommon for testing and/or when resolving issues between switch vendors, to give a go at fixing the port speed and duplex settings, between switches. It's a reasonable test. I wonder if robocfg gives options to stick them on this model; and I'll have to figure out how to telenet/ssh into the device to check that out. I've sent TP-Link a support request as well, because I see they've rev'd the switch from 5.1 to 6 and this link failure could be a good portion of the reason. I note that anytime the switch initiates negotiation, 10FD is achieved; but if I restart the router letting it initiate, 100FD is the speed. One or the other is problematic; at least. Sticking one may allow the other to negotiate better; and since the TP-Link us completely unmanageable; options are limited.

I'll also give a different port a try, since 1-3 are in use, I'll swap to using the last port; and give it whirl.

 

[Alnico]

If you can avoid LAN1 on the 87U, you'll be much better off - that port is controlled by the QTN chipset working thru a Realtek ethernet chip, and it's one that if left alone, perhaps all the better...

No love there; I gave it a whirl; still didn't step up its game. But, I'll keep my switch hung off of last last port, if that execution pathway is better.

 

[Alnico]

Oddly, robocfg's listing differs from web interface; such as these two, taken without moving devices around:

robocfg show
Switch: enabled
Port 0: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 2 jumbo: on mac: 68:ef:bd:ef:cc:d9
Port 1: 100FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 9c:ad:ef:21:a2:58
Port 2: 100FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:18:61:05:e7:15
Port 3: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:18:61:05:e7:15
Port 4: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 8: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00

Port VLAN Link State Last Device Seen
WAN 2 1000 Full Duplex 68:EF:BD:EF:CC9
LAN 4 1 100 Full Duplex 9C:AD:EF:21:A2:58
LAN 3 1 100 Full Duplex *
LAN 2 1 Down *
LAN 1 1 100 Full Duplex <unknown>

 

[sfx2000]

Oddly, robocfg's listing differs from web interface; such as these two, taken without moving devices around:

robocfg show
Switch: enabled
Port 0: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 2 jumbo: on mac: 68:ef:bd:ef:cc:d9
Port 1: 100FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 9c:ad:ef:21:a2:58
Port 2: 100FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:18:61:05:e7:15
Port 3: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:18:61:05:e7:15
Port 4: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 8: DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: on mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00

Port VLAN Link State Last Device Seen
WAN 2 1000 Full Duplex 68:EF:BD:EF:CC9
LAN 4 1 100 Full Duplex 9C:AD:EF:21:A2:58
LAN 3 1 100 Full Duplex *
LAN 2 1 Down *
LAN 1 1 100 Full Duplex <unknown>

 

[Nullity]

Isn't part of the GbE spec that autonegotiation is mandatory? Does this mean forcing is impossible?



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonegotiation

 

[sfx2000]

Isn't part of the GbE spec that autonegotiation is mandatory? Does this mean forcing is impossible?

perhaps unpredictable?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Isn't part of the GbE spec that autonegotiation is mandatory? Does this mean forcing is impossible?

Yes auto negotiation is mandatory for 1000BASE-T.

28D.5 Extensions required for Clause 40 (1000BASE-T)

Clause 40 (1000BASE-T) makes special use of Auto-Negotiation and requires additional MII registers. This use is summarized below. Details are provided in 40.5.

a) Auto-Negotiation is mandatory for 1000BASE-T (see 40.5.1).
b) 1000BASE-T requires an ordered exchange of next page messages (see 40.5.1.2), or optionally an exchange of an extended next page message
c) 1000BASE-T parameters are configured based on information provided by the exchange of next page messages.
d) 1000BASE-T uses MASTER and SLAVE to define PHY operations and to facilitate the timing of transmit and receive operations. Auto-Negotiation is used to provide information used to configure MASTER-SLAVE status (see 40.5.2).
e) 1000BASE-T transmits and receives next pages for exchange of information related to MASTERSLAVE operation. The information is specified in MII registers 9 and 10 (see 32.5.2 and 40.5.1.1), which are required in addition to registers 0-8 as defined in 28.2.4.
f) 1000BASE-T adds new message codes to be transmitted during Auto-Negotiation (see 40.5.1.3).
g) 1000BASE-T adds 1000BASE-T full duplex and half duplex capabilities to the priority resolution table (see 28B.3) and MII Extended Status Register (see 22.2.2.4).
h) 1000BASE-T is defined as a valid value for “x” in 28.3.1 (e.g., link_status_1GigT.) 1GigT represents that the 1000BASE-T PMA is the signal source.
i) 1000BASE-T supports Asymmetric Pause as defined in Annex 28B.

But I guess that might allow a managed switch to be configured such that it isn't allowed to negotiate a slower speed with the other end, compared to say, setting a switch port to 100FD which just blindly sets it without informing the other end.

Vendor interoperability is usually the main issue. But as sfx2000 points out, LAN port 1 is provided by a different chipset than the other ports, so...

 

[Alnico]

Root Cause: Substandard cable or equipment interference; thought I tested that the other night, but I was getting bug-eyed. Running a new cable outside of the normal path, 1000FD 1-4; but I'll stick to using LAN 4, until I feel like setting up link aggregation to support a faster iSCSI target.

 

[ScheissSchiesser]

Root Cause: Substandard cable or equipment interference; thought I tested that the other night, but I was getting bug-eyed. Running a new cable outside of the normal path, 1000FD 1-4; but I'll stick to using LAN 4, until I feel like setting up link aggregation to support a faster iSCSI target.

I found this thread three times in searching for the cause of my asus N66u (in AP mode) router's inability to negotiate a link speed >100HD to a TP-Link 8 port unmanaged switch. I ignored your solution thinking "my cable is fine." After a few hours of trying different software-related fixes, I tried a different cable...lo and behold, setting the link speed to "auto" on port 4 has me negotiated to 1000FD with the switch. THANK YOU.

Side note: I had my employer buy me a brand new docking station, thinking that the laptop was having issues