Newly acquired Chelsio T420-CR errors

[TooMuchData]

I got a Chelsio T420-CR from eBay yesterday. MPN is 110-1146-40. I don't have a second card yet, and don't have transcievers.

Since the seller accepts returns for only 14 days, I put the card in my Lenovo TS140 to see if it would be recognized. It was, so I defined two interfaces and rebooted. Now FN 11.1-U1 reports the following:

Jan 18 17:47:28 ts140 t4nex0: <Chelsio T420-CR> at device 0.4 on pci5
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: command 0x4 in mailbox 4 timed out
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: command 0x4 in mailbox 4 timed out
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: mbox: 04a0000000000001 0f41000000000000 0f41000004000000 10d0572e01f8ffff 00d0572e01f8ffff 0000000000000000 9816bfd603feffff 0081b34501f8ffff
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: mbox: 04a0000000000001 0f41000000000000 0f41000004000000 10d0572e01f8ffff 00d0572e01f8ffff 0000000000000000 9816bfd603feffff 0081b34501f8ffff
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: Firmware reports adapter error: During Device Preparation
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: Firmware reports adapter error: During Device Preparation
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: t4nex0: encountered fatal error, adapter stopped.
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: t4nex0: encountered fatal error, adapter stopped.
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: Firmware reports adapter error: During Device Preparation
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 kernel: Firmware reports adapter error: During Device Preparation
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 t4nex0: failed to connect to the firmware: 6, -1.
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 t4nex0: error during attach, adapter is now in recovery mode.
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 pci5: <mass storage, SCSI> at device 0.5 (no driver attached)
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 pci5: <serial bus, Fibre Channel> at device 0.6 (no driver attached)
Jan 18 17:47:29 ts140 pci5: <network, ethernet> at device 0.7 (no driver attached)

And, the system reports this once a minute.

Is this card bad? Does it need firmware to be loaded?

Thanks for your help.

 

[BigDave]

Is this card bad?

Possibly

Does it need firmware to be loaded?

It should just work without doing this, I would not attempt ^this^ as the seller might refuse the return/exchange, if you alter the FW.
You are at a disadvantage for troubleshooting with only one card and no transceivers/cables, BUT...
Can u install & test the card in another machine?
Can u boot another OS (Linux, Windows)?

 

[TooMuchData]

Thanks, BigDave.

I could probably boot Linux, but what will I accomplish with Linux that I cannot with FreeNAS/FreeBSD (where I eventually want the NIC to work anyway)?

Seems like I just eat this card until I get another and cables.

Since no one else has responded, I gather my experience is unusual. I was hoping that some one would reply "oh yeah, they work that way without transceivers."

 

[BigDave]

I could probably boot Linux, but what will I accomplish with Linux that I cannot with FreeNAS/FreeBSD

If the card works in another OS, then the card is good to keep until the rest of the hardware arrives.
If it fails in a similar fashion when tested elsewhere, return it for exchange/refund.

I was hoping that some one would reply "oh yeah, they work that way without transceivers."

I have a 10GB network here at my home and none of
my chelsio hardware has ever thrown errors like those you reported, sorry!
Do you mind me asking what you paid for the NIC? If so, just ignore the question.

 

[Nick2253]

I could probably boot Linux, but what will I accomplish with Linux that I cannot with FreeNAS/FreeBSD (where I eventually want the NIC to work anyway)?

Generally speaking, Linux/Windows driver support is significantly better than FreeBSD driver support. Corner cases in FreeBSD drivers may not be well tested. Testing in Windows/Linux (again, generally) provides a more robust driver to aid in troubleshooting physical hardware.

 

[TooMuchData]

Thanks again, Dave and Nick.

Dave, have you ever run FN without transceivers in a Chelsio (and got no errors)?

 

[BigDave]

Dave, have you ever run FN without transceivers in a Chelsio (and got no errors)?

I'm running some tests for you on some chelsio cards that are laying around, give me some time
and I'll post some log data soon.

 

[BigDave]

I rumaged around and came up with an old single port Chelsio T310 card that was installed without
a transceiver in the SPF+ port and shows no errors.

Code:

Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix0: <Intel(R) PRO/10GbE PCI-Express Network Driver, Version - 3.1.13-k> port 0xd020-0xd03f mem 0xdfd80000-0xdfdfffff,0xdfe04000-0xdfe07fff irq 16 at device 0.0 on pci3
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix0: Using MSIX interrupts with 3 vectors
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix0: Ethernet address: 00:1b:21:99:ce:e8
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix0: PCI Express Bus: Speed 5.0GT/s Width x4
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix1: <Intel(R) PRO/10GbE PCI-Express Network Driver, Version - 3.1.13-k> port 0xd000-0xd01f mem 0xdfd00000-0xdfd7ffff,0xdfe00000-0xdfe03fff irq 17 at device 0.1 on pci3
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix1: Using MSIX interrupts with 3 vectors
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix1: Ethernet address: 00:1b:21:99:ce:e9
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer ix1: PCI Express Bus: Speed 5.0GT/s Width x4
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgbc0: <Chelsio T310, 1 port> mem 0xdf081000-0xdf081fff,0xde800000-0xdeffffff,0xdf080000-0xdf080fff irq 16 at device 0.0 on pci4
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgbc0: PCIe x4 Link, expect reduced performance
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgbc0: using MSI-X interrupts (3 vectors)
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer kernel: found newer FW version(7.12), driver compiled for version 7.11
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer kernel: found newer FW version(7.12), driver compiled for version 7.11
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgb0: <Port 0 10GBASE-R> on cxgbc0
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgb0: Using defaults for TSO: 65518/35/2048
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgb0: Ethernet address: 00:07:43:06:08:c2
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer cxgbc0: Firmware Version 7.12.0
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb0: <Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection, Version - 2.5.3-k> port 0xc000-0xc01f mem 0xdf500000-0xdf57ffff,0xdf580000-0xdf583fff irq 16 at device 0.0 on pci5
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb0: Using MSIX interrupts with 3 vectors
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb0: Ethernet address: 0c:c4:7a:b6:29:d4
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb0: Bound queue 0 to cpu 0
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb0: Bound queue 1 to cpu 1
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb1: <Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection, Version - 2.5.3-k> port 0xb000-0xb01f mem 0xdf400000-0xdf47ffff,0xdf480000-0xdf483fff irq 17 at device 0.0 on pci6
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb1: Using MSIX interrupts with 3 vectors
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb1: Ethernet address: 0c:c4:7a:b6:29:d5
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb1: Bound queue 0 to cpu 0
Jan 19 17:46:44 dozer igb1: Bound queue 1 to cpu 1

Adding the card to the FreeNAS network configuration just lists it as no carrier.

I added another card, this one a Chelsio T4 dual port, no transceivers, no issues.

 

[TooMuchData]

Thanks for your help, Dave. That was very helpful to run those tests.

I think my card should go back.

 

[BigDave]

I think my card should go back.

I agree.

 

[TooMuchData]

And, so does the seller.

Thanks for all your help, BigDave.

 

[BigDave]

Happy to help out :)

 

[Donny Davis]

I have FN Transceivers in my T420 and it works without issue.