James Carlson wrote:
> Steven Stallion writes:
>   
>> Garrett D'Amore wrote:
>>     
>>> en_xxx set the bits used in 802.3u (MII) configuration.  Directly 
>>> setting the duplex and speed properties would be a subset of 
>>> functionality.  (Because using the en_xxx bits, you can offer to support 
>>> more than a single configuration ... e.g. you could offer to support 100 
>>> FDX *and* 10 FDX.)
>>>       
>> Okay, so lets say that en_10fdx_cap and en_100hdx_cap are set; does this 
>> affect negotiation? Is there a heuristic for choosing the correct cap?
>>     
>
> It's a strict priority defined by 802.3 section 28.2.3.3 and Annex
> 28B.3.  It has to be -- otherwise, there'd be no hope of
> interoperability when a pair of systems have two or more modes in
> common.
>
> For those two, 100Mbps half-duplex has higher priority than 10Mbps
> full-duplex.  In general, it's speed first, then duplex.
>
> As for "why," this is much better than bluntly disabling
> autonegotiation.  With autonegotiation disabled on just one side of
> the link (the common installation error case), the partner is forced
> to fall back to its lowest setting (10Mbps half-duplex), and nothing
> works.
>
> Better still, of course, is not to touch the fiddlin' bits.  ;-}
>   

Right, see 
http://gdamore.blogspot.com/2008/08/why-you-dont-want-to-force-link-modes.html 
for my most recent rant on this particular topic.

    -- Garrett

_______________________________________________
networking-discuss mailing list
[email protected]

Reply via email to