RE: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-04 Thread Steven M. Caesare 
This is true from a performance issue as well, not just reliability.

RealTek cards have notoriously had sucky buffer designs.

Yes... that's a technical term.

-sc

> -Original Message-
> From: Phil Brutsche [mailto:p...@optimumdata.com]
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 2:31 PM
> To: NT System Admin Issues
> Subject: Re: Realtek NIC issues
> 
> Did you try the latest driver from Fujitsu?
> 
> My experience is that the latest driver from RealTek doesn't always
> play
> nice.
> 
> You are correct in your assessment that RealTek ethernet controllers
> are
> of inferior quality. Cards with Intel and Broadcom controllers cost
> more, and this is a situation where you get what you pay for.
> 
> pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com wrote:
> > Hi all
> >
> > I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered
> this
> > issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with
> onboard
> > RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type.
> We've
> > been having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they
> > initialise, sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the
> > workstation and logging into Windows XP we get no network
> connectivity.
> > When powering down the workstations and powering them up again after
> > some time then the issue gets resolved. We also tried forcing the
> > network speed on our HP switch and the NIC card i.e. we set them to
> 100
> > FDx.
> > We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high
> humidty
> > affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use
> Broadcom
> > for their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think
> > that Realtek are inferior in quality.
> > Would appreciate any comments on this.
> 
> --
> 
> Phil Brutsche
> p...@optimumdata.com
> 
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-03 Thread Phil Brutsche 
Did you try the latest driver from Fujitsu?

My experience is that the latest driver from RealTek doesn't always play
nice.

You are correct in your assessment that RealTek ethernet controllers are
of inferior quality. Cards with Intel and Broadcom controllers cost
more, and this is a situation where you get what you pay for.

pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com wrote:
> Hi all
> 
> I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered this
> issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with onboard
> RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type. We've
> been having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they
> initialise, sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the
> workstation and logging into Windows XP we get no network connectivity.
> When powering down the workstations and powering them up again after
> some time then the issue gets resolved. We also tried forcing the
> network speed on our HP switch and the NIC card i.e. we set them to 100
> FDx.
> We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high humidty
> affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use Broadcom
> for their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think
> that Realtek are inferior in quality.
> Would appreciate any comments on this.

-- 

Phil Brutsche
p...@optimumdata.com

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-03 Thread John Aldrich 
Well, you'd have 'em when you needed 'em... besides, depending on the size
of the organization, it might be worth it... :-) Around here, we don't need
it, as I have a bunch of random NIC cards (apparently pulls from dead
machines -- they were here when I got here about 3 years ago) lying around.
Fortunately, I haven't needed to replace many NICs. :-)



-Original Message-
From: Joseph Heaton [mailto:jhea...@dfg.ca.gov] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:48 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: RE: Realtek NIC issues

By the gross?  Wow, that's a bunch of NIC swaps...

>>> "John Aldrich"  9/3/2009 7:32 AM >>>
Well, I've *generally* had no issues with Realtek based NICs before. That
being said, I've had a small handful of Realtek cards just refuse to work in
my 10 or so years in IT. As recently as yesterday, I had to replace a
Realtek-based NIC because the machine would not see the network after I
moved it up to another plant. Even hard-coding an IP address wouldn't work.
Finally after testing the network and replacing the patch cables, I replaced
the NIC and magically the machine saw the network. 

 

I'd say that you may have some bad NIC cards and should just try replacing
them. NIC cards are cheap. Get 'em by the gross and swap out as needed. J

 

John-AldrichTile-Tools

 

From: pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com 
[mailto:pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:17 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Realtek NIC issues

 

Hi all 

I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered this
issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with onboard
RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type. We've been
having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they initialise,
sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the workstation and
logging into Windows XP we get no network connectivity. When powering down
the workstations and powering them up again after some time then the issue
gets resolved. We also tried forcing the network speed on our HP switch and
the NIC card i.e. we set them to 100 FDx. 
We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high humidty
affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use Broadcom for
their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think that
Realtek are inferior in quality. 
Would appreciate any comments on this. 

Thanks 
Pierre 
  
  

 

 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.76/2343 - Release Date: 09/03/09
05:50:00


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.76/2343 - Release Date: 09/03/09
05:50:00

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-03 Thread Joseph Heaton 
By the gross?  Wow, that's a bunch of NIC swaps...

>>> "John Aldrich"  9/3/2009 7:32 AM >>>
Well, I've *generally* had no issues with Realtek based NICs before. That
being said, I've had a small handful of Realtek cards just refuse to work in
my 10 or so years in IT. As recently as yesterday, I had to replace a
Realtek-based NIC because the machine would not see the network after I
moved it up to another plant. Even hard-coding an IP address wouldn't work.
Finally after testing the network and replacing the patch cables, I replaced
the NIC and magically the machine saw the network. 

 

I'd say that you may have some bad NIC cards and should just try replacing
them. NIC cards are cheap. Get 'em by the gross and swap out as needed. J

 

John-AldrichTile-Tools

 

From: pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com 
[mailto:pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:17 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Realtek NIC issues

 

Hi all 

I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered this
issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with onboard
RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type. We've been
having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they initialise,
sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the workstation and
logging into Windows XP we get no network connectivity. When powering down
the workstations and powering them up again after some time then the issue
gets resolved. We also tried forcing the network speed on our HP switch and
the NIC card i.e. we set them to 100 FDx. 
We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high humidty
affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use Broadcom for
their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think that
Realtek are inferior in quality. 
Would appreciate any comments on this. 

Thanks 
Pierre 
  
  

 

 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.76/2343 - Release Date: 09/03/09
05:50:00


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-03 Thread Don Guyer 
I've used Realtek in the past and had no issues. Are you using the
latest drivers? If it's using a Microsoft driver, you may want to
download a Realtek driver and replace it.

 

Don Guyer

Systems Engineer - Information Services

Prudential, Fox & Roach/Trident Group

431 W. Lancaster Avenue

Devon, PA 19333

Direct: (610) 993-3299

Fax: (610) 650-5306

don.gu...@prufoxroach.com <mailto:don.gu...@prufoxroach.com> 

 

From: Kim Longenbaugh [mailto:k...@colonialsavings.com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:22 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: RE: Realtek NIC issues

 

No real solution for you, but maybe a shorter way to reinitialize the
nic.  You may have tried it already, but I've found that disabling the
nic, then re-enabling it will sometimes force a reinitialization.  When
that works, it saves a reboot.

 



From: pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com
[mailto:pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 9:17 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Realtek NIC issues

 

Hi all 

I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered this
issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with onboard
RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type. We've
been having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they
initialise, sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the
workstation and logging into Windows XP we get no network connectivity.
When powering down the workstations and powering them up again after
some time then the issue gets resolved. We also tried forcing the
network speed on our HP switch and the NIC card i.e. we set them to 100
FDx. 
We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high humidty
affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use Broadcom
for their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think
that Realtek are inferior in quality. 
Would appreciate any comments on this. 

Thanks 
Pierre 
  
  

 

 

 

 

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-03 Thread John Aldrich 
Well, I've *generally* had no issues with Realtek based NICs before. That
being said, I've had a small handful of Realtek cards just refuse to work in
my 10 or so years in IT. As recently as yesterday, I had to replace a
Realtek-based NIC because the machine would not see the network after I
moved it up to another plant. Even hard-coding an IP address wouldn't work.
Finally after testing the network and replacing the patch cables, I replaced
the NIC and magically the machine saw the network. 

 

I'd say that you may have some bad NIC cards and should just try replacing
them. NIC cards are cheap. Get 'em by the gross and swap out as needed. J

 

John-AldrichTile-Tools

 

From: pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com
[mailto:pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:17 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Realtek NIC issues

 

Hi all 

I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered this
issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with onboard
RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type. We've been
having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they initialise,
sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the workstation and
logging into Windows XP we get no network connectivity. When powering down
the workstations and powering them up again after some time then the issue
gets resolved. We also tried forcing the network speed on our HP switch and
the NIC card i.e. we set them to 100 FDx. 
We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high humidty
affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use Broadcom for
their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think that
Realtek are inferior in quality. 
Would appreciate any comments on this. 

Thanks 
Pierre 
  
  

 

 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.76/2343 - Release Date: 09/03/09
05:50:00


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~<><>

RE: Realtek NIC issues

2009-09-03 Thread Kim Longenbaugh 
No real solution for you, but maybe a shorter way to reinitialize the
nic.  You may have tried it already, but I've found that disabling the
nic, then re-enabling it will sometimes force a reinitialization.  When
that works, it saves a reboot.

 



From: pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com
[mailto:pierre.camill...@fosterclark.com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 9:17 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Realtek NIC issues

 

Hi all 

I thought of posting this here just in case someone has encountered this
issue before. We have a number of Fujitsu R570 workstations with onboard
RealTek NICs. These are RTL 8168DP/8111DP Family PCI-E GBE type. We've
been having intermittent issues with some of them. Sometimes they
initialise, sometimes they don't. Meaning that when powering up the
workstation and logging into Windows XP we get no network connectivity.
When powering down the workstations and powering them up again after
some time then the issue gets resolved. We also tried forcing the
network speed on our HP switch and the NIC card i.e. we set them to 100
FDx. 
We're finding these issues very strange. By any chance does high humidty
affect NICs? We've noted that Fujitsu in the past used to use Broadcom
for their on-board NICs. Now it seems they're using Realtek. I think
that Realtek are inferior in quality. 
Would appreciate any comments on this. 

Thanks 
Pierre 
  
  

 

 

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~