Bug #15354
closedInterface Throughput Limitation on Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for SFP Network Card
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Description
In the current stable version of pfSense, 2.7.2 CE, a significant limitation in interface throughput has been identified specifically on the Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for SFP network card. The observed maximum throughput is capped at 6.7 Gbit/s, which is significantly lower than the expected performance for this hardware. The primary suspect for this issue is the absence of the ice_ddp firmware, which is essential for optimizing interface performance.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Install pfSense 2.7.2 CE on hardware equipped with an Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for SFP network card.
- Configure network interfaces and settings.
- Attempt to achieve maximum throughput on the network interface.
- Observe that the maximum achievable throughput is limited to 6.7 Gbit/s.
Expected Behavior:
The interface should be capable of reaching its maximum throughput potential, which is consistent with the specifications of the Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for SFP network card.
Actual Behavior:
The interface throughput is capped at 6.7 Gbit/s, significantly lower than the expected performance.
Impact:
This limitation severely impacts the overall performance and efficiency of pfSense deployments using the Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C.
Root Cause Analysis:
Upon investigation, it has been found that the missing ice_ddp firmware, which is necessary for optimizing interface performance, is the primary culprit behind the observed limitation in throughput on the Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for the SFP network card as without this driver Interface fails into Safe mode. Which is explained here
Safe Mode ========= Safe Mode disables advanced and performance features, and supports only basic traffic and minimal functionality, such as updating the NVM or downloading a new driver or DDP package. Refer to the Intel(R) Ethernet Adapters and Devices User Guide for more details on DDP and Safe Mode.
Additional Information:
The limitation in interface throughput specifically affects deployments using the Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for SFP network card.
Testing on the same hardware with a different network card, such as the Intel X710BM-2SP, has shown that the expected throughput (9.8 Gbit/s) can be achieved, indicating that the issue is card-specific and likely related to missing firmware. Including ice_ddp_load="YES" in /boot/loader.conf.local doesn't affect performance or the missing driver error log.
Screenshot of DMESG Output
This issue was already discussed on the pfSense forum (Link: [[https://forum.netgate.com/topic/181959/pfsense-2-7-on-intel-xeon-d-17xx-soc-sfp28-working/18]]) where Netgate staff member stephenw10 suggested to open bug report ticket here.
Environment Details:
Network Card: Intel(R) Ethernet Connection E823-C for SFP (SOC) Part of the MB
CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) D-2733NT CPU @ 2.10GHz
RAM: 2x Samsung 8Gbit 3200Mh/z DDR4
MB: X12SDV-8C-SPT8F
Operating System: pfSense Version: 2.7.2 CE
Files
Related issues
Updated by Steve Wheeler 9 months ago
- Status changed from New to Duplicate
Updated by Steve Wheeler 9 months ago
- Related to Feature #15174: missing ice driver (Intel E810 series NIC) added