NIC firmware update on ROMED8-2T failed?!

[philwo]

I have exactly the same problem, but with an ASRockRack E3C246D4I-2T board. I updated the firmware using the Intel NVM update tool and now only one of the two ports gets a link. I sent a mail to ASRock to request a firmware update that will restore the functionality, but they haven't replied yet (it's been 2 weeks now).

If you figure this out, please share your solution.

 

[Dolpa]

Hi @philwo ,

Now I'm waiting a response from Intel support. They have been working on this for 3 weeks.
I'll post here the solution.

 

[i386]

from ym perspective it is just an Intel NIC chip soldere to the mainboard, so theoretically it should just be able to flash it just like any other PCIe card/NIC

From my understanding a "nic chip" is not one, but multiple devices* with their own firmwares. Maybe asrack is using intel controller and some custom phy (that are different from retail intel add on cards) and that casues the problems?

*See this post on stackexchange: The SERDES/transceiver design inside the Ethernet MAC controller

Spoiler: pictures

From the i210 datasheet:


Implementation on a fpga:

 

[Dolpa]

Yes, the big mistake was that Asrock did not rewrite the firmware revision number to another different one, but left the original intel revision number and thus the official firmware update recognized it as an updatable NIC. Fail!
For example I have a Cisco branded Intel NIC too and that firmware revision number not matched to any Intel NIC firmware revision number.