Review Request: HP Flex IO 10Gbit module

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reasonsandreasons

reasonsandreasons

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May 16, 2022
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It's not cheap, but the previous option for getting 10G into one of those units was a pricey and difficult-to-obtain Thunderbolt 3 FlexIO card and a $150-and-up Thunderbolt NIC.
 
Patrick

Patrick

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Ordered. Longer delivery time though and out of stock everywhere.
 
Patrick

Patrick

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Just arrived. Bryan and I will work on this Friday when we do the Elite Mini 800 piece.
 
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Navy_BOFH

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Aug 2, 2013
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JUST as I bought 3x of the 2.5G FlexIO modules... I see this. However, I am setting up a trio of EliteDesk Mini 800 G6's as you've previously reviewed. I wonder if this will work in the G6 as well or I just need to patiently wait for G9's to become surplus.
 
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ajwhitney

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Jun 18, 2023
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To close the loop on this, the 10gbps FlexIO module 56Q71AA works fine in an HP EliteDesk Mini G6 (10700T 35W model). I was also wondering whether it would work and I couldn't find anything definitive online so I bit the bullet and bought one in the hopes that it would work. It was an easy fit as one would expect. It came with extra long screws as it has a heatsink that the screws need to reach through. I'm getting full 10gbps speeds and the cooling system in the unit seems to handle whatever extra heat load there is without spinning up the fans more than with the USB module that this replaced. I run Proxmox (7.4) on that box and the adapter was recognized without any fuss. The 2.5gbps module is clearly the better value (~$25) but if you need/want 10gbps and are willing to spend the extra (the one I found was ~$135) then I can recommend it for a G6.
 
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Navy_BOFH

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Aug 2, 2013
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ajwhitney said:
To close the loop on this, the 10gbps FlexIO module 56Q71AA works fine in an HP EliteDesk Mini G6 (10700T 35W model). I was also wondering whether it would work and I couldn't find anything definitive online so I bit the bullet and bought one in the hopes that it would work. It was an easy fit as one would expect. It came with extra long screws as it has a heatsink that the screws need to reach through. I'm getting full 10gbps speeds and the cooling system in the unit seems to handle whatever extra heat load there is without spinning up the fans more than with the USB module that this replaced. I run Proxmox (7.4) on that box and the adapter was recognized without any fuss. The 2.5gbps module is clearly the better value (~$25) but if you need/want 10gbps and are willing to spend the extra (the one I found was ~$135) then I can recommend it for a G6.
Click to expand...
Found the same on my 10500T that I just listed for sale here.
Module now lives in my Z2 Mini G5 that has Proxmox 7.4 as well - this just rekindled my love for HP gear again, even if its a slightly abusive relationship!
 
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legit

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Dec 24, 2021
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I’m having trouble with this in my Elitedesk 800 G6 SFF. The receptacle on the motherboard has one socket (which previously came with a DisplayPort adapter) while the 10gb card has two connectors. It seems to not be able to mate correctly on my board. Does everyone else have the two ports?

Edit: looks like it's not compatible with an SFF form factor that only has one port (of the two required for this type of Flex IO v2 module). Looks like I'll have to give up a PCIE slot for 10gb and find another device to use this module with.
 
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John T Davis

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Nov 19, 2022
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What's the operating temperature range on these?

I installed it in an HP EliteMini G9 600 running Proxmox 8.2, where it idled at 46 C without being attached to a VMBR.
Once attached to a VMBR, it took about two minutes to climb up to 68 C and sit there, and as I type this, it's trying very hard to get to 69-70 C.

I'm not hearing the fan speed change at all, and ACQ NIC spec sheets are confusing.
(See page 21.)

If I'm reading this right, I'm fine (scroll down to the Flex IO 10 Gbps NIC):
Operating Temperature 32° to 226° F (0° to 108° C)
Click to expand...
 
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bribau

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May 11, 2024
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I'm havinging some issues with the 10gbase-t adapter 56Q71AA not allowing me to boot and would like to know if anyone else has had this problem:

I have two of the 56Q71AA and they work great in my 800 G6 machinees. I have a pair of 800 G9 machines where the adapter worked for the first few boots, but at some point it will trigger a DMA Protection warning and refuse to boot even to BIOS unless I unplug the network cable from the 56Q71AA or remove the adapter completely. I disabled DMA Protection and still couldn't boot with the adapter installed. Both adapters still work fine in my G6 but not the G9s.

HP support was not helpful and instructed me to return the machines to the point of purchase (in my case that's eBay), even though one is still under warranty.

One machine I updated BIOS to the latest (2.13.0 if I'm remembering), and the other is unfortunately locked so I can't examine the settings.

It's not a total waste since I could use them in my G6 machines, but I purchased them for my G9 machines.
 
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louie1961

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May 15, 2023
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bribau said:
I'm having some issues with the 10gbase-t adapter 56Q71AA not allowing me to boot and would like to know if anyone else has had this problem
Click to expand...
Must be a windows issue. I have one of these adapters in my 800 G9 machine running Proxmox and it works fine. I know that's not a lot of help but at least you know where to look I guess.
 
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John T Davis

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Nov 19, 2022
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bribau said:
I'm havinging some issues with the 10gbase-t adapter 56Q71AA not allowing me to boot and would like to know if anyone else has had this problem:

I have two of the 56Q71AA and they work great in my 800 G6 machinees. I have a pair of 800 G9 machines where the adapter worked for the first few boots, but at some point it will trigger a DMA Protection warning and refuse to boot even to BIOS unless I unplug the network cable from the 56Q71AA or remove the adapter completely. I disabled DMA Protection and still couldn't boot with the adapter installed. Both adapters still work fine in my G6 but not the G9s.

HP support was not helpful and instructed me to return the machines to the point of purchase (in my case that's eBay), even though one is still under warranty.

One machine I updated BIOS to the latest (2.13.0 if I'm remembering), and the other is unfortunately locked so I can't examine the settings.

It's not a total waste since I could use them in my G6 machines, but I purchased them for my G9 machines.
Click to expand...
My G9 did the same thing. This is expected behavior. There's nothing wrong with your adapter. :) This is just not well documented, and for some reason HP's own official adapter triggers the default DMA protection. It's bizarre.

The DMA protection will only trigger when an RJ-45 cable is plugged in on boot. Get into the BIOS, go to either Advanced or Security (I can't remember exactly where it is), and look for the DMA Protection feature.
Either disable it or set it to Thunderbolt only.

I need to get into my BIOS this weekend. I'll figure out exactly where the setting is and pop back here and update the thread.
 
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bribau

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May 11, 2024
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John T Davis said:
My G9 did the same thing. This is expected behavior. There's nothing wrong with your adapter. :) This is just not well documented, and for some reason HP's own official adapter triggers the default DMA protection. It's bizarre.

The DMA protection will only trigger when an RJ-45 cable is plugged in on boot. Get into the BIOS, go to either Advanced or Security (I can't remember exactly where it is), and look for the DMA Protection feature.
Either disable it or set it to Thunderbolt only.
Click to expand...
Thanks for letting me know it's not just me.

I thought I had tried disabling the DMA and ended up just getting a black screen, but I was getting impatient at that point. I'll give it another go later today.
 
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John T Davis

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Nov 19, 2022
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bribau said:
Thanks for letting me know it's not just me.

I thought I had tried disabling the DMA and ended up just getting a black screen, but I was getting impatient at that point. I'll give it another go later today.
Click to expand...
I wanted to add: I've never tried disabling the DMA completely. I've always set it to "Thunderbolt Only."

I don't have a Thunderbolt port installed, so it's effectively off anyway, and any other part of the BIOS that would otherwise complain will see it as "on."
 
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John T Davis

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Nov 19, 2022
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bribau said:
I plugged it back in this morning and DMA was already turned off. It worked immediately without complaint!
Click to expand...
Awesome!

One thing that confused me, for anyone who finds this thread later:
The DMA protection only keeps it from booting.

If you have full PCIe DMA protection on, boot the system without the RJ-45 cable plugged into the 10GbE port, and then plug the cable in once it's booted, it won't complain. But if you try to boot with the BIOS configured that way and the RJ-45 cable plugged in, it fails with a DMA protection message. Using the 10GbE port after boot doesn't trigger the DMA protection, either.

Maybe it's supposed to be up to the OS to monitor for bad DMA behavior after boot, and it's smart enough to know the 10GbE adapter isn't a problem? I'm not sure, but it made initial troubleshooting harder than it needed to be.
 
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John T Davis

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Nov 19, 2022
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Does anyone know if it's possible/how to source the ventiated top cover as a replacement part? @Patrick 's G9 800 had one, and I've seen some G9 600s with it as well.

I'd like to replace my top cover, particularly as it has a dent in it that makes it tricky to get on and off, but also because I've upgraded to an i7-12700T after watching Patrick's review, and would like it to be able to get a bit more fresh air.
 
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