I answered this question on the last page.
Use drivers for the i226-LM (i226v server version)
Thanks. I had missed it. You had mentioned Server 2022 which is why I missed it or skipped over it previously. Apparently there were some architectural changes as 2022 drivers won't install under 2019. No idea how operationally similar they are.
Still switching though from i226-IT to i226-LM, I still experience the same issue with about the same frequency. Event Id 27 usually (but not always) along with an Event Id 22.
Event Id 27: "The description for Event ID 27 from source e2fexpress cannot be found..." (more in screen shot)
Event Id 22: "Media disconnected on NIC /DEVICE/{
<GUID>} (Friendly Name: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-LM #
x)."
Switching physical ports causes the problem to usually follow the port. Current port configuration is:
Port 0 - Exclusively Windows Server Hypervisor interface
Port 1 - Not used
Port 2 - LAN interface for VMs including OpnSense plus a few other very low traffic VMs
Port 3 - OpnSense WAN port to fiber ONT.
The screen shot is for the one recent error that corresponds to physical port 0. Every other Event Id 27 pertains to Port 2. When things previously using Port 1, or sharing Port 0 with the hypervisor, it'd usually show on that port.
I've also tried multiple different cables, both commercially manufactured CAT6 from different brands, as well as some hand crimped Cat5e patch cables that I've never had issues with. No change swapping between three different gigabit switches that also have previously been issue free.