Question : Slow Connections with Broadcom Netxtreme NIC

I have several d330 HP desktops with Broadcom Netextreme Gigabit NICs. I have upgraded the switches they connect to - they are Netgear GSM7248 managed switches (10/100/1000). These machines are now running really slow and have difficutly connecting to the DHCP server. Copying a 30mb file would take around 25 minutes. However on other PCs that dont have these cards speed is good. Copying a 30mb file takes around 10 seconds ! Why is this happening ? I have checked the port config for the switch and changed the from Auto to 100Mbps but to no avail. One PC I have upgraded the NIC driver and this solved it. Is it as simple as this ? The driver that came with the machine is incompatible with gigabit switch ? If so it is hard to believe. Thanks in advance.

Answer : Slow Connections with Broadcom Netxtreme NIC

Auto-negotiate problems with NICs is very common. Most network administrators will have come across them at one time or another. Updating the drivers is the usual fix to see whether that resolves the problems.

Those HP machines could have been with the supplier many months. Manufacturing may have built the machines weeks ago then they were shipped by sea to your location.

What I do with the machines from any of the big suppliers is take them out of the box and put a Windows disk in. They are wiped and rebuilt. I just don't trust the default built they are supplied with to be up to date and not bloated with software I don't need. By rebuilding them I can ensure that they are up to date, latest drivers and BIOS, with just the things that the user needs.

That policy has served me well for many years and I have no intention of changing it now.

Simon.