topic Re: Command output verify in Operating System - Linux

Command output verify

Mahamudul Hassan — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:49:13 GMT

In one of our linux server (HP Blade c7000 enclosure) we have found the following two command outputs which are contradictory.

[root@bldhkvpms ~]# ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
Supported ports: [ FIBRE ]
Supported link modes: 1000baseT/Full
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised link modes: 1000baseT/Full
Advertised auto-negotiation: No
Speed: 1000Mb/s
Duplex: Full
Port: FIBRE
PHYAD: 2
Transceiver: internal
Auto-negotiation: on
Supports Wake-on: g
Wake-on: g
Link detected: yes

[root@bldhkvpms ~]# mii-tool
eth0: negotiated 10baseT-HD, link ok

Can any one please verify which tool we should rely?

Thanks
M.Hassan

Re: Command output verify

Matti_Kurkela — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:30:42 GMT

The API used by "mii-tool" was designed for 100 Mbit NICs and cannot really handle gigabit NICs. With gigabit NICs, "mii-tool" is obsolete and does not always return accurate information.

The "ethtool" command uses a newer API that is independent of hardware types.

You should always prefer ethtool over mii-tool. Mii-tool should be used *only* if ethtool does not work with your NIC *and* your NIC has a maximum speed of 100 Mbit or slower.

The "mii-tool" is included in current Linux distributions only because there are still some 100 Mbit NIC drivers which haven't been upgraded to provide the newer ethtool API.

Drivers with ethtool API usually will provide link state notification with the legacy mii-tool API too, but it should be regarded as link up/down notification only, because the old mii-tool API cannot correctly express all possible link speeds.

MK

Re: Command output verify

Michal Kapalka (mikap) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:56:17 GMT

hi,

the explanation from Matti is great.

More articles could be found :

http://ashterix.blogspot.com/2006/05/mii-tool-vs-ethtool.html

http://serverfault.com/questions/25841/which-tool-should-i-trust-mii-tool-and-ethtool-dont-show-me-the-same-values

mikap