Functional
Description Supported
Operating Environments
Network
Link and Activity Indication
The Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet Controller connects a PCI, or PCI-X (BCM5701 and BCM5703), or PCI Express™ (BCM5751 and BCM5721) compliant server to a Gigabit Ethernet network. This network adapter incorporates a technology that transfers data at a maximum rate of 1 gigabit per second—10 times the rate of Fast Ethernet adapters.
The Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet Controller targets the increased congestion experienced at the backbone and server in today’s networks and provides a future upgrade path for servers that require more bandwidth than Fast Ethernet can provide.
Using the Broadcom teaming software, you can split your network into virtual LANs (VLANs) as well as to group multiple network adapters together into teams to provide network load balancing and fault tolerance functionality. See Teaming and Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services for detailed information about teaming. See Virtual LANs, for a description of VLANs. See Configuring Teaming for instructions on configuring teaming and creating VLANs on Windows, Linux, and NetWare operating systems.
The following is a list of the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter features for all supported operating systems:
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NOTE: The Dell hot-plug feature is Dell server-dependent. |
Wake on LAN (Magic Packet, Wake Up Frame, specific pattern) is supported at 10/100 Mbps operation only.
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NOTES:
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The adapter driver intelligently adjusts host interrupt frequency based on traffic conditions, to increase overall application throughput. When traffic is light, the adapter driver interrupts the host for each received packet, minimizing latency. When traffic is heavy, the adapter issues one host interrupt for multiple, back-to-back incoming packets, preserving host CPU cycles.
The PCI interface on Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet controllers contains two independent DMA channels for simultaneous read and write operations.
Compliant with PCI Local Bus Rev 2.3, the PCI interface on Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet controllers is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit PCI buses. As a bus master, the adapter requests access to the PCI bus, instead of waiting to be polled.
The core control for Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet controllers resides in a tightly integrated, high-performance ASIC. The ASIC includes a RISC processor. This provides the flexibility to add new features to the card and adapt it to future network requirements through software downloads. This also enables the controller drivers to exploit the built-in host offload functions on the controller as host operating systems are enhanced to take advantage of these functions.
Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 2 (BACS2), a component of the Broadcom teaming software, is an integrated utility that provides useful information about each network adapter that is installed in your server. The BACS2 utility also enables you to perform detailed tests, diagnostics, and analyses on each adapter, as well as to modify property values and view traffic statistics for each adapter. BACS2 is used on Windows operating systems to configure teaming and to add VLANs. See Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 2 for detailed information and instructions.
The Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX Gigabit Ethernet Controller has software support for the following operating systems:
The state of the network link and activity is indicated by the LEDs on the RJ-45 connector, as described in Table 1. Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 2 also provides information about the status of the network link and activity (see Vital Sign).
Table 1. RJ-45 10/100/1000 Ethernet LEDs
| LED | LED Appearance |
Network State |
|---|---|---|
| Link LED |
Off | No link (cable disconnected) |
| Solid color | Link | |
| Activity LED | Off | No network activity |
| Blinking | Network activity |