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6/19/24, 8:09 Advanced Settings for Intel® Ethernet Adapters
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Advanced Settings for Intel® Ethernet Adapters
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Content Type Install & Setup
Article ID 000005593
Last Reviewed 11/01/2021
For additional information on Microsoft Hyper-V virtual
NICs on teams and VLANs, refer to the Microsoft*
Windows* Driver and Software Installation and
Configuration section in the Adapter User Guide for Intel®
Note Ethernet Adapters
Intel® PROSet for Windows* Device Manager is a selectable component when you install generic
driver and software packages from the Download Center .
Intel® Advanced Network Services (Intel® ANS) isn't
Note
supported on In-box drivers.
Intel® PROSet for Windows Device Manager includes an Advanced tab with Settings options and
definitions:
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6/19/24, 8:09 AM
Feedback Advanced Settings for Intel® Ethernet Adapters
If a configuration setting is not displayed, it's not available for your device or for your Windows*
version.
Most advanced configuration settings and definitions are described in the table below. For the
latest settings information, go to the Advanced tab in Intel PROSET for Windows Device
Manager.
Decides whether the adapter or link partner is designated as the master.
The other device is designated as the slave.
Changing the setting can improve link quality with certain link partners.
Some multi-port devices can be forced to master mode. If
Gigabit master
slave mode Caution forced to master mode, the device can either disconnect or
downshift to a 100-Mbps link. The issue can also occur in a
Forced Slave to Forced Slave mode. Changing this setting can
cause a momentary loss of connectivity.
Enables or disables Jumbo frame capability. If large packets make up the
majority of traffic and more latency can be tolerated, Jumbo frames can
reduce CPU utilization and improve wire efficiency.
Jumbo frames are larger than standard Ethernet frames, which are 1.5k in
size.
Usage considerations
Enable Jumbo frames only if devices across the network support
them and are configured to use the same frame size. When setting
Jumbo frames up Jumbo Frames on other network devices, be aware that different
( jumbo packets) network devices calculate Jumbo Frame sizes differently. Some
devices include the header information in the frame size while
others do not. Intel® adapters do not include header information in
the frame size.
Jumbo frames only support TCP/IP.
Using Jumbo frames at 10 or 100 Mbps can result in poor
performance or loss of link.
When configuring Jumbo frames on a switch, set the frame size 4
bytes higher for CRC, plus 4 bytes if using VLANs or QoS packet
tagging.
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Enables the adapter to offload the task of segmenting TCP messages into
6/19/24, 8:09 AM valid Ethernet frames.
Advanced Settings for Intel® Ethernet Adapters
Because the adapter hardware can complete data segmentation faster
than operating system software, this feature can improve transmission
Large send performance. The adapter also uses fewer CPU resources.
offload You can configure Large Send Offload separately for IPv4 and IPv6.
For adapters to benefit from this feature, link partners must
Note
support flow control frames.
The Locally Administered Address replaces the MAC address
Caution
for this network adapter. Make sure no other systems on the
network use this address.
The virtual address doesn't change the burned-in (physical) address on
the adapter.
To enter a new network address, type a 12-digit hexadecimal number in
Locally the Value box.
administered
address Range 0000 0000 0001 - FEFF FFFF FFFF
Feedback
Usage considerations
Do not use a multicast address (least significant bit of the high
megabyte = 1). For example, in the address 0Y123456789A, Y
cannot be an odd number. Y must be 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, A, C, or E.
Do not use all 0s or all Fs.
To restore the default MAC address, delete the address in the Value
field or click Use Default, and then click OK.
Enables the logging of the following link state changes to the system
event log.
LINK_UP_CHANGE
When this message is displayed, the link is up.
Log link state LINK_DOWN_CHANGE
event When this message is displayed, the link is down. To investigate the issue,
click the Link Speed tab and run diagnostics.
LINK_DUPLEX_MISMATCH
This message signifies a mismatch in duplex between the adapter and the
link partner. To investigate this issue, click the Link Speed tab and change
the speed and duplex settings appropriately.
Compensates for excessive Ethernet packet collisions by controlling back-
Performance to-back timing.
options - When this feature is enabled, the network adapter dynamically adapts to
Adaptive inter- network traffic conditions. The default setting works best for most
frame spacing computers and networks. In rare situations, you get better performance
by changing this setting.
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Enables adapters to generate or respond to flow control frames, which
6/19/24, 8:09 AM help regulate network traffic.
Advanced Settings for Intel® Ethernet Adapters
Options Off
The adapter cannot send or receive flow control frames.
Respond
The adapter pauses transmission when it receives a flow
control frame from a link partner.
Performance
options - Flow Generate
control The adapter generates a flow control frame when its receive
queue reaches a pre-defined limit.
Generate and respond
The adapter generates and responds to flow control frames.
For adapters to benefit from this feature, link partners must
Note
support flow control frames.
Sets the Interrupt Throttle Rate (ITR), the rate at which the controller
moderates interrupts.
The default setting is optimized for common configurations. Changing this
Feedback
setting can improve network performance on certain network and system
configurations.
Options Adaptive (ITR = -1, no interrupts/sec, it is dynamically changed
by the driver)
Off (ITR = 0, no limit)
Minimal (ITR = 200)
Low (ITR = 400)
Performance
options - Medium (ITR = 950)
Interrupt High (ITR = 2000)
moderation rate
Extreme (ITR = 3600)
When an event occurs, the adapter generates an interrupt, which allows
the driver to handle the packet. At greater link speeds, more interrupts are
created, and CPU rates also increase. This results in poor system
performance. When you use a higher ITR setting, the interrupt rate is
lower, and the result is better system performance.
A higher ITR also means the driver has more latency in handling
packets. If the adapter is handling many small packets, lower the
Note
ITR so the driver is more responsive to incoming and outgoing
packets.
Sets the number of buffers used by the driver when copying data to the
Performance protocol memory. Increasing this value can enhance the receive
options - Receive performance, but also consumes system memory.
Descriptors
or Receive Descriptors are data segments that enable the adapter to allocate
Receive buffers received packets to memory. Each received packet requires one Receive
Descriptor, and each descriptor uses 2 KB of memory.
Defines the number of Transmit Descriptors. Transmit Descriptors are
data segments that enable the adapter to track transmit packets in the
Performance system memory. Depending on the size of the packet, each transmit
options - packet requires one or more Transmit Descriptors.
Transmit
Descriptors You might choose to increase the number of Transmit Descriptors if you
or notice a problem with transmit performance. Increasing the number of
Transmit buffers Transmit Descriptors can enhance transmit performance. But, Transmit
Descriptors consume system memory. If transmit performance is not an
issue, use the default setting.
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Enables sending and receiving of IEEE 802.3ac tagged frames, which
6/19/24, 8:09 AM include Advanced Settings for Intel® Ethernet Adapters
802.1p QoS (Quality of Service) tags for priority-tagged packets
802.1Q tags for VLANs
QoS packet
tagging Intel® PROSet automatically enables 802.1p tagging when you set up a
or VLAN. You cannot disable QoS Packet Tagging on a VLAN because tagging
Priority & VLAN is required for VLANs.
When this feature is enabled, tagged packets use the queue settings
defined by the operating system Priority Level Definition.
When this setting is disabled, the adapter cannot tag outgoing packets
with 802.1p/802.1Q tags.
Enables Receive Side Scaling (RSS). RSS balances receive traffic across
multiple CPUs or CPU cores. This setting has no effect if your system has
only one processing unit.
You must enable RSS for Intel® I/O Acceleration Technology
to function under Microsoft* Windows Server* 2003.
Some adapters configured to use Virtual Machine Queues
Notes (VMQ) don't support RSS. For these adapters, VMQ takes
Feedback
precedence over RSS. RSS is disabled.
Changing this setting can cause a momentary loss of
Receive Side connectivity.
Scaling
Teaming Notes:
If RSS is not enabled for all adapters in a team, RSS is disabled for
the team.
If an adapter that doesn't support RSS is added to a team, RSS is
disabled for the team.
If a third-party adapter is added to a team, its RSS settings must
match the Intel® adapters in the team.
Not all adapters support all RSS queue settings.
Configures the number of RSS queues:
One queue is used when low CPU utilization is required.
Two queues are used when good throughput and low CPU utilization
are required.
Four or more queues are used for applications that demand high
transaction rates such as web server based applications. With this
setting, the CPU utilization may be higher.
Receive Side
Scaling queues Not all adapters support all RSS queue settings.
RSS is not supported on some adapters configured to use
Virtual Machine Queues (VMQ). For these adapters VMQ
takes precedence over RSS. RSS is disabled.
Notes Using eight or more queues on Microsoft Windows Server*
2008 requires the system to reboot.
Changing this setting may cause a momentary loss of
connectivity.
Enables the adapter to verify the IP checksum on received packets and
compute checksum on transmitted packets. Enabling this feature can
TCP/IP offloading
improve IP performance and reduce CPU utilization.
options - IPv4
checksum Changing this setting may cause a momentary loss of
offload Note
connectivity.
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Enables the adapter to verify the TCP checksum on received packets and
6/19/24, 8:09 AM compute checksum on transmitted
Advanced packets.
Settings for Intel®Enabling
Ethernetthis feature can
Adapters
TCP/IP offloading improve TCP performance and reduce CPU utilization.
options - TCP Can be configured separately for IPv4 and IPv6.
checksum
offload Changing this setting may cause a momentary loss of
Note
connectivity.
TCP/IP offloading Allows the adapter to compute the IP checksum of transmitted packets.
options - Offload This feature can improve IP transmit performance and reduce CPU
transmit IP utilization. With Offloading disabled, the operating system verifies the IP
checksum checksum.
TCP/IP offloading Enables the adapter to verify the UDP checksum on received packets and
options - UDP compute checksum on transmitted packets. Enabling this feature can
checksum improve UDP performance and reduce CPU utilization.
offload Can be configured separately for IPv4 and IPv6.
Decides if the driver waits for Auto Negotiation to be successful before
reporting the link state.
Feedback
Options Off: Driver does not wait for Auto Negotiation
On: Driver does wait for Auto Negotiation. If the speed is not
set to Auto Negotiation, the driver waits for a short time for link
to complete and then reports the link state.
Auto detect: Automatically set to On or Off depending on
Wait for link
speed and adapter type when the driver is installed.
Off for copper Intel® PRO/1000 adapters with a speed of
Auto
On for copper Intel® PRO/1000 adapters with a forced
speed and duplex
On for fiber Intel® PRO/1000 adapters with a speed of
Auto
Related topics
Jumbo frames and jumbo packets notes
My sniffer is not seeing VLAN, 802.1q, or QoS tagged frames
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