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Knowledge Base

Broadcom 57711E (bnx2x) NIC intermittently drops off the network (1016012)

Last Updated: 2/27/2024Categories: TroubleshootingTotal Views: 29016Language:
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Symptoms

When using the Broadcom 57711E (bnx2x) NIC driver version 1.48, you experience these symptoms:

Loss of network connectivity between the ESX/ESXi host and the external network

Physical uplink network interfaces links appear Down

Pause frames are received by physical switch

The ESX/ESXi host can send traffic, but cannot receive traffic (for example, ARP)

The VMkernel logs at /var/log/vmkernel or /var/log/messages contains entries similar to:

vmkernel: d:hh:mm:ss.nnnn cpuC:wwww)<3>[bnx2x_hw_stats_update:nnnn(vmnicX)]NIG timer max (nnnnn)

Note: To confirm the driver version in use, see Determining NIC firmware and driver version in ESX/ESXi 4.x and 5.0(1027206).

Cause

This issue occurs due to a known issue with the Broadcom bnx2x driver version 1.48, in which the bnx2x driver is configured to use an incorrect RX MTU. Thus RX Buffer gets stuck if a packet is too big.

The NIG timer max message from the bnx2x driver indicates that the network interface was unable to transmit a packet for over one second. This usually correlates to transmission of pause frames, as the NIC is unable to accept additional traffic.

This issue can also occur due to a mismatch between the NIC firmware and driver versions.

Resolution

This issue is resolved in these releases:

For ESX/ESXi 3.5, apply the patch ESX350-201002406-BG and install Broadcom bnx2x driver version 1.52.12 or later. For installation instructions, consult the readme on the driver CD.

For ESX/ESXi 4.0, install Broadcom bnx2x driver version 1.52.12.v40.3 or later. For installation instructions, see How to install async drivers on ESX/ESXi 4.x (1032936).

To work around this issue and to regain network connectivity, reboot the affected server. If you are using a blade server, you may have to either perform a fuse reset or reset the blade module to ensure that power has been cycled properly. After rebooting, the issue may or may not reoccur as it depends on packet length.

Note: See the Additional Information section of this article for similar issues. VMware recommends upgrading to the latest version of the Broadcom bnx2x driver (version 1.64.32.v40.1). If you are using HP virtual connect in your environment. VMware recommends upgrading to the latest version of the Broadcom bnx2x driver version 1.70.

Related Information

For similar issues on later driver versions, see:

VMware ESX/ESXi 4.0 host with Broadcom bnx2x Async Driver Version 1.52.12.v40.3 experiences a loss of network connectivity and a purple diagnostic screen (1028091)

VMware ESX/ESXi 4.1 host with Broadcom bnx2x (in-box driver version 1.54.1.v41.1-1vmw) experiences a loss of network connectivity and a purple diagnostic screen (1029368)

VMware ESX/ESXi 4.1 host with Broadcom bnx2x driver version 1.60.50.v41.2 experiences intermittent loss of network connectivity on HP Blades with Virtual Connect (1031805)

Determining Network/Storage firmware and driver version in ESXi 4.x and later
VMware ESX/ESXi 4.0 host with Broadcom bnx2x Async Driver Version 1.52.12.v40.3 experiences a loss of network connectivity and a purple diagnostic screen
VMware ESX/ESXi 4.1 host with Broadcom bnx2x (in-box driver version 1.54.1.v41.1-1vmw) experiences a loss of network connectivity and a purple diagnostic screen
VMware ESX/ESXi 4.1 host with Broadcom bnx2x driver version 1.60.50.v41.2 experiences intermittent loss of network connectivity on HP Blades with Virtual Connect
Installing async drivers on ESXi 4.x and ESX 4.x
Broadcom 57711E (bnx2x) NIC が断続的にネットワークからドロップされる
Broadcom 57711E (bnx2x) 网卡间歇性中断网络

Detectable by VMware SkylineTM

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Additional Resources

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End Of General Availability of the Free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x) (2107518)

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安装 VMware Tools 后在 vCenter Server 5.1/5.5 上部署 OVF 失败 (2034422)

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Download and Install VMware Fusion (2014097)

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