# [pfSense] Cannot achieve 100 mbps Full Duplex (C2D, Intel NICs)



## ccb056 (Oct 21, 2010)

Hey guys, I've been trying to get support from the pfSense forums for a while but I think they've run out of ideas.  I think my problem has something do to with FreeBSD and my motherboard, so I decided to post here.

I have a Dell Optiplex 745 SFF (Core 2 Duo) with an Intel PRO/1000 MT Dual Port Server Adapter

I am running 2.0-BETA4 (i386) built on Wed Oct 20 20:31:52 EDT 2010 

I have the onboard Broadcom NIC disabled in the BIOS.

I cannot achieve 100 mbps FD speeds. I can download at 100 mbps without any upload, and I can upload at 100 mbps without any download. But when I attempt to do both at the same time, my upload goes to 40 mbps while my download is at 100 mbps.

I have tried this network card in another machine and it works perfectly under the same test conditions.

I have the same problem with the 1.2.3 release of pfSense as well.

I have tried enabling/disabling pooling and hardware offloading, but it does not fix my throughput issues.

Any ideas?


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## ccb056 (Oct 21, 2010)

Just another dataset:


```
Uploading only:
IN:     2.99 kpps     1.48  mbps     65     bytes/packet
OUT:    6.56 kpps     76.48 mbps     1,528  bytes/packet
```


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## graudeejs (Oct 21, 2010)

http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=7290


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## DutchDaemon (Oct 21, 2010)

In other words: beware of any advice you may get! It may not be safe to implement.


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## ccb056 (Oct 21, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up.

However I do think the problem lies lower than pfSense, I think it is between FreeBSD itself and my motherboard.


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## da1 (Oct 21, 2010)

ccb056 said:
			
		

> I have tried this network card in another machine and it works perfectly under the same test conditions.



What OS did that machine have ?



			
				ccb056 said:
			
		

> However I do think the problem lies lower than pfSense, I think it is between FreeBSD itself and my motherboard.



Can you install the "working" OS on the current machine and give it a go ?


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## ccb056 (Oct 21, 2010)

Both machines had the same version of pfSense (1.2.3)

The same exact card was used in both machines.

I was able to achieve 100 mbps FD with an HP using a C2Q.
I was not able to achieve 100 mbps FD with the Dell using a C2D.

However, in neither tests were CPU usage maxed.
I even tried moving the HP ram (PC 6400) into the Dell machine (PC 5300), but no changes in throughput.

I'm thinking the problem is the FreeBSD driver used with the Dell chipset.


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