# How to obtain and install an updated NIC driver



## Karrj (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello - I have a Proliant G3 server with internal Broadcom NICs and I am running the driver that came with the FreeBSD7 install. I would like to obtain and install an updated driver - can anyone tell me where to obtain and how to install the driver? I have cjecked Broadcom's site and there is not a driver for FreeBSD directly. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks - John.


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## Lowell (Dec 30, 2008)

What driver are you using now, and why do you want to change it?

There have been changes to most (if not all) of the Ethernet drivers since the release of 7.0, so if you update the whole system, you will get those changes.  Updating just one part of the base system is generally not recommended for most users.


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## Karrj (Dec 31, 2008)

Thanks for the response - I am running the driver that installed with the FreeBSD7 install. I want to change the driver in an attempt to resolve a small percent of errors being observed with the netstat -w 1 command. I have verified cables and switch ports and that the excat testing with the same swicth ports, cables, etc does not produce any errors when run on a box with INtel NICs. This leads me to suspect the Broadcom hardware and or driver. 

I see there is a 7.1RC2 - would this be the system update you are referring to?


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## Lowell (Jan 1, 2009)

Karrj said:
			
		

> Thanks for the response - I am running the driver that installed with the FreeBSD7 install. I want to change the driver in an attempt to resolve a small percent of errors being observed with the netstat -w 1 command. I have verified cables and switch ports and that the excat testing with the same swicth ports, cables, etc does not produce any errors when run on a box with INtel NICs. This leads me to suspect the Broadcom hardware and or driver.



A "small number" of errors?  Is it really worth worrying about?  Do you have any reason to think the errors are producing user-observable effects?



> I see there is a 7.1RC2 - would this be the system update you are referring to?



That's one way to do it, yes.


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## Karrj (Jan 5, 2009)

There are user observable effects - an ftp test reveals it takes 10 times longer with the Boradcom and the associated errors as TCP is retransmitting and going into slow start.


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## trev (Jan 6, 2009)

Karrj said:
			
		

> I would like to obtain and install an updated driver - can anyone tell me where to obtain and how to install the driver?



You might want to check the current source code for your driver in 7.1. If you installed the source on your system you can compare the header dates/versions (your current driver should be found in /usr/src/sys/dev/). If it hasn't changed, then there's no point in going any further except to post a pr (after checking one does not already exist in the pr database: see http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr-summary.cgi?query).

I recently resolved watchdog timeout errors with the if_re Realtek driver by downloading a later test version from the developer's directory (dated two days later than the one in 7.1), copying it over the one found in /usr/src/sys/dev/if_re/ and copying the new include file over the one found in /usr/src/sys/pci/. Then change to the /usr/src/sys/modules/re [you'll need to substitute your driver for re], make install, reboot, and hope for the best


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## Karrj (Jan 12, 2009)

I looked at the pr datasbase (for the first time) and it appears there is a pr 120791 persuing the issue I am having. This pr does not indicate there has been a fix - assuming I am reading it correctly.


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## Karrj (Jan 12, 2009)

There is a file off the bge directory in the path you specified named if_bge.c with a Jan 22 2008 date and a second file if_bgereg.h with a May 22 2007 date.


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