[ipxe-devel] Realtek r8169 (10ec8168.rom) breaks download everytime at 47%

[Michael Brown]

On Sunday 08 Jan 2012 15:39:46 Joshua C. wrote:
> as the title says I compiled the latest git code (git-date: 07.01.2012) for
> my card (10ec:8168) and successfully inserted it in my bios. I activated
> all features in general.h (even wireless, but no debug options and no
> serial) and the rom image grew up to about 77kb. I flashed the modified
> bios and tested it trying to install the latest fedora16. iPXE started
> successfully but everytime I try to download the file
> http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_6
> 4/os/isolinux/initrd.imgthe connection breaks exactly at 47%.
> 
> First I download the vmlinuz with "kernel
> http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_6
> 4/os/isolinux/vmlinuz" and it works fine. This file is about 4mb. The when
> trying to doanload the
> http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/16/Fedora/x86_
> 64/os/isolinux/initrd.imgwhich is about 129mb, the connection breaks at
> exactly 47% and the orange color on the ethernet connector stops blinking.
> Can some take a look at this? Is there any memory limit (up to about 65Mb
> = 4mb + 47%x129mb) the ipxe can use?
> 
> What I noticed during my tests is that the connection is extremely slow.
> When I boot with 10ec8168.lkrn then everything works fine (no breaks at
> 47%). With linux I reach the maximum speed of my connection (about 2,3mb/s)
> and the aforementioned files download for about 1,5min. With 10ec8168.rom
> it takes about 2 min only for the vmlinuz about about 6min for initrd.img
> before reaching 47% and breaking down. Why is that? in both cases I use the
> r8169 driver.

Does the problem occur at the same point if you download initrd.img from a 
local web server on your LAN?

Are you entering iPXE when the "Press Ctrl-B to configure iPXE" message is 
displayed (rather than waiting for the BIOS to attempt a boot via iPXE)?  If 
so, then that might be your problem.  (At the "configure iPXE" stage, the BIOS 
may not yet have created the full system memory map, which can cause various 
strange issues.)

Michael