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February 27th, 2025 19:36
ethtool SFP+ with Dell VEP4600/SD-WAN Edge 3000 x722 ports
Hi,
could somebody help confirm if ethtool from upstream Linux can query SFP+ information with the x722?
I get information on the rNDC ports, but not the builtin ports.
rNDC:
flo-dellveptest# ethtool --module-info eth8 | grep Vendor
Vendor name : Intel Corp
Vendor OUI : 00:1b:21
Vendor PN : AFBR-709DMZ-IN2
Vendor rev : G4.1
Vendor SN : AD180730FX7
Whereas on the 'main' ports of the system on the x722 NIC, I don't get anything :-(
flo-dellveptest# ethtool --module-info eth9 | grep Vendor
netlink error: Invalid argument
flo-dellveptest# ethtool --module-info eth10 | grep Vendor
netlink error: Invalid argument
I got ethtool version 6.1, the firmwares are as they should be (x722 onboard supposedly can't upgrade above 6.20).
flo-dellveptest# ethtool -i eth8
driver: i40e
version: 5.15.152-0-lts
firmware-version: 9.20 0x8000d969 22.0.9
expansion-rom-version:
bus-info: 0000:17:00.1
supports-statistics: yes
supports-test: yes
supports-eeprom-access: yes
supports-register-dump: yes
supports-priv-flags: yes
flo-dellveptest:~# ethtool -i eth9
driver: i40e
version: 5.15.152-0-lts
firmware-version: 6.20 0x80003f14 1.3256.0
expansion-rom-version:
bus-info: 0000:b8:00.0
supports-statistics: yes
supports-test: yes
supports-eeprom-access: yes
supports-register-dump: yes
supports-priv-flags: yes
kernel is a matching 5.15.152-0-lts
PCI Listing
lshw -C net -short
H/W path Device Class Description
===================================================
/0/100/1c.4/0 eth0 network I350 Gigabit Network Connection # < "fibre deprived area"
/0/100/1c.4/0.1 eth1 network I350 Gigabit Network Connection # < ""
/0/100/1c.4/0.2 eth2 network I350 Gigabit Network Connection # < ""
/0/100/1c.4/0.3 eth3 network I350 Gigabit Network Connection # < ""
/0/100/1d.3/0 eth4 network I210 Gigabit Network Connection # < any sane person would have had this enumerate first
/0/101/0 eth7 network Ethernet Controller X710 for 10GbE SFP+ # < yays
/0/101/0.1 eth8 network Ethernet Controller X710 for 10GbE SFP+ # < yays
/0/2/0 eth5 network I350 Gigabit Network Connection
/0/2/0.1 eth6 network I350 Gigabit Network Connection
/0/0/0/3/0 eth9 network Ethernet Connection X722 for 10GbE SFP+ # < nopes
/0/0/0/3/0.1 eth10 network Ethernet Connection X722 for 10GbE SFP+ # < nopes
/0/0/0/3/0.2 eth11 network Ethernet Connection X722 for 10GbE backplane # no pseudo-transceiver shown
/0/0/0/3/0.3 eth12 network Ethernet Connection X722 for 10GbE backplane # ...
I'm uncertain where the limitation is (upstream ethtool, upstream drivers, correct firmware, and working for the 710 card...)
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Darkfader
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February 27th, 2025 19:38
Footnotes:
DELL-Joey C
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February 28th, 2025 03:37
Hi,
I have limited support knowledge on this and most of us here do not have experience on VEP nor EDGE.
Let me get the information right, you mentioned in the title VEP/EDGE, which product you are actually having issue with x722? Cause EDGE 3000 is not capable of using Linux.
The issue might be the firmware that you're on, 6.1. For Dell firmware releases, there is only 5.0 and 6.2. You mentioned that supposedly can't upgrade above 6.2, why is that? Are you getting Update Not Available status on Intel(R) Ethernet NVM Update Tool?
Are the x722 working, just ethtool is not showing the info?
Darkfader
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August 16th, 2025 14:26
Hi. I wasn't able to follow up since there's been so much to test with this.
First of all, the SD-WAN Edge 3800 can absolutely run Linux. It is so identical to the VEP4600 that even the BIOS calls it a VEP4600. There are a few other VPD bits where it's properly stored as a SD-WAN Edge 3800, but an unsuccessful Yakuza member could still count them on one hand.
Further 6.1, I don't know where you saw it, I had a 6.2 there.
I've got more VEP4600 and tried to cross-verify with them, and I ordered like 10 different Dell and Intel SFP+ all of which are supposed to be compatible (I went after the right docs specifically for the VEP and the X722 (Dell) and XL710, ... X722 (Intel). While I wasn't super methodical, none worked.
There are A LOT of restrictions for this NIC, down to the cable strength (AWG28 or something). I don't know what they were thinking with that. Most limitations are from Intel's end, and not from Dell. Only the firmware is held back a bit by Dell. The most amusing thing is that among the most robust SFPs to use with the ports are fs.com 3rd party @_@ modules!
Anyway, one thing is sure is that all these issues are caused by the firmware. That's why the error message is so tight-lipped from ethtool and a clear warning shows in dmesg
([26592.408659] i40e 0000:b6:00.0 eth5: Module EEPROM memory read not supported. Please update the NVM image.)
This matches with this Versa support article I found today:
https://support.versa-networks.com/support/solutions/articles/23000028202-sfp-info-on-dell-vep-4600
So that article at least confirms the issue. The bad thing is they should the whole procedure for updating but do not show a final output where the module info is working.
I'll go through checking if I have the right UFW etc. to be on that 08.2024 release they screenshotted.
The bad thing is Dell's not allowing the Upgrade in the SD-WAN 3800, but only in the VEP 4600. I can mode rNDC NICs no problem, but the interesting part is the onboard interfaces which are the ones really affected by this problem.
It would be really great if the policy for the 3800 also allowed to have a recent/working firmware.
I'll post back once I find out something again, it's just gonna take a good while, I deployed 10 or so of them that now all need to go through an update.
(in theory you can update the whole firmware via IPMI, I did that in the past but on my last attempts I was too stupid for it)
tl;dr:
(edited)