intel Raptor Lake Motherboards Allegedly Hit with Ethernet Controller Flaw: Intel I226-V 2.5GbE Has a Connection Drop Issue (Updated)

[BiG StroOnZ]

Summary

The Intel Ethernet I226-V onboard 2.5 GbE controller appears to have a design flaw that causes the Ethernet connection to drop at random times for a few seconds. The I226-V, codenamed Foxville, is the latest version of Intel's 2.5 Gbps Ethernet (which debuted on 700-series motherboards). It succeeds the I225-V, which was Intel's first consumer 2.5 GbE PHY. Unfortunately, the I225-V was plagued by many network connection problems that led to connectivity loss and performance deterioration. The issues could only be fixed at the hardware level, so Intel eventually released the I225-V2 controller. 

 

 

 

 

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Since mid-December, users of Intel 700-series chipset motherboards have been reporting random connections drops to Intel's Support Community, Microsoft, ASUS and Reddit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

 

Many Intel 700-series motherboards for 13th Generation Raptor Lake processors leverage the I226-V Ethernet controller. Luckily, the connection drops are brief; you probably wouldn't perceive them in daily usage. However, you'd notice the drops in other workloads, such as downloading a big file, online gaming, or in a video call via Zoom. It's easy to see whether connection drops are occurring on your system if you look inside Windows Event Viewer under the "Windows Logs" section and, subsequently, "System." Search for "e2fnexpress," in particular Event 27 "Intel Ethernet Controller I226-V, Network link is disconnected." and Event 32 "Intel Ethernet Controller I226-V. Network link has been established at 1 Gbps full duplex." We've experienced the issue in our labs. We tried updating to the latest 27.8 drivers from Intel, and used the latest motherboard BIOS, at 1 Gbps speed, but the issue couldn't be fixed reliably. 

 

Owners of premium 700-series motherboards don't have to fret over the I226-V issues since the more expensive offerings come with dual Ethernet controllers. Those users can switch to a third-party controller from Marvell or Realtek and forget about the I226-V. Alternatively, some 700-series motherboards offer integrated Wi-Fi, which is also a good option. If you own a lower-tier motherboard, you'll likely have to fork out cash for a PCIe network adapter or wireless adapter (or learn to live with the connection drops).

 

My thoughts

This is really unfortunate, as it seems it might be a hardware based flaw again; as was with I225-V. There's no confirmation if that's the case though, but according to TechPowerUp there's no fix available yet. It seems different users are reporting different issues: some might lose speed to 10~100 Mb/s, or have the adapter not appear in Windows and/or the BIOS, while others might simply see an assortment of Windows Event Viewer error messages. Also, apparently, since this is a NIC problem, not purely an Intel platform problem; even AMD motherboards are not exempt if they come equipped with I225-V or I226-V. Additionally, it does not happen on every 700-series motherboard, as some are reporting theirs working fine; meaning the issue could stem from faulty network chipsets, making it a hardware based affair as suggested earlier. Again, while not every NIC is affected, it still seems like it is a rather prevalent issue. Therefore, if you are on a 700-series motherboard with this Intel NIC, you might want to conduct some research to see if you are affected and take the proper course of action if you are. It seems that many premium boards like Z790 offer dual Ethernet controllers, so you can use one of those alternates or even switch to Wi-Fi. If you are on a B760 or H770 you might want to look into a PCIe or USB network adapter. If you don't like any of these options, of course you can return your board, and try to exchange it for one that has the alternative third-party controllers.

 

Sources

https://www.techpowerup.com/303854/psa-intel-i226-v-2-5gbe-on-raptor-lake-motherboards-has-a-connection-drop-issue-no-fix-available

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raptor-lake-motherboard-ethernet-flaw

 

Update

 

Summary

Intel Releases Windows Workaround and Patch for Ethernet Stuttering and Disconnects. The workaround basically turns off Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) mode. MSI appears to be the first Intel partner to release an installer delivering the workaround. Intel says it is continuing to “work towards a solution.”

 

 

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Intel has now released a workaround and a patch for the issue, not only for the i226, but also the i225 and the Killer E3100 2.5 Gbps network controller. What the workaround does, is disable the Energy-Efficient Ethernet mode, or EEE as it's also known as. EEE is only supposed to kick in when an Ethernet connection is idle and it's said to reduce power consumption by up to 50 percent.

 

However, in this case, it seems like EEE kicks in even when the Ethernet connection is active, which is causing the stuttering and connection dropouts. The patch disables EEE for all speeds above 100 Mbps, but it's also possible to disable EEE manually in the device settings in Windows. MSI is the first motherboard manufacturer to have released an updated driver on its site, but as this isn't a final solution to the problem, it's unlikely that this is the last we'll hear about the issue. Intel is apparently working on finding the root cause of the problem, but it's unclear if it's going to be possible to patch it in software or if a hardware revision is going to be required in the end.

 

My thoughts

It's great to see an implemented workaround to this issue. However, do note that supposedly this is a temporary fix. Intel is still working on discovering the root cause of the issue and executing a more permanent solution. It's great to see MSI implement this fix with an updated driver on its affected motherboards. Tom's questions whether this fix could work on other motherboards, but cautions users that it could be risky installing on non-MSI motherboards. 

 

Sources

https://www.techpowerup.com/305356/intel-releases-windows-workaround-and-patch-for-ethernet-stuttering-and-disconnects

https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/intel-patches-i226i225killer-e3100-2-5gbe-network-dropout-issues-by-disabling-eee.html

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-patches-stuttering-ethernet-issues-but-its-just-a-workaround-for-now

[Skiiwee29]

Wow, thats very unfortunate. I've always preferred intel NIC/Controllers over others as Realtek LANs use to have a lot of issues a few years back if I remember.. and Killer NIC? worst of them all!

[HenrySalayne]

On 1/21/2023 at 9:55 PM, Skiiwee29 said:

Killer NIC? worst of them all!

Killer is Intel, it's basically the very same hardware with minor software differences (for GAMING ).

[Sauron]

ooof

[Kisai]

On 1/21/2023 at 12:55 PM, Skiiwee29 said:

Wow, thats very unfortunate. I've always preferred intel NIC/Controllers over others as Realtek LANs use to have a lot of issues a few years back if I remember.. and Killer NIC? worst of them all!

The Intel controllers are typically the "best" controllers you can have as an onboard chip. You'll usually see them in Ethernet+WiFi+BT onboard combinations, even if the WiFi+BT is on it's own M2. The -V version is independent and can be swapped in chipsets with other ethernet parts, where as the -LM is the VPro part which requires an Intel CPU. 

 

At worst, if the problem is in the chip itself, the chip could be removed, or perhaps the bios could disable it, and a separate ethernet PCIe card could be used (this is why the removal of PCIe slots is annoying, because it removes ways to not use the onboard parts.)

 

But this is a separate chip, it's not part of the "chipset"

 

The Intel® Killer™ Ethernet E3100 2.5 Gbps is also the same part, as well as the I225-V/LM/IT

 

the I219/I218/I217 are 1G parts.

 

What I've found is that Realtek parts are only used in the lowest build-quality motherboards and laptops, but I've tend to only see it in laptops in combination with a realtek WiFi and realtek audio part. Desktops, tend to all have Realtek audio parts, and that is owing to there not being any options for better audio.

 

Honestly, between the 12th/13th gen cpu socket issues, and now this, I would not blame anyone for skipping Intel for a new build. But seeing as how these chips might be on a AMD board as well, that means the only way of avoiding it for certain is by looking at the cheaper boards.

[Skiiwee29]

6 hours ago, HenrySalayne said:

Killer is Intel, it's basically the very same hardware with minor software differences (for GAMING ).

 

5 hours ago, Kisai said:

The Intel controllers are typically the "best" controllers you can have as an onboard chip. You'll usually see them in Ethernet+WiFi+BT onboard combinations, even if the WiFi+BT is on it's own M2. The -V version is independent and can be swapped in chipsets with other ethernet parts, where as the -LM is the VPro part which requires an Intel CPU. 

 

At worst, if the problem is in the chip itself, the chip could be removed, or perhaps the bios could disable it, and a separate ethernet PCIe card could be used (this is why the removal of PCIe slots is annoying, because it removes ways to not use the onboard parts.)

 

But this is a separate chip, it's not part of the "chipset"

 

The Intel® Killer™ Ethernet E3100 2.5 Gbps is also the same part, as well as the I225-V/LM/IT

 

the I219/I218/I217 are 1G parts.

 

What I've found is that Realtek parts are only used in the lowest build-quality motherboards and laptops, but I've tend to only see it in laptops in combination with a realtek WiFi and realtek audio part. Desktops, tend to all have Realtek audio parts, and that is owing to there not being any options for better audio.

 

Honestly, between the 12th/13th gen cpu socket issues, and now this, I would not blame anyone for skipping Intel for a new build. But seeing as how these chips might be on a AMD board as well, that means the only way of avoiding it for certain is by looking at the cheaper boards.

 

Never knew Intel bought Killer. Last I knew they were owned by Broadcom I believe? Quick Google shows intel acquired Killer in 2018, shows how much I stayed away from them!

[NumLock21]

If I recall this isn't the first time Intel lan had problems.It also happened during the Z170/X99 days, but I don't remember what model it was.

[SimplyChunk]

20 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

If I recall this isn't the first time Intel lan had problems.It also happened during the Z170/X99 days, but I don't remember what model it was.

I had the I219-V on my Krait 3x Z170.  never had any issues.  that doesn't mean no one else did though

[Applefreak]

On 1/21/2023 at 9:49 PM, BiG StroOnZ said:

Summary

The Intel Ethernet I226-V onboard 2.5 GbE controller appears to have a design flaw that causes the Ethernet connection to drop at random times for a few seconds. The I226-V, codenamed Foxville, is the latest version of Intel's 2.5 Gbps Ethernet (which debuted on 700-series motherboards). It succeeds the I225-V, which was Intel's first consumer 2.5 GbE PHY. Unfortunately, the I225-V was plagued by many network connection problems that led to connectivity loss and performance deterioration. The issues could only be fixed at the hardware level, so Intel eventually released the I225-V2 controller. 

 

 

 

 

Quotes

 

My thoughts

This is really unfortunate, as it seems it might be a hardware based flaw again; as was with I225-V. There's no confirmation if that's the case though, but according to TechPowerUp there's no fix available yet. It seems different users are reporting different issues: some might lose speed to 10~100 Mb/s, or have the adapter not appear in Windows and/or the BIOS, while others might simply see an assortment of Windows Event Viewer error messages. Also, apparently, since this is a NIC problem, not purely an Intel platform problem; even AMD motherboards are not exempt if they come equipped with I225-V or I226-V. Additionally, it does not happen on every 700-series motherboard, as some are reporting theirs working fine; meaning the issue could stem from faulty network chipsets, making it a hardware based affair as suggested earlier. Again, while not every NIC is affected, it still seems like it is a rather prevalent issue. Therefore, if you are on a 700-series motherboard with this Intel NIC, you might want to conduct some research to see if you are affected and take the proper course of action if you are. It seems that many premium boards like Z790 offer dual Ethernet controllers, so you can use one of those alternates or even switch to Wi-Fi. If you are on a B760 or H770 you might want to look into a PCIe or USB network adapter. If you don't like any of these options, of course you can return your board, and try to exchange it for one that has the alternative third-party controllers.

 

Sources

https://www.techpowerup.com/303854/psa-intel-i226-v-2-5gbe-on-raptor-lake-motherboards-has-a-connection-drop-issue-no-fix-available

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raptor-lake-motherboard-ethernet-flaw

If true that would be bad. So far I've only ever used Intel 1Gbit dedicated cards. I always disable the onboard stuff. My AQ107 10 Gbit card had connection issues as well but those were solved with a firmware update (the issues were on Linux, Windows was fine for a change). Maybe Intel's issues can be addressed the same way? We will have to wait and see. I am wondering if that affects dedicated Intel cards as well or just the integrated solutions, found on some more expensive motherboards.

[BiG StroOnZ]

18 hours ago, Applefreak said:

If true that would be bad. So far I've only ever used Intel 1Gbit dedicated cards. I always disable the onboard stuff. My AQ107 10 Gbit card had connection issues as well but those were solved with a firmware update (the issues were on Linux, Windows was fine for a change). Maybe Intel's issues can be addressed the same way? We will have to wait and see. I am wondering if that affects dedicated Intel cards as well or just the integrated solutions, found on some more expensive motherboards.

 

If they could be solved with a firmware update that would be a great solution. However, with the I225-V it required more than one revision to address the issues. Hopefully here with the I226-V it's not the same case.

 

Pretty sure the only ones affected are the integrated I225-V or I226-V solutions. It should be noted though that not everyone is experiencing issues. For instance, Guru3D tried to replicate the issue on 3 different systems without any success. 

[StDragon]

The Realtek RTL8125BG (a 2.5gbe) is suffering the same issue, random drops. It's been going on for years with multiple driver updates.

[Kisai]

On 1/24/2023 at 9:48 AM, BiG StroOnZ said:

 

If they could be solved with a firmware update that would be a great solution. However, with the I225-V it required more than one revision to address the issues. Hopefully here with the I226-V it's not the same case.

 

Pretty sure the only ones affected are the integrated I225-V or I226-V solutions. It should be noted though that not everyone is experiencing issues. For instance, Guru3D tried to replicate the issue on 3 different systems without any success. 

Maybe the people experiencing the problems are using either too long cables, damaged (remember, you are NOT allowed to kink or bend an ethernet cable) or maybe their switch just doesn't deal with 2.5G

 

Like it has to be said that ethernet cable quality tends to still be Cat5E, not Cat6 (10Gbit). To use Cat5E means you have to use much shorter cables.

2.5G is just 10G signaling at 100Mhz, which is a very tight tolerance. So if the malfunction is caused by using 328ft Cat5e cables, then it's likely been damaged or improperly made. But if it's just a 15' cable, it should actually dial power down to make it less noisy.

 

But we don't really know what's going on without someone with a "Defective" board having it tested by someone who knows what they're doing.

 

 

 

[BiG StroOnZ]

17 hours ago, Kisai said:

Maybe the people experiencing the problems are using either too long cables, damaged (remember, you are NOT allowed to kink or bend an ethernet cable) or maybe their switch just doesn't deal with 2.5G

 

Like it has to be said that ethernet cable quality tends to still be Cat5E, not Cat6 (10Gbit). To use Cat5E means you have to use much shorter cables.

2.5G is just 10G signaling at 100Mhz, which is a very tight tolerance. So if the malfunction is caused by using 328ft Cat5e cables, then it's likely been damaged or improperly made. But if it's just a 15' cable, it should actually dial power down to make it less noisy.

 

But we don't really know what's going on without someone with a "Defective" board having it tested by someone who knows what they're doing.

 

Yeah, I agree, it's a tough situation as there can be so many different variables involved.

 

Hopefully, someone who knows what they're doing gets ahold of a defective board at some point and can figure out why it's happening. Right now there seems to be a lot of speculation. Being that there are also people who are experiencing no issues, it makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.  

[ewitte]

This is what is on my b650e board.  I haven't seen any issues though I had 52000 disk errors in my system log it would have been hard to find...

[NukaColaEnjoyer]

Has this issue really not been identified and fixed yet? 

[BiG StroOnZ]

On 2/4/2023 at 5:42 AM, NukaColaEnjoyer said:

Has this issue really not been identified and fixed yet? 

 

There was an update to this story on the 1st of March ~

 

Intel Releases Windows Workaround and Patch for Ethernet Stuttering and Disconnects:

 

 

Quote

Intel has now released a workaround and a patch for the issue, not only for the i226, but also the i225 and the Killer E3100 2.5 Gbps network controller. What the workaround does, is disable the Energy-Efficient Ethernet mode, or EEE as it's also known as. EEE is only supposed to kick in when an Ethernet connection is idle and it's said to reduce power consumption by up to 50 percent.

 

However, in this case, it seems like EEE kicks in even when the Ethernet connection is active, which is causing the stuttering and connection dropouts. The patch disables EEE for all speeds above 100 Mbps, but it's also possible to disable EEE manually in the device settings in Windows. MSI is the first motherboard manufacturer to have released an updated driver on its site, but as this isn't a final solution to the problem, it's unlikely that this is the last we'll hear about the issue. Intel is apparently working on finding the root cause of the problem, but it's unclear if it's going to be possible to patch it in software or if a hardware revision is going to be required in the end.

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/305356/intel-releases-windows-workaround-and-patch-for-ethernet-stuttering-and-disconnects

https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/intel-patches-i226i225killer-e3100-2-5gbe-network-dropout-issues-by-disabling-eee.html

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-patches-stuttering-ethernet-issues-but-its-just-a-workaround-for-now

 

Will update OP