User Guide

Table Of Contents
l RX & TX Enabled
Gigabit Master Slave Mode
Determines whether the adapter or link partner is designated as the master. The other device is designated as
the slave. By default, the IEEE 802.3ab specification defines how conflicts are handled. Multi-port devices
such as switches have higher priority over single port devices and are assigned as the master. If both devices
are multi-port devices, the one with higher seed bits becomes the master. This default setting is called
"Hardware Default."
NOTE: In most scenarios, it is recommended to keep the default value of this feature.
Setting this to either "Force Master Mode" or "Force Slave Mode" overrides the hardware default.
Default Auto Detect
Range l Force Master Mode
l Force Slave Mode
l Auto Detect
NOTE: Some multi-port devices may be forced to Master Mode. If the adapter is connected to such
a device and is configured to "Force Master Mode," link is not established.
Interrupt Moderation Rate
Sets the Interrupt Throttle Rate (ITR). This setting moderates the rate at which Transmit and Receive
interrupts are generated.
When an event such as packet receiving occurs, the adapter generates an interrupt. The interrupt interrupts
the CPU and any application running at the time, and calls on the driver to handle the packet. At greater link
speeds, more interrupts are created, and CPU rates also increase. This results in poor system performance.
When you use a higher ITR setting, the interrupt rate is lower and the result is better CPU performance.
NOTE: A higher ITR rate also means that the driver has more latency in handling packets. If the
adapter is handling many small packets, it is better to lower the ITR so that the driver can be more
responsive to incoming and outgoing packets.
Altering this setting may improve traffic throughput for certain network and system configurations, however
the default setting is optimal for common network and system configurations. Do not change this setting
without verifying that the desired change will have a positive effect on network performance.
Default Adaptive
Range l Adaptive
l Extreme
l High