[wds] Those pesky Nvidia Network Cards! - Slow boot.SDI fix

[datar_]

I thought I'd just share with everyone I little workaround I accidently stumbled upon today.

 

I'm sure there are some of those amongst us when they come across a Nvidia disabled enabled motherboard, when you try to Network Boot into WDS, it takes forever, almost 40 minutes some times, for the computer to download the Boot.SDI file.

 

I have found that if you can identify which port on the switch the Nvidia-riddled-Based computer is plugged into, set the port on the switch to 100Mbps Full Duplex.

 

It downloads the Boot.SDI file instantly! WDS works as expected!

 

And after the computer has booted into Windows Setup (in the Windows PE environment) you can then set the port on the switch back to Automatic. The Nvidia NIC then goes back to 1Gbps and images as normal.

 

Alternatively you can just throw another NIC into the PC whilst you boot it up, but in this instance I had nothing except a few USB wireless adapters.

 

I'm not 100% sure what the problem is, but looking at Wireshark whilst the PC was trying to download the file other TFTP when the switch is set to Auto, it seems to be not receiving the packets. It might simply be that the Nvidia NIC cannot handle TFTP on a Gig Link. (Well that is my conclusion after altering TFTP settings and almost scrapped WDS's default method for a SolarWinds TFTP special.)

[DMcCoy]

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/144407-deployment-taking-15-more-hours-complete.html#post1238181

 

It is indeed a pain :| Labelling the ports on the switch is useful if you can, so at least you know which ones to change when you image.

[datar_]

Thankfully in my infinite wisdom (I like to think), Patch panel 1 goes into switch 1, and A/1/1 is 1, a/1/6 is 6 Just hop onto the switch and port 6 to 100M Full D