With the recent version of Linux kernel (just a guess) you may discover that your Intel 825** network card (e1000e) is not working anymore and dmesg is displaying an annoying message like this:
e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver
e1000e 0000:0x:00.0: The NVM Checksum Is Not Valid
e1000e: probe of 0000:0y:00.0 failed with error -5It seems that the nework adapter's EEPROM is broken. If the error is not fixed yet then, at the boot time, the card's EEPROM checksum will fail, and as a result of this you will get the above message. Don't throw your card to the waste container, perhaps it's still working. Windows uses to ignore these kind of problems but Linux, being more rigorous, will check for such issues and will fail loading the device driver if card's NVM checksum is not valid.
How to fix it?
make sure you remove the old Linux driver module corresponding to e1000e device
download and install the latest driver available (for your device) at http://downloadcenter.intel.com
download the "Intel ® Ethernet Connections Boot Utility, Preboot images, and EFI Drivers" (the latest version from http://downloadcenter.intel.com)
make sure that you extract/copy the BootUtil tool for your OS (I recommend the DOS/Linux version) into a botable floppy/USB
boot your system from the floppy/usb drive then run "bootutil.exe -NIC=1 -DEFAULTCONFIG" (if DOS) or "./bootutil -NIC=1 -DEFAULTCONFIG" (if Linux, where arch=32/64)
The detailed steps you may find also here. If everything works as expected then after reboot you should see something like this:
e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: setting latency timer to 64
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: Interrupt Throttling Rate (ints/sec) set to dynamic conservative mode
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 47 for MSI/MSI-X
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: (PCI Express:2.5GT/s:Width x1) 00:24:81:18:88:88
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: MAC: 8, PHY: 8, PBA No: FFFFFF-0FF
Comments
10 comments
How do you extract it to usb/floppy, in a way that is possible to boot from ??!
If you want to boot from floppy/usb you are going to need a bootable floppy/usb device, isnt' it? Step 1) make a bootable floppy/usb device according with your OS Step 2) copy those files on the bootable device Step 3) boot that device then run that command specified in the article
Now i got it! Have found a workaround! http://xander.csapi.ru/operatsionnye-sistemy/linux/fix-intel-i350-igb-driver-nvm-checksum-not-valid-error-linux.html but i going to try this article, seems more solid and correct for a production environment. Thanks !
I've read that article. My understanding is that it only fixes the effect but not the root of the problem. By that I mean it patches the Linux kernel/module (so that Linux, likewise Windows, will ignore entirely the "The NVM Checksum Is Not Valid" issue which in reality is not a big issue as I've mentioned in my article). Note that his hardware will still contain the problem! Is just Linux that will start (thanks to that update/patch) to ignore the issue (will become more permissive, silent), likewise Windows does. Anyway, I have had this problem some time ago, I haven't patched the software (i.e. Linux) but the root of the problem (i.e. the card's EEPROM). By doing that I could install from scratch whatever system and none of them will complain about "NVM checksum" because, you see, the hardware's problem was fixed. And is fixed for good! The other solution is more like a (soft) compromise that actually could work too. I am glad you have pointed out this because maybe other people like you and me will found one solution or another very useful and would be able to fix their problem.
Hi, We are facing the same issue ESXi alone. Do you have any clue. Regards Balaji R
Thank you! Getting the Linux utility directly on the system did the job perfectly, no need for a special boot device.
I faced this problem, however my nic is an onboard I217-LM, and it gives an error using the option 'DEFAULTCONFIG'. After experimenting, I wrote this: Go to the "Intel Ethernet Connections Boot Utility, Preboot Images, and EFI Drivers" page, and download PREBOOT.EXE. Run to extract files. Create a bootable usb stick, that boots freedos. I used Rufus. Copy the files BootIMG.FLB and DOS/bootutil.exe to the stick. (Don't copy the directory 'DOS' - just the file inside named bootutil.exe) Next, boot the server from the stick. Then run two commands: bootutil -wold -all bootutil -wole -all The first command turns off WOL (wake on lan), and the second command enables it again. This action will correct/reset the checksum.
On Ubuntu 16.04 I ran: $ cd APPS/BootUtil/Linux_x64 $ sudo ./bootutil64e -NIC=1 -DEFAULTCONFIG This works. Thank you.
Thank you so much!! Had NIC issues after bios update on my z270 board... NVM checksum fail. I used rufus, installed freeDos, put the intel bootutil files on the stick, booted up, ran the bootutil.exe -NIC=1 -DEFAULTCONFIG and restarted into ubuntu. The nic was working again!
I also want you to thank a lot!
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