[patch] re(4) problems on networks with disabled autonegotiation "solver" (WAS: Juniper e3k with ports limitied to...) -- REQUEST FOR REVIEW

[Artem Belevich]

2011/1/12 Lev Serebryakov <lev at serebryakov.spb.ru>:
> Hello, Freebsd-net.
>
>  Thanks to Pyun YongHyeon, who point me at fact, that rgephy(4) used
> with re(4) does autonegotiation always and all other, who helps me
> diagnose problem!
>
>  I've prepared patch, which adds tunable/sysctl for rgephy(4) which
> allows not to sue autonegotiation by this PHY (at user responsibility,
> as here is PHYs which CAN NOT live without autonegotiation). It is OFF
> by default, and in such case behavior of driver IS NOT CHANGED.
>
>  But if it is set ON (non-zero value) before "media / mediopt"
> changes via "ifconfig" autonegotiation IS NOT set with 10/100Mbit
> settings.
>
>  I've documented this new tunable in re(4) manpage, as here is no
> rgephy(4) manpage.

I wonder if we could make autonegotiation another media option.
This may solve the problem at hand in a more generic way.

In case someone specifies speed/duplex settings but want
autonegotiation on, we can advertise only that particular speed/duplex
capability (as opposed to advertising everything we support). This
would force remote end to either establish the link with the
parameters we want or keep the link down which would be better than
keeping the link up with mismatched duplex settings.

--Artem