Re: rge(4) RTL8126 simple testing
- Reply: Adrian Chadd : "Re: rge(4) RTL8126 simple testing"
- Reply: Kevin Lo : "Re: rge(4) RTL8126 simple testing"
- In reply to: Sean C. Farley: "rge(4) RTL8126 simple testing"
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Date: Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:02:37 UTC
On Sat, 28 Feb 2026, Sean C. Farley wrote:
> I recently upgraded my home network using a few BrosTrend 5Gb cards
> (RTL8126) with 14-STABLE (1eb2beb3686c) and the latest commit
> (3170b35) to the GitHub repo for if_rge. It was either these cards or
> a couple of Intel X550-T2 cards, but less power and less heat were the
> deciding factors.
>
> For the most part, they seem to work very well, except that they
> cannot negotiate a 2500Base-T connection. They can negotiate
> 1000baseT and 5000Base-T. This was with two different cards
> connecting to two different devices. If manually set, they will try
> for awhile than fall-back to 1000baseT.
>
> One other oddity is that rge0 has "ClockPM disabled", but I have not
> looked into that.
>
> The networking hardware:
> - 3 BrosTrend 5Gb NIC's[1] (5Gb)
> - Zyxel NWA130BE[2] (2.5Gb port)
> - TRENDnet TEG-S591[3] (connected the NIC to its 10Gb port)
> - Nokia ONT XS-010X-Q[4] (10Gb port)
>
> ifconfig:
> rge0: flags=1008843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,LOWER_UP> metric 0
> mtu 1500
> options=9b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM>
> capabilities=9b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM>
> media: Ethernet autoselect (5000Base-T <full-duplex>)
> status: active
> supported media:
> media autoselect
> media 5000Base-T mediaopt full-duplex
> media 5000Base-T
> media 2500Base-T mediaopt full-duplex
> media 2500Base-T
> media 1000baseT mediaopt full-duplex
> media 1000baseT
> media 100baseTX mediaopt full-duplex
> media 100baseTX
> media 10baseT/UTP mediaopt full-duplex
> media 10baseT/UTP
> nd6 options=29<PERFORMNUD,IFDISABLED,AUTO_LINKLOCAL>
> drivername: rge0
> rge1: flags=1008943<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,LOWER_UP>
> metric 0 mtu 1500
> options=9b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM>
> capabilities=9b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM>
> media: Ethernet autoselect (5000Base-T <full-duplex>)
> status: active
> supported media:
> media autoselect
> media 5000Base-T mediaopt full-duplex
> media 5000Base-T
> media 2500Base-T mediaopt full-duplex
> media 2500Base-T
> media 1000baseT mediaopt full-duplex
> media 1000baseT
> media 100baseTX mediaopt full-duplex
> media 100baseTX
> media 10baseT/UTP mediaopt full-duplex
> media 10baseT/UTP
> nd6 options=21<PERFORMNUD,AUTO_LINKLOCAL>
> drivername: rge1
> rge2: flags=1008943<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,LOWER_UP>
> metric 0 mtu 1500
> options=9b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM>
> capabilities=9b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM>
> media: Ethernet Other (1000baseT <full-duplex>)
> status: active
> supported media:
> media autoselect
> media 5000Base-T mediaopt full-duplex
> media 5000Base-T
> media 2500Base-T mediaopt full-duplex
> media 2500Base-T
> media 1000baseT mediaopt full-duplex
> media 1000baseT
> media 100baseTX mediaopt full-duplex
> media 100baseTX
> media 10baseT/UTP mediaopt full-duplex
> media 10baseT/UTP
> nd6 options=29<PERFORMNUD,IFDISABLED,AUTO_LINKLOCAL>
> drivername: rge2
>
> pciconf:
> rge0@pci0:1:0:0: class=0x020000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x10ec
> device=0x8126 subvendor=0x10ec subdevice=0x0123
> vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
> device = 'RTL8126 5GbE Controller'
> class = network
> subclass = ethernet
> bar [10] = type I/O Port, range 32, base 0xe000, size 256, enabled
> bar [18] = type Memory, range 64, base 0xf7600000, size 65536, enabled
> bar [20] = type Memory, range 64, base 0xf7610000, size 16384, enabled
> cap 01[40] = powerspec 3 supports D0 D1 D2 D3 current D0
> cap 05[50] = MSI supports 1 message, 64 bit, vector masks enabled with 1
> message
> cap 10[70] = PCI-Express 2 endpoint MSI 1 max data 256(512) RO
> max read 512
> link x1(x1) speed 8.0(8.0) ASPM disabled(L0s/L1) ClockPM
> disabled
> cap 11[b0] = MSI-X supports 32 messages
> Table in map 0x20[0x0], PBA in map 0x20[0x800]
> cap 03[d0] = VPD
> ecap 0001[100] = AER 2 0 fatal 0 non-fatal 1 corrected
> ecap 0002[148] = VC 1 max VC0
> ecap 0003[170] = Serial 1 01000000684ce000
> ecap 0019[180] = PCIe Sec 1 lane errors 0
> ecap 0017[190] = TPH Requester 1
> ecap 0018[21c] = LTR 1
> ecap 001e[224] = L1 PM Substates 1
> ecap 000b[234] = Vendor [1] ID 0002 Rev 4 Length 256
> rge1@pci0:4:0:0: class=0x020000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x10ec
> device=0x8126 subvendor=0x10ec subdevice=0x0123
> vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
> device = 'RTL8126 5GbE Controller'
> class = network
> subclass = ethernet
> bar [10] = type I/O Port, range 32, base 0xd000, size 256, enabled
> bar [18] = type Memory, range 64, base 0xf7500000, size 65536, enabled
> bar [20] = type Memory, range 64, base 0xf7510000, size 16384, enabled
> cap 01[40] = powerspec 3 supports D0 D1 D2 D3 current D0
> cap 05[50] = MSI supports 1 message, 64 bit, vector masks enabled with 1
> message
> cap 10[70] = PCI-Express 2 endpoint MSI 1 max data 256(512) RO
> max read 512
> link x1(x1) speed 8.0(8.0) ASPM disabled(L0s/L1) ClockPM
> enabled
> cap 11[b0] = MSI-X supports 32 messages
> Table in map 0x20[0x0], PBA in map 0x20[0x800]
> cap 03[d0] = VPD
> ecap 0001[100] = AER 2 0 fatal 0 non-fatal 0 corrected
> ecap 0002[148] = VC 1 max VC0
> ecap 0003[170] = Serial 1 01000000684ce000
> ecap 0019[180] = PCIe Sec 1 lane errors 0
> ecap 0017[190] = TPH Requester 1
> ecap 0018[21c] = LTR 1
> ecap 001e[224] = L1 PM Substates 1
> ecap 000b[234] = Vendor [1] ID 0002 Rev 4 Length 256
> rge2@pci0:5:0:0: class=0x020000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x10ec
> device=0x8126 subvendor=0x10ec subdevice=0x0123
> vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
> device = 'RTL8126 5GbE Controller'
> class = network
> subclass = ethernet
> bar [10] = type I/O Port, range 32, base 0xc000, size 256, enabled
> bar [18] = type Memory, range 64, base 0xf7400000, size 65536, enabled
> bar [20] = type Memory, range 64, base 0xf7410000, size 16384, enabled
> cap 01[40] = powerspec 3 supports D0 D1 D2 D3 current D0
> cap 05[50] = MSI supports 1 message, 64 bit, vector masks enabled with 1
> message
> cap 10[70] = PCI-Express 2 endpoint MSI 1 max data 256(512) RO
> max read 512
> link x1(x1) speed 8.0(8.0) ASPM disabled(L0s/L1) ClockPM
> enabled
> cap 11[b0] = MSI-X supports 32 messages
> Table in map 0x20[0x0], PBA in map 0x20[0x800]
> cap 03[d0] = VPD
> ecap 0001[100] = AER 2 0 fatal 0 non-fatal 0 corrected
> ecap 0002[148] = VC 1 max VC0
> ecap 0003[170] = Serial 1 01000000684ce000
> ecap 0019[180] = PCIe Sec 1 lane errors 0
> ecap 0017[190] = TPH Requester 1
> ecap 0018[21c] = LTR 1
> ecap 001e[224] = L1 PM Substates 1
> ecap 000b[234] = Vendor [1] ID 0002 Rev 4 Length 256
>
> Sean
> 1. https://www.brostrend.com/products/p2
> 2. https://www.zyxel.com/us/en-us/products/wireless/be11000-6-stream-wifi-7-triple-radio-nebulaflex-access-point-nwa130be
> 3. https://www.trendnet.com/products/2_5g-10g-switches/9-port-multi-gig-switch-TEG-S591-v1
> 4. https://www.nokia.com/asset/210704/
I have spent awhile trying different things yet cannot get these to work
at 2.5G. The Realtek vendor driver cannot negotiate at 2.5G nor can
Linux 6.18 (Arch Linux).
Important details:
- FreeBSD dmesg chip rev: RTL8126_2 (0x64a00000)
- Forcing them to advertise only at 2.5G on Linux using ethtool results
in the NIC never connecting to the link partner.
- Register dump from ethtool shows an interesting message:
Unknown RealTek chip (TxConfig: 0x67a00f00)
- lspci snippets:
05:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8126 5GbE Controller [10ec:8126] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:0123]
...
05:00.0 0200: 10ec:8126 (rev 01)
Subsystem: 10ec:0123
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
I/O ports at c000 [size=256]
Memory at f7400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Memory at f7410000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable+ 64bit+
Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, IntMsgNum 1
Capabilities: [b0] MSI-X: Enable+ Count=32 Masked-
Capabilities: [d0] Vital Product Data
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
Capabilities: [148] Virtual Channel
Capabilities: [170] Device Serial Number 01-00-00-00-68-4c-e0-00
Capabilities: [180] Secondary PCI Express
Capabilities: [190] Transaction Processing Hints
Capabilities: [21c] Latency Tolerance Reporting
Capabilities: [224] L1 PM Substates
Capabilities: [234] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0002 Rev=4 Len=100 <?>
Kernel driver in use: r8169
Kernel modules: r8169
- ethtool shows that the NIC claims to support and advertise
2500baseT/Full while the Link partner advertises it too.
Do these cards need more handling in the driver? Can anyone report the
RTL8126_2 as working for them at all supported speeds (at least 1G and
above)? Is there anything else I can get developers from these NICs?
Sadly, I am out of ideas. I am currently within the 30-day return so
have to consider that. Otherwise, I do like them.
Sean
--
scf@FreeBSD.org