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PowerEdge: Network Interface Card (NIC) Testing with Support Live Image (SLI)

Summary: This article shows how to do network card testing using the Support Live Image (SLI).

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

Dell SLI is a live boot OS built by Dell that includes several diagnostics tools. SLI can be used to troubleshoot Network Interface Card (NIC) hardware not seen in the OS. So long as the NIC is seen in the BIOS or iDRAC.
It can also be used to check down or dead NIC ports, dropped packets, connectivity issues, and network throughput issues. 
Once Support Live is booted, open 'Terminal' from 'Applications' as shown in the below image.
 
This figure shows the terminal selection under application > favorites in the live image UI

Verify if the NIC status in SLI

  1. On the server, connect the network cable to one or more ports that are having issues. Do not disconnect ports that are already connected.
  2. Type ifconfig and then press Enter to display the network interface parameters, such as the IP address. Observe: 
    • Does SLI see the NIC hardware?
    • Does SLI say that the port is UP?
      • UP Example: em1: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
    • Does SLI receive an IP address from DHCP?
      • Example: inet 10.1.1.23 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 10.1.1.255
  3. Type ip route or route and then press Enter to determine the default gateway. Observe:
    • Does SLI receive a default gateway from DHCP?
    • What is the default gateway (used in the next step)? 
  4. Type ping <ip_address> -b and then press Enter to verify if you can ping the default gateway. Use Ctrl+C to end the ping test. 
    • Example: ping 10.1.1.1 -b
 

Assigning Static IP Address and Default Gateway


If the port is UP and DHCP assigned an IP address, then skip this step. 
  1. At the command prompt, type su — and then press Enter.
  2. The Password prompt is displayed.
  3. Type dell and press Enter.
  4. The root command prompt is displayed.
  5. Type service NetworkManager stop and press Enter.
  6. To assign a static IP, type ifconfig <eth0> <ip_address> netmask <subnet> and press Enter.
    • Example: ifconfig eth0 10.1.1.55 netmask 255.255.0.0
  7. To assign a default gateway, type route add default gw <ip_address> and press Enter.
    • Example: route add default gw 10.1.1.1
  8. Type service NetworkManager start and then press Enter.
  9. Type ping <ip_address> -b and then press Enter to verify if you can ping the default gateway.
    • Example: ping 10.1.1.1 -b
 

Network Performance Testing with iPerf3


If pings to the default gateway or other servers are not successful, then skip this step.

iPerf is a tool that is installed on two servers to test the available network bandwidth. iPerf is included with Dell SLI. Server A is the problem server booted to Dell SLI. Server B is a working secondary server. 
  1. Verify Server A and Server B can ping each other. 000139427
  2. Verify iPerf is available on Server B.
    • Option 1: Boot to the SLI on the working server. iPerf is included with Dell SLI.
    • Option 2: Install iPerf on working server. See 000139427 for details.  
  3. Start iPerf Server on Server B.
    • For SLI, at the command prompt type iperf3 –s and then press Enter to start iPerf server.  
  4. On Server A, while booted to SLI, at the command prompt type iperf3 -h and then press Enter. The help options are displayed.
  5. On Server A, at the command prompt type iperf3 -c <Server_B_ip_address> -t 30s -d and then press Enter to start the test.
    • Example: iperf3 -c 10.1.1.50 -t 30s -d
    • Depending on the issue, the iperf test perimeters can be changed to match the customer’s traffic patterns. 
  6. Record the results of the test.  

Additional Information

Download link for the SLI 3.0:

SLI for 13/14G

Affected Products

AX-640, AX-740XD, Storage Spaces Direct R440 Ready Node, Storage Spaces Direct R640 Ready Node, Storage Spaces Direct R740xd Ready Node, Storage Spaces Direct R740xd2 Ready node, OEMR R230, OEMR R240, OEMR R330, OEMR R340, OEMR R430, OEMR R440 , PowerEdge XR2, OEMR R530, OEMR R540, OEMR R630, OEMR R640, OEMR XL R640, OEMR R6415, OEMR R730, OEMR R730xd, OEMR R740, OEMR XL R740, OEMR R740xd, OEMR XL R740xd, OEMR R740xd2, OEMR R7415, OEMR R7425, OEMR R830, OEMR R840, OEMR R930, OEMR R940, OEMR R940xa, OEMR T130, OEMR T140, OEMR T330, OEMR T340, OEMR T430, OEMR T440, OEMR T630, OEMR T640, OEMR XL T640, OEMR XL R230, OEMR XL R240, OEMR XL R330, OEMR XL R340, OEMR XL R630, OEMR XL R730, OEMR XL R730XD, PowerEdge C4130, Poweredge C4140, PowerEdge c6320, PowerEdge c6320p, PowerEdge C6420, Poweredge FC430, Poweredge FC630, PowerEdge FC640, Poweredge FC830, PowerEdge M630, PowerEdge M630 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge M640, PowerEdge M640 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge M830, PowerEdge M830 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge MX740C, PowerEdge MX840C, PowerEdge R230, PowerEdge R240, PowerEdge R330, PowerEdge R340, PowerEdge R430, PowerEdge R440, PowerEdge R530, PowerEdge R530xd, PowerEdge R540, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R6415, PowerEdge R730, PowerEdge R730xd, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge R740XD, PowerEdge R740XD2, PowerEdge R7415, PowerEdge R7425, PowerEdge R830, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R930, PowerEdge R940, PowerEdge R940xa, PowerEdge T130, PowerEdge T140, PowerEdge T330, PowerEdge T340, PowerEdge T440, PowerEdge T640, PowerEdge XE2420, PowerEdge XE7420, PowerEdge XE7440, VxFlex Ready Node R640, VxFlex Ready Node R740xd, Dell EMC vSAN C6420 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN MX740c Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R440 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R640 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R6415 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R740 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R740xd Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R840 Ready Node, PowerFlex appliance R640, PowerFlex appliance R740XD, PowerFlex appliance R840, VxFlex Ready Node R840 ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000120458
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 11 Feb 2025
Version:  7
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