[solved] Intel i226 Firmware (see post #39)

[Lucid1010]

According to current community information, the latest version is v2.36.

[davidfi01]

Where can 2.36 be downloaded from?

thanks in advance,
D

[BrandyWine]

According to current community information, the latest version is v2.36.

I can only find v2.32.
Maybe Intel has a v2.36 hidden behind one of their community pages?
I myself find it ridiculous that Intel makes it very difficult to get at NVM's.


Just a side note, I am working on very new Beelink EQ14 that has i226v (2MB) with old NVM. Another bewildering scenario, hardware makers are failing to at least flash the hardware with latest firmware. But since we have this thread, all fixed in a jiffy. :)

[Lucid1010]

It seems that we need an Intel Partner account to download the latest firmware.

[mikey313]

while upgrading my lan and wan to 2.5gbit I connected the lan port to the new poe zyxel core switch and boom. Network down. Even the unifi ap needed a power cycle. I could bypass with a unifi 1gbit switch to keep it working. I tried it all to make the nic compatible, with all tunable but only these posts here saved me. The only problem was the i226-v firmware. Now working smoothely


OLD

[00:002:00:00]: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V
   Vendor                 : 8086
   Device                 : 125C
   Subvendor              : 8086
   Subdevice              : 0000
   Revision               : 4
   LAN MAC                : 5847CA7D759C
   Alt MAC                : 000000000000
   SAN MAC                : 000000000000
   ETrackId               : 80000303
   SerialNumber           : 5847CAFFFF7D759C
   NVM Version            : 2.23(2.17)
   PBA                    : G23456-000
   VPD status             : Not set
   VPD size               : 0
   NVM update             : No config file entry
     checksum             : Valid
   OROM update            : No config file entry
     CIVD                 : 0.0.0
     EFI                  : 0.1.4, checksum None

—————-

NEW

[00:002:00:00]: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V
   Vendor                 : 8086
   Device                 : 125C
   Subvendor              : 8086
   Subdevice              : 0000
   Revision               : 4
   LAN MAC                : 5847CA7D759C
   Alt MAC                : 000000000000
   SAN MAC                : 000000000000
   ETrackId               : 80000422
   SerialNumber           : 5847CAFFFF7D759C
   NVM Version            : 2.50(2.32)
   PBA                    : G23456-000
   VPD status             : Not set
   VPD size               : 0
   NVM update             : No config file entry
     checksum             : Valid
   OROM update            : No config file entry
     CIVD                 : 0.0.0
     EFI                  : 0.1.5, checksum None


minisforum nab9, 512 ssd, 16 ram, opnsense 26.1
PoE++ Switch XMG-105HP 6 Port
Ubiquiti U7 Pro-Max

[BrandyWine]

@mikey313
ID 303 is a way old 2MB firmware, #2 in historical list of 6.

I know for sure, there's an enormous amount of 226's out there running on problematic NVM. If only more people knew about the fix. ;)

[stef]

Hello!

First of all, thank you for the guide!

I'm having the same problem as Olmari in post #159, though I have a generic dual-port i226v NIC (pcie x1)
The update fails without much more detail. (same exact output)

The system is a Optiplex 3050, i tried both on Linux (with the linux utility) and on a OPNsense 25.7 live ISO.
Running it on OPNsense, the inventory option didn't work (while on linux it did).
But in both cases, the update does fail in the same way.

After the failed firmware upgrade (from version 1.17) the nic doesn't have any MACaddress and it needs a reboot (hot one is fine) to be recognised correctly again.

What can be the problem here?

Thank you

[RobertoZ]

Hello!

First of all, thank you for the guide!

I'm having the same problem as Olmari in post #159, though I have a generic dual-port i226v NIC (pcie x1)
The update fails without much more detail. (same exact output)

The system is a Optiplex 3050, i tried both on Linux (with the linux utility) and on a OPNsense 25.7 live ISO.
Running it on OPNsense, the inventory option didn't work (while on linux it did).
But in both cases, the update does fail in the same way.

After the failed firmware upgrade (from version 1.17) the nic doesn't have any MACaddress and it needs a reboot (hot one is fine) to be recognised correctly again.

What can be the problem here?

Thank you

Do you have a Windows machine?  I tried under Linux and OPNsense and could not get it to work properly.  Finally booted into Windows and was able to get it to read the card and flash it. 

Mine is a generic two port card as well from AliExpress. 

[BrandyWine]

What can be the problem here?

Where did you get the flash tool from? If it's a legit i226v then there is no reason for the flashing to fail, but using the right util matters.

Another fast way to do it, get flash util from Intel bundle download, the one for linux. Download Ubuntu iso (any version), Rufus Ubuntu iso to USB, then copy your 226 util/cfg/bin to the USB. From there boot the device with usb using the "try it" mode option. Once booted make sure you can find the 226s with lspci -vvv |more

From there, just use the flash util that is on the usb. Simple.

[stef]

Do you have a Windows machine?  I tried under Linux and OPNsense and could not get it to work properly.  Finally booted into Windows and was able to get it to read the card and flash it. 

Mine is a generic two port card as well from AliExpress. 

Thank you for the suggestion! I don't have a windows desktop PC, but I can install it on a spare disk on the Optiplex I'm using.
Will try that!

Where did you get the flash tool from? If it's a legit i226v then there is no reason for the flashing to fail, but using the right util matters.

Another fast way to do it, get flash util from Intel bundle download, the one for linux. Download Ubuntu iso (any version), Rufus Ubuntu iso to USB, then copy your 226 util/cfg/bin to the USB. From there boot the device with usb using the "try it" mode option. Once booted make sure you can find the 226s with lspci -vvv |more

From there, just use the flash util that is on the usb. Simple.

Thank you!
I got the linux tool from Intel (it's the intel ethernet adapter complete driver pack, is it the right one?). I used it on a Proxmox host (latest kernel) installed on disk.
The freebsd tool I got it from post #39, the aws link, so I thought it was the correct one. There's no freebsd version in the driver pack.

[stef]

I tried windows too (and linux again) and I still get the same error:

Code Select Expand

Inventory
[00:003:00:00]: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V
Alternate MAC address is not set.
Flash inventory started.
Shadow RAM inventory started.
Shadow RAM inventory finished.
Flash inventory finished.
OROM inventory started.
OROM inventory finished.
Update
[00:003:00:00]: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V
Flash update started.
Error:    Flash update failed.
Device update failed.
Update security revisions
[00:003:00:00]: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V
Skipping update minimum security revisions.
Update VPD with VPD template
[00:003:00:00]: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V
Skipping VPD update with VPD template.
The NIC is a i226-V revision 4, i suppose it's genuine (but I have no idea how to check)

On Linux and Windows the card is read correctly, both ports show up in the inventory without issues and are recognised as Intel i226-V rev4

[BrandyWine]

There is FreeBSD util in the Intel bundle, you need to dig it out of the I210 TGZ zip that's in the I210 folder.

\Release_30.6.zip\NVMUpdatePackage\I210\I210_NVMUpdatePackage_v2_00_Linux.tar.gz\I210_NVMUpdatePackage_v2_00_Linux.tar\I210\Linux_x64\

2nd, please post your nvm cfg file you are using with flash util.

3rd, with a hyper-v, do not flash from a vm, flash only from the host OS.