Intel i226 Firmware

[BrandyWine]

If you have the i226-V nic controller, check the firmware version you have.
dmesg | grep igc

Mine is v2.17, a rev or so behind whatever the latest is.

Some bin versions here
https://github.com/BillyCurtis/Intel-i226-V-NVM-Firmware/blob/main/README.md

I see some users posting issues about i210 with igb driver from freeBSD. Not sure about issues with i226, but many of the mini chinese pc's (N100 N150, etc) seem to be flashed with old firmware.

[CGrisamore]

Well this message is timely.

2 days ago I swapped my usual Protectli box with a Lenovo M700 tiny to which I had added an m.2 i226 based ethernet port.  Just checked firmware as per your message and mine has v2.17 firmware as well (see below).

[1] igc0: <Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-V> mem 0xdf100000-0xdf1fffff,0xdf200000-0xdf203fff irq 18 at device 0.0 on pci1
[1] igc0: EEPROM V2.17-0 eTrack 0x80000303

As it's working fine, I'm kinda reluctant to roll the dice on flashing new firmware.

[meyergru]

As it's working fine, I'm kinda reluctant to roll the dice on flashing new firmware.

Exactly my thoughts when I researched this:

I have v2.13 and no problems whatsoever. As a matter of fact, Intel offers no firmware updates on their Intel Network Driver disk for these adapters. I have not seen a proper tool to actually flash I226 NICs. Apart from that: Which one should I use? 1 MByte or2 MByte?

And BTW: There are different chip types, like I226-V and I226-LM and also, different hardware revisions (early one are said to cause problems).
So, there might be a reason why Intel delegates those updates to the manufacturers, who should know which firmware is appropriate for their build-in specimens.

[meyergru]

DELETED, double post...

[BrandyWine]

In the context of post #1, if your 226-V is posing issues, like others have ran into with i210.
If it working ok now then leave it.

When might it become an issue? Who knows, maybe after an OS update, or you use a specific feature you never used before.

Release notes with the bin files would be helpful.
I looked at a bin in HxD, the 1MB v2.32 bin on that site is mostly padding, the bottom 2/3's is just FF.
The bundle below, for i210, are all 2MB bin files. I suspect 210 226 etc are all 2MB EEPROM.

More info:
Intel has a latest release bundle, it's dated Aug 21 2025, i226 and i210 are in it. Edit: they mention 226 in the notes (link), but the bundle does not appear to have 226 in it. Wow, Intel going doesn the tubes.
https://downloadmirror.intel.com/863589/readme.txt
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/content-details/778690/intel-ethernet-controller-products-release-notes.html?DocID=778690
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/15084/intel-ethernet-adapter-complete-driver-pack.html