realtek:r8169: Bugfix or workaround for missing extended GigaMAC registers settings

I get a board with 8168e-vl(10ec:8168 with RTL_GIGA_MAC_VER_34), everything looks well first, I can use ifconfig to set ip, netmask, etc. And the rx/tx statistics show by ifconfig looks good when I ping another host or ping it from another host. But it don't work, I can't get ICMP REPLAY from both sides, although the RX/TX statistics seem good.

After add some debug code, I found this NIC only accept ethernet broadcast package, it can't filter out the package send to its MAC address, but it works good for sending.So ifconfig show the RX/TX status means it can receive ARP package.(It don't know its MAC address, so below)

I have try the driver provided by realtek's website, it have the same problem at the first time. BUT IT WORK AFTER I REBOOT with CRTL-ALT-DEL, the reason is that realtek's driver call rtl8168_rar_set in the .shutdown function register with pci_register_driver. Yes, the really reason to make it work is rtl8689_rar_set, this function set extended GigaMAC registers, so after reboot without lost the power, NIC keep the status before reboot.

I haven't see any code to set GigaMAC registers in kernel when boot, so I guess BIOS or NIC's circuit make it, but of course one miss the extended GigaMAC registers in this problem. The probe code can get MAC address right, so MAC{0,4} must had been setted, but some guys forget the extended GigaMAC registers.

This patch fix it.

[ I don't known whether others' realtek's NIC with extended GigaMAC reigisters have the same problem, I meet it in 8168e-vl with RTL_GIGA_MAC_VER_34, so I make this patch just for it.]

Changes:
V1-V2:
I follow Francois Romieu 's below opinion to make this patch oneline:

I'd rather see the GigaMAC registers written through a call to rtl_rar_set when the mac address is read in rtl_init_one instead of duplicating most of rtl_rar_set in a quite different place.

V2-V3:
1:Add conditon code to around this fix, because it make no sense for most NIC
2:Add comment in code

---
 drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169.c | 8 ++++++++
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)

index 927aa33..5d98296 100644
@@ -6903,6 +6903,14 @@ rtl_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		dev->dev_addr[i] = RTL_R8(MAC0 + i);
 	memcpy(dev->perm_addr, dev->dev_addr, dev->addr_len);
 
+	/*
+	 *This is a fix for BIOS forget to set
+	 *extend GigaMAC registers
+	 *Wang YanQing 12/1/2012
+	 */
+	if (tp->mac_version == RTL_GIGA_MAC_VER_34) {
+	    rtl_rar_set(tp, dev->dev_addr);
+	}
 	SET_ETHTOOL_OPS(dev, &rtl8169_ethtool_ops);
 	dev->watchdog_timeo = RTL8169_TX_TIMEOUT;
 

1.7.11.1.116.g8228a23

Wang YanQing <[email protected]> :
[...]

Ueimor

I think brevity comment in code is good for
code's readableness. We read out the MAC{0,4},
and write them back in next line to call rtl_rar_set, it don't have obvious sense for new readers, so I think the brevity comment is good. Could you consider remaining the comment except the no sense line "Wang YanQing 12/1/2012"?

I add the test code to ignore the an extra MAC{0,4} write for non-8168evl devices, and if you think it is not a issue, then I agree with you to remove the test code.

Thanks.