Intel® Ethernet Adapters and Devices User Guide
Gigabit PHY Mode
This feature determines whether an adapter or link partner is designated as the primary. The other device is designated as the secondary. By default, the IEEE 802.3ab specification defines how conflicts are handled. Multi-port devices, such as switches have higher priority over single port devices and are assigned as the primary. If both devices are multi-port devices, the one with higher seed bits becomes the primary.
The default setting is called Hardware Default. Setting the value to any other than the default will override the hardware default.
When Gigabit PHY Mode is forced to Primary mode on both the Intel adapter and its link partner, the link speed obtained by the Intel adapter may be lower than expected or link may not be established.
To change this setting in Intel® PROSet:
This setting is found on the Advanced tab of the device’s Device Manager property sheet or in the Adapter Settings panel in Intel® PROSet Adapter Configuration Utility (Intel® PROSet ACU).
To change this setting in Windows PowerShell*, use the
Set-IntelNetAdapterSetting -Name "<adapter_name>" -DisplayName "Gigabit PHY Mode" -DisplayValue "Auto Detect"
Possible values for this setting are:
Force Primary Mode
Force Secondary Mode
Auto-Detect
When Gigabit PHY Mode is forced to Primary mode on both the Intel® Ethernet adapter and its link partner, the link speed obtained by the Intel adapter may be lower than expected or link may not be established.