Intel® Ethernet Adapters and Devices User Guide
Setting Speed and Duplex
The Link Speed and Duplex setting lets you choose how the adapter sends and receives data packets over the network.
In the default mode, an Intel network adapter using copper connections will attempt to auto-negotiate with its link partner to determine the best setting. If the adapter cannot establish link with the link partner using auto- negotiation, you may need to manually configure the adapter and link partner to the identical setting to establish link and pass packets. This should only be needed when attempting to link with an older switch that does not support auto- negotiation or one that has been forced to a specific speed or duplex mode.
Auto-negotiation is disabled by selecting a discrete speed and duplex mode in the adapter properties sheet. The settings available when auto-negotiation is disabled are dependent on your device. Not all speeds are available on all devices. Your link partner must match the setting you choose.
Only experienced network administrators should force speed and duplex manually.
Fiber-based adapters operate only in full duplex at their native speed. You cannot change the speed or duplex of Intel adapters that use fiber cabling.
Some devices may list 10Mbps and 100Mbps in full or half duplex as options. These settings are not recommended.
Link speed information in Intel® PROSet may display a blue informational icon with a mouse-over message “This device is not linked at its maximum capable speed.” In that case, if your device is set to auto-negotiate, you can adjust the speed of the device’s link partner to the device’s maximum speed. If the device is not set to auto-negotiate, you can adjust the device’s speed manually, but you must ensure the link partner is set at the same speed.
Auto-negotiation and Auto-Try are not supported on devices based on the Intel® Ethernet Connection X552 and Intel® Ethernet Connection X553.
Manually Configuring Duplex and Speed Settings
The settings at the switch must always match the adapter settings. Adapter performance may suffer, or your adapter might not operate correctly if you configure the adapter differently from your switch.
The default setting is for auto-negotiation to be enabled. Only change this setting to match your link partner’s speed and duplex setting if you are having trouble connecting.
In Intel® PROSet for Windows* Device Manager:
In Windows* Device Manager, double-click the adapter you want to configure.
On the Link Speed tab, select a speed and duplex option from the Speed and Duplex drop-down menu.
Click OK.
In Intel® PROSet Adapter Configuration Utility (Intel® PROSet ACU), link speed is reported on the Adapter Information panel. Change speed and duplex in the Adapter Settings panel.
To change this setting in Windows PowerShell*, use the
Set-IntelNetAdapterSetting -Name "<adapter_name>" -DisplayName "Speed & Duplex" -DisplayValue "Auto Negotiation"