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Troubleshooting Guidelines
Before you call for support, make sure you have completed the following steps for troubleshooting
network connectivity problems when the server is using adapter teaming.
• Make sure the link light is ON for every adapter and all the cables are attached.
• Check that the matching base and intermediate drivers belong to the same release and are loaded
correctly.
• Check for a valid IP Address using the Windows ipconfig command.
• Check that STP is disabled or Edge Port/Port Fast is enabled on the switch ports connected to the
team or that LiveLink is being used.
• Check that the adapters and the switch are configured identically for link speed and duplex.
• If possible, break the team and check for connectivity to each adapter independently to confirm
that the problem is directly associated with teaming.
• Check that all switch ports connected to the team are on the same VLAN.
• Check that the switch ports are configured properly for Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-
Draft Static type of teaming and that it matches the adapter teaming type. If the system is config-
ured for an SLB type of team, make sure the corresponding switch ports are not configured for
Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static types of teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
Under what circumstances is traffic not load
balanced? Why is all traffic not load balanced
evenly across the team members?
The bulk of traffic does not use IP/TCP/UDP or
the bulk of the clients are in a different network.
The receive load balancing is not a function of
traffic load, but a function of the number of
clients that are connected to the server.
What network protocols are load balanced when
in a team?
Broadcom's teaming software only supports IP/
TCP/UDP traffic. All other traffic is forwarded
to the primary adapter.
Which protocols are load balanced with SLB
and which ones are not?
Only IP/TCP/UDP protocols are load balanced
in both directions: send and receive. IPX is load
balanced on the transmit traffic only.
Can I team a port running at 100 Mbps with a
port running at 1000 Mbps?
Mixing link speeds within a team is only
supported for Smart Load Balancing™ teams
and 802.3ad teams.
Can I team a fiber adapter with a copper Gigabit
Ethernet adapter?
Yes with SLB, and yes if the switch allows for it
in FEC/GEC and 802.3ad.
What is the difference between adapter load
balancing and Microsoft's Network Load
Balancing (NLB)?
Adapter load balancing is done at a network
session level, whereas NLB is done at the server
application level.