Smart Dual LAN - where can I find information about it?

[Slider]

Hi, I'm new here but I've been using Gigabyte motherboards for something like 10 years or so in various PC builds.  Currently I have 4 Gigabyte motherboard based PCs (out of 8 PCs)...

Anyway, my question is about Smart Dual LAN.  I have searched and searched the Internet, manuals, Realtek's web site, etc. and I haven't been able to find a single thread, discussion, review, instructions, etc. on how to take advantage of the teaming function.

Can any of you point me to quality information about the Smart Dual LAN?

I purchased the latest GA-P55A-UD4P specifically to take advantage of the LAN teaming capability, but I can't figure out how to use it?

I currently have a Tyan motherboard based server with 3 LAN ports using Link Aggregation (manually configured 802.3ad, but automatic LACP is also supported) to the Cisco SLM2008 router.

When I plug the dual LAN ports on the P55A-UD4P into the SLM2008, they behave as two individual LAN connections and I can't figure out any way to configure teaming of the ports.

What protocol does Smart Dual LAN use?  Does it support LACP? 802.3ad manual link aggregation?, a Gigabyte proprietary format?  or what?  How can I take advantage of the LAN teaming capabilities on this motherboard?

BTW, the server's 4 RAID0 drives provide a sustained 470+ MB/s rear/write performance and the RAID 0 in the P55A-UD4P sustains about 250-270 MB/s so there is definitely enough hard drive bandwidth to take advantage of the advertised dual gigabit LAN performance.

Are any of you using the 2Gb/s LAN teaming capabilities on your Smart Dual LAN equipped Gigabyte motherboard?  How did you set it up?  What router are you using?  Do you have link aggregation functioning?

Thanks for any information.

[Dark Mantis]

Sorry I can't really help you on this one as I have never tried linking them although I knew about it from the manual and advertising blurb. I am surprised that no one else has been able to point you in the right direction though.

I would suggest asking GGTS for information on the subject.

Just enter your email address and click on the language of choice.
GGTS   http://ggts.gigabyte.com.tw/Default.aspx

I have just been checking through the manual and notice it does say that your router and or switch must be compatible. I expect thta you have seen it already but it is on page 87 of your manual.

http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-p55a-ud4(p)_v2.0_e.pdf

To enable Teaming or Bonding (IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation) feature, it is required that the connected network switch or router device supports the IEEE 802.3ad LACP standard.

[Slider]

DM, thanks for the reply.  You found my problem for me - although I am now as confused as ever.

I did read through the manual first, but when it came time to install the utilities I installed the "Smart Dual LAN" utility, not the generic "Realtek Diagnostic Utility".  I had assumed that Gigabyte had renamed it or something.  It turns out that in the optional utility folder on the CD ROM that there is the "Realtek Diagnostic Utility".  I installed it and there it was - full access to the Smart Dual LAN features; all through the Diagnostic Utility.

Here is where it gets confusing though.  I now have no idea what the "Smart Dual LAN" utility is for.  I just now uninstalled it since there doesn't seem to be any way to run it or anything.  Once it was uninstalled all of the Smart Dual LAN features are still available though the Diagnostic Utility.

Do you have any idea what the "Smart Dual LAN" utility is for?  I searched through the installation manual and other than stating the motherboard supports it, I can't find anything else about it.  Note the "Smart Dual LAN" utility is not a driver, nor is it the diagnostic utility that you use to take advantage of the Dual LAN features.  I tried executing the executables in the Smart Dual LAN program folder (one was called something like "SmartDualLAN.exe", but all they did was cause a breif black "flash" on the screen and then nothing.  No processes remain running or anything.

Is there any reason I should have the "Smart Dual LAN" utility installed at all?  Does it do anything?  Is it something left over from/for a different operating system or something?

Thanks...

[Dark Mantis]

As far as I am aware it is a redundancy package that if you have them both connected and one LAN port fails the other will automatically step in to fill the breach.

[Slider]

I wish Gigabyte did a better job at explaining what drivers and utilities do what.

I also wish they didn't install the Install Shield Update Manager along with most of the utilities.  Gigabyte doesn't have a web site configured for the Update Manager to check for updates so it is totally useless and a waste of resources.  To make matters worse there is no way to uninstall it and if you first install a bunch of utilities and then uninstall them the update manager keeps popping up error messages on the screen.  I had to manually download an Install Shield Update Manager uninstall utility and then manually delete the folder to get rid of it (and get rid of the error messages).

Stranger still, Gigabyte has their own Gigabyte Update Manager that can be installed that checks for updated utilities.  I tried installing it and it too installs the Install Shield Update Manager.  Neither of them were able to detect that new utilities were available from Gigabyte so I downloaded and installed the updates manually.

Basically the whole driver/utility situation is a total mess, especially as far as automatic updates are concerned.  Also many of the "updated" drivers available on the Gigabyte website are out of date or don't work.  For example what they call a driver for the Marvell SATA 6G controller isn't a driver at all.  It is just a virtual driver that enables the Marvell RAID Utility (MRU) to communicate with the driver.  If you do manually install the Marvell SATA 6G controller driver from the CD, it breaks the MRU making it so it cannot configure the RAID.  Looking elsewhere on the web drivers have been released roughly once a month for the Marvell SATA 6G Controller.  ASUS and other manufacturers have been regularly offering updated drivers with improved performance.

Right now I am still trying t figure out which driver/utility is causing my P55A-UD4P from "black screening" when it attempts to wake up from sleep.  It didn't do this until I installed the "Smart" utilities along with all of the updated drivers from the Gigabyte web site.  Uninstalling the utilities my system still crashes.  So far tech support has only been able to suggest removing all extra hardware, running one stick of memory, and resetting the BIOS.  Doing this didn't help and support so far isn't' offering any suggestions.

[Dark Mantis]

I am glad it is someone else this time banging on about not installing these programs, makes a change from me 

They generally cause more problems than they solve although some do have their place and some find them useful. All manufacturer's do it and seem to try to outdo each other on the freeware included with the motherboards.

[Slider]

I am glad it is someone else this time banging on about not installing these programs, makes a change from me 

They generally cause more problems than they solve although some do have their place and some find them useful. All manufacturer's do it and seem to try to outdo each other on the freeware included with the motherboards.

The entire reason I am here and have been researching the heck out of this motherboard (P55-UD4P) for the past week is ever since I uninstalled the utilities this computer will not resume from sleep.  I have been trying everything I can think of (other than a fresh install) and nothing I've tried resolves the "black screen" upon resume.

What could possibly have changed?  Grrr!!

(note I also updated the drivers from the Gigabyte website when I uninstalled and then tried the latest utilities and then uninstalled them again; on top of that there were a few Windows updates at the same time; I don't know what has triggered the "black screen" crashes, but something must have - unless there is an actual hardware issue somewhere)