Zitat von Unb0rn im Beitrag #110

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Here you go! As always, latest versions of modules and microcode.
Intel EFI RAIDriver 14.8.2.2397
Intel Gigabit UNDI 0.0.09

OROMS:
Intel RST OROM 14.8.2.2397
Intel Boot Agent CL 0.1.06

Microcode 36(2015/08/10)
Realtek module removed.

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One of the things I find frustrating about this forum is that recommendations normally come with no explanations of the facts that went into making the recommendation. This makes it impossible to evaluate the reliability of the recommendation or to decide if I agree with the judgement that went into making the recommendation.

This LAN update issue is a perfect example. The ASUS Rampage V Extreme Bios comes with:

OROM Intel Boot Agent GE - 1.5.47
EFI Intel PRO/1000 UNDI - 6.0.24

According to @SoniX :

If onboard 1 NIC 82579/217/218/219 - Gigabit UNDI v0.0.09 (for Aptio 4 Boot Agent CL v0.1.05)
If onboard 1 NIC 210/211/350 - PRO/1000 UNDI v6.9.07 (for Aptio 4 Boot Agent GE v1.5.72)

The R5E comes with the Intel I218V chip, so I seem to have two choices. ASUS clearly thinks that the Intel PRO/1000 UNDI works with that chip. If I trust that conclusion, then I ought to update the BIOS to Intel PRO/1000 UNDI 6.9.07 and Boot Agent 1.5.73.

On the other hand I have SoniX's recommendation that the 218 chip is best supported by the Gigabyte UNDI. If I trust that conclusion, then I ought to switch the BIOS to Gigabyte UNDI 0.0.09 and Boot Agent 0.1.06.

Without any information about why those are the correct conclusions, how can I choose between them? The Gigabyte UNDI and corresponding Boot Agent's versions numbers seem very immature to me. I would normally avoid them like the plague regardless of whether or not they are specifically developed for the 218 chip. I prefer that others work out the bugs in my software rather than myself.

But without some idea of why the recommendation is to switch from what ASUS used to the much newer firmware, I have absolutely no way to make that choice based on facts. Are there problems using the Intel PRO/1000 with the Intel I218V? Are there real advantages to switching to the Gigabyte UNDI or is it just a matter of "it's specific to this chip and it seems to work"?

Since version OROM Boot Agent GE v1.5.7x and EFI 1000/PRO Undi 6.7.xx Intel removed support chips 82579, i217 and i218. If you are using a later version of these chips, then you will be nothing to work with
Support chips 82579, 217, 218, and 219 is now implemented in the new modules OROM Boot Agent CL and EFI Gigabit Undi.

So if I wanted to avoid a potentially immature Gigabyte UNDI 0.0.09 and Boot Agent 0.1.06 an alternative might be to update to the last version of Intel PRO/1000 UNDI 6.6.xx and Boot Agent 1.5.6x? Are those still available anywhere?

I'm following this line of questioning because of Unb0rn's comment about being unable to completely disable the network stack with the 0.0.X Gigabit UNDI. I want to avoid that problem so I'm trying to figure out if there's an alternative to just leaving that part of the BIOS alone.

Just mod your own if you're not happy with the offerings here, that is what most people have done :)

Zitat von rmongiovi im Beitrag #139

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So if I wanted to avoid a potentially immature Gigabyte UNDI 0.0.09 and Boot Agent 0.1.06 an alternative might be to update to the last version of Intel PRO/1000 UNDI 6.6.xx and Boot Agent 1.5.6x? Are those still available anywhere?

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Zitat

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I'm following this line of questioning because of Unb0rn's comment about being unable to completely disable the network stack with the 0.0.X Gigabit UNDI. I want to avoid that problem so I'm trying to figure out if there's an alternative to just leaving that part of the BIOS alone.

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Try, test, there is always a solution.

I thought this was an issue we already discussed about it earlier SoniX, and I pointed out that the logical think would be to go for the UNDI 6.x (in accordance to guidelines you posted earlier in another topic regarding LAN modules and their corresponding ROMs) but you pointed out that UNDI 0.0.09 is the latest one and your follow-up modded BIOS included that instead of UNDI 6.x.

So should we go on and update to UNDI 6.x or is the UNDI 6.x applicable with the irrelevant "Realtek LAN module" included, and UNDI 0.0.09 when the "Realtek LAN module" is removed?

@ Fabulist
For chips 82579, 217 and 218 you can use only:
1) old modules
- EFI PRO/1000 Undi v6.6.04 and lower
- OROM Boot Agent GE v1.5.62 and lower
2) new modules
- EFI Gigabit Undi v0.0.1 and and higher
- OROM Boot Agent CL 0.1.04 and higher
Only these versions support work with chips 82579, 217 and 218.
To what version update is a personal matter.
I have a 218 chip, the new modules are used, no problem.
But if there are problems with the new version you can always leave the originals.

*
- EFI PRO/1000 Undi v6.7.xx and higher
- OROM Boot Agent GE v1.5.7x and higher
These versions are no longer supported by chips 82579, 217 and 218, only 210, 211 and 350.

Realtek can be removed, it is superfluous. But if you use a network card from Realtek that the file can be left.

Every time I have updated my BIOS with a new RAID EFI I have completely lost my RAID setup....even after adjusting my settings and then trying to recreating the identical RAID (Same name, drive sequence, etc...) I only managed to save everything by using Testdisk. I am not sure how to upgrade without losing all RAID data and then having to perform a recovery. Scared the hell out of me.....

Zitat von rmongiovi im Beitrag #137

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One of the things I find frustrating about this forum...

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Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #145

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Zitat von ESausman im Beitrag #144

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Every time I have updated my BIOS with a new RAID EFI I have completely lost my RAID setup....

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That is not normal at all.
Questions:
1. Which Intel EFI RaidDriver BIOS module versions did you update with which versions?
2. Which Intel RAID driver were/are you running?
3. Why did you update the Intel EFI RaidDriver modules at all?

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@lordkag
Wow, take things personal much? I didn't particularly have you in mind when I said that, but if the shoe fits then I certainly don't want to get in the way of a good rant. On the other hand, I thought that the response from @SoniX to @Fabulist was spectacular. It actually provided information that other people could use in helping to come to an informed conclusion. Isn't that what you're trying to accomplish here?

I'm not clear on exactly what work I was asking anyone to perform for me. I made the statement, which to me seems self evident, that the sentence "use A instead of B" is much less useful than "use A instead of B because C." I've modded my own copy of the R5E BIOS to manually update the microcode and the IRST OROMs and efi. And I managed to do that without even the temptation to ask you to do it for me.

I didn't complain about UBU. In fact, I didn't mention it. Since Asus buried the Intel Boot Agent in with the two copies of the RST OROM under the same GUID UBU can't deal with it. Hence my interest in doing it myself. And up until that recent response from @SoniX no search of this forum led me to a posting containing information equivalent to his last post (or I didn't understand them if they did) because they all seemed to me to be recommendations for particular releases with no explanation for why that release was suggested. Hence my comment about the lack of information in a pronouncement that just says "use X."

I'm not entirely certain how I could answer this question for myself. My google-fu isn't strong enough to even find alternative versions of the Boot Agent. All I managed to find on the Intel web site is a program which, if I read the readme correctly, can generate Boot Agent OROMs. Unfortunately it seems to be a 16 bit application that won't run under Windows 10.

So I turned to this thread since it seems to be where the folks with the knowledge reside. I would have liked to have been able to answer the question without having to inflict myself on your valuable time, but none of the answers already present gave me enough information to decide the best course of action if I wanted to avoid release numbers like 0.0.09 and 0.1.06. I was unable to find even a clue as to what the best viable alternative is.

I'm sorry if I offended you. I wasn't intending to question your judgement. I just wanted to understand it.

@ rmongiovi
I do not think someone can tell exactly which version will work best and which is worse. On the experience I know that two of the same motherboards with the same file in certain circumstances may work differently. All I can tell is what versions of working and which are not.