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Network Adapters

Network adapters, also known as network interfaces (NICs) or network interface controllers, play a crucial role in enabling network connectivity and serve as the interface connecting CyberEdge to a network. CyberEdge supports various options for network connectivity. As a default setting, Ethernet adapters are deactivated until they are assigned a network connection and configured within an appropriate network zone. The specific configuration of network adapters is contingent upon the make and model of your CyberEdge appliance. For detailed information, refer to the configuration matrix specific to your CyberEdge appliance's network adapter configuration.

Ethernet Network Configuration

Ethernet networking is extensively employed in local area networks (LANs), outlining a set of protocols and standards that facilitate communication and data sharing among devices across a physical network. The subsequent configuration options are available for Ethernet adapters on your CyberEdge.

MTU Configuration

The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is a parameter that defines the maximum allowable size of a data packet for transmission across a network. MTU is measured in bytes and signifies the maximum payload size encapsulated within a single network packet. Adhering to specific size constraints is crucial for ensuring efficient and error-free communication. MTU plays a crucial role in preventing fragmentation, which occurs when a packet exceeds the MTU of a specific network segment. In such instances, the packet may need to undergo fragmentation into smaller pieces to ensure successful transmission.

By default, the CyberEdge MTU size is set to 1500 Bytes. The maximum supported MTU size is 9000 Bytes. To configure the MTU of an Adapter Interface navigate to:

  1. Networks > Adapters
  2. Select the network adapter interface and click “edit”
  3. Go to “Advanced configuration” and specify the required MTU in Bytes
  4. Click “Save” and “Apply Changes”

Note

Incorrect MTU configurations can be difficult to diagnose and may cause significant networking issues

Network Speed

The network speed is automatically determined by the network adapter card of CyberEdge. By default, this is set to auto negotiate. In most cases, this configuration should not be changed to avoid inconsistency on network speed negotiations. Information on 10G and 40G network options is outlined below. To configure the network speed for a network adapter interface, navigate to:

  1. Networks > Adapters
  2. Select the network adapter interface and click “edit”
  3. Go to “Advanced configuration” and specify the required Speed option
  4. Click “Save” and “Apply Changes”

Warning

Applying changes to the network interface speed configuration will result in the adapter restarting. These changes should be completed at a suitable time to avoid network disruption

Duplex Mode

Network duplex mode pertains to the method of communication between network devices for sending and receiving data. It focuses on the direction of data flow and how devices manage incoming and outgoing transmissions. There are two principal duplex modes, Full and Half duplex.

  • Half Duplex: In half-duplex mode, a network device can either send or receive data at any given time, but not both simultaneously
  • Full Duplex: In full-duplex mode, a network device can both send and receive data simultaneously

To mitigate network configuration concerns related to duplex modes, the common practice is to employ auto-negotiation. This feature enables devices to automatically ascertain the optimal duplex mode and other parameters when establishing the initial link. By default, the CyberEdge duplex mode is set to Auto. To configure the duplex mode for a network adapter interface, navigate to:

  1. Networks > Adapters
  2. Select the network adapter interface and click “edit”
  3. Go to “Advanced configuration” and specify the Duplex mode option
  4. Click “Save” and “Apply Changes”

Warning

Applying changes to the network interface speed configuration will result in the adapter restarting. These changes should be completed at a suitable time to avoid network disruption

Receive Offload

Receive Offload, often referred to as Receive Side Scaling (RSS), is a network optimization technique that offloads certain processing tasks from the CyberEdge’s CPU to the network card. Receive Offload is designed to enhance the efficiency of receiving and processing network traffic and in network requiring larger throughput. By default, GRO is enabled on all network interface cards.

  • GRO: Generic Receive Offload is not bound to any specific transport protocol, making it protocol-agnostic. This more versatile technique consolidates small packets into larger ones without being constrained by a particular networking protocol.

  • LRO: Large Receive Offload is specifically designed for Ethernet networks and is often associated with TCP/IP traffic. It involves aggregating multiple small incoming packets into a single, larger packet before passing them to the host's networking stack. In virtual machine setups, Receive Offload is initially set to disabled. It is advisable to refer to your virtualization vendor for optimal configuration recommendations. To configure Receive Offload for a network adapter interface, navigate to:

  • Networks > Adapters

  • Select the network adapter interface and click “edit”
  • Go to “Advanced configuration” and specify Receive Offload option required
  • Click “Save” and “Apply Changes”
  • Once applied, the network adapter requires a reload. To reload the network adapter, go to Networks > Adapters_ and select “restart the adapter” to reload,

Note

  • Enable Large Receive Offload (LRO) or Generic Receive Offload (GRO) to reduce packet processing overhead in supported virtual environments
  • Changing the Receive Offload configuration is a disruptive process that requires the network adapter to be restarted

10G Network Adapters

CyberEdge provides 10G networking on its HR-Series appliances. The default configuration includes 2 x 10G SFP ports, and users have the flexibility to include an additional (optional) 2-port 10G SFP interface card as required. This may be essential for setups utilizing the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on 10G networks. CyberEdge 10G networking is powered by Intel.

Note

  • SFP optics are NOT provided by CyberEdge. Please consult your network switch vendor documentation for more information on compatibility
  • To obtain improved network performance, always ensure GRO is enabled on 10G network adapters
  • 10G network adapters will have auto-negotiate set to disabled as it is not supported

40G Network Adapters

CyberEdge provides the option for 2 x 40G SFP ports on HR-3 Series appliances. It's important to note that 40G networking is considered a non-standard hardware configuration, and opting for it may lead to extended lead times for delivery.

Note

  • SFP optics are NOT provided by CyberEdge. Please consult your network vendor documentation for more information on compatibility
  • To obtain improved network performance, always ensure GRO is enabled on 40G network adapters.
  • 40G network adapters will have auto-negotiate set to disabled as it is not supported
  • CyberEdge does NOT guarantee 40G line rates or firewall throughput

VLAN Adapters

VLANs, or Virtual Local Area Networks, serve as a network protocol in Ethernet networks, strategically dividing a physical LAN into distinct and isolated broadcast domains. Despite devices in different VLANs potentially sharing the same network infrastructure, each VLAN functions as an independent logical network. To create or configure VLAN’s on your CyberEdge navigate to:

  1. Networks > Adapters
  2. Click “Add” VLAN Adapter

  3. Provide the following information

    • Name: The name of the VLAN. This object will become referenceable in the management user interface
    • Description: The description of the VLAN
    • Parent Adapter: The physical adapter the VLAN will be configured to use
    • VLAN ID: The VLAN ID to be assigned. The VLAN ID value should be between 2-4000
    • MTU: Set the MTU size required for the bonded adapter. Be default, MTU size is set to 1500 Bytes

  4. Click “Save” and “Apply Changes”

The configured VLAN's will now be displayed nested within its parent interface.

Example VLAN adapter

Note

VLAN 1 is often reserved as the default VLAN and is commonly used for management traffic. It is good practice to avoid using VLAN 1 for user data.

LACP (Bonded) Adapters

LACP, or Link Aggregation Control Protocol, is a standardized protocol employed to facilitate the parallel bundling of multiple network connections to create a single logical link. Operating at the data link layer (Layer 2), LACP is commonly used to enhance redundancy between network devices. To configure bonding (LACP) of network adapters navigate to:

  1. Networks > Adapters
  2. Click “Add” Bonded adapter
  3. Provide the following information
    • Name: The name of the bonded adapter. This object will become referenceable in the management user interface
    • Description: The description of the bonded adapter
    • Bonded Adapters: The network adapters you require to be bonded. Bonding requires a minimum of 2 adapters to be bonded. Typically, no more than two are recommended, however additional adapters can be added.
    • Bonding Mode: In most cases, 802.3ad is the recommended bonding mode as it supports fault tolerance, load balancing and redundancy
    • MTU: Set the MTU size required for the bonded adapter. Be default, MTU size is set to 1500 Bytes
  4. Click “Save” and “Apply Changes”

The LACP (Bonded) adapter is now available for use as a unified logical adapter

Example LACP Bonded Adapter

CyberEdge Network Adapter Configuration Matrix

Additional details on the network configuration options for the CyberEdge Hardware Appliance can be found here. here