mii-tool - view, manipulate media-independent interface status

mii-tool [-v, --verbose] [-V, --version] [-R, --reset] [-r, --restart] [-w, --watch] [-l, --log] [-A, --advertise=media,...] [-F, --force=media] [interface ...]

This utility checks or sets the status of a network interface's Media Independent Interface (MII) unit. Most fast ethernet adapters use an MII to autonegotiate link speed and duplex setting.

Most intelligent network devices use an autonegotiation protocol to communicate what media technologies they support, and then select the fastest mutually supported media technology. The -A or --advertise options can be used to tell the MII to only advertise a subset of its capabilities. Some passive devices, such as single-speed hubs, are unable to autonegotiate. To handle such devices, the MII protocol also allows for establishing a link by simply detecting either a 10baseT or 100baseT link beat. The -F or --force options can be used to force the MII to operate in one mode, instead of autonegotiating. The -A and -F options are mutually exclusive.

The default short output reports the negotiated link speed and link status for each interface. If an interface or interfaces are not specified on the command line, then mii-tool will check any available interfaces from eth0 through eth7.

-v, --verbose

Display more detailed MII status information. If used twice, also display raw MII register contents.

-V, --version

Display program version information.

-R, --reset

Reset the MII to its default configuration.

-r, --restart

Restart autonegotiation.

-w, --watch

Watch interface(s) and report changes in link status. The MII interfaces are polled at one second intervals.

-l, --log

Used with -w, records link status changes in the system log instead of printing on standard output.

-F media, --force=media

Disable autonegotiation, and force the MII to either 100baseTx-FD, 100baseTx-HD, 10baseT-FD, or 10baseT-HD operation.

-A media,..., --advertise=media,...

Enable and restart autonegotiation, and advertise only the specified media technologies. Multiple technologies should be separated by commas. Valid media are 100baseT4, 100baseTx-FD, 100baseTx-HD, 10baseT-FD, and 10baseT-HD.

SIOCGMIIPHY on 'eth?' failed: Invalid argument

If the interface is not running (up), kernel will refuse to report its link state.

SIOCGMIIPHY on 'eth?' failed: Operation not permitted

Most kernels restrict access to root.

SIOCGMIIPHY on 'eth?' failed: No such device

This error is shown, if the kernel does not know about the named device.

SIOCGMIIPHY on 'eth?' failed: Operation not supported

The interface in question does not support MII queries. Most likely, it does not have MII transceivers, at all.

David Hinds - dhinds@pcmcia.sourceforge.org

Donald Becker - becker@scyld.com

Bernd Eckenfels - ecki@debian.org