Bug#892105: linux-image-4.9.0-6-amd64: i40e driver still unstable

["Raymond Burkholder" <ray@oneunified.net>]

> Our usual solution is to install a i40e driver from Intel (version
> 1.6.42 works nice for us). Please note that this is the only driver
taining our
> kernel - as a workaround.

I am in a similar circumstance.  After a few days of moderate operation, it
appears packets can be transmitted, but tcpdump does not see the ingress
packet.  The IRQs may have issues?

I did some troubleshooting with a network appliance vendor in whose devices
these cards are installed.

Their comments are to use a more current kernel, and to use Intel's drivers
from their e1000 sourceforge site.  The i40e driver in a more current kernel
may operate better.  Debian Stretch has 4.14 in stretch-backports.  

I see many many commits to the i40e module between the 4.9 and 4.14 kernel
versions.  Maybe the issue has been solved in a more recent kernel/module
incarnation.  And/Or use the intel (tainted) module/driver.  I am persuing
both:  install the stretch-backports kernel (which provides additional
iproute2 functions as a bonus), plus install the separate intel i40e driver.
I am testing my auto-build scripts to suit the new requirements.

What the real problem is with the driver, I do not know.  The above is my
version of a workaround.


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