Should I Turn Of Energy Efficient Ethernet?
What is Energy Efficient Ethernet?
Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) is a technology introduced in the IEEE 802.3az standard that reduces power consumption of Ethernet interfaces during periods of low data activity. It works by powering down certain circuits when there is no data to transmit. The powered down state is called Low Power Idle (LPI) mode.
Specifically, EEE powers down the transmitter and receiver circuits during LPI mode, allowing the PHY chip (the Ethernet interface hardware) to save power. The MAC chip (used for Ethernet framing and addressing) stays powered on during LPI so it can wake the PHY chip when data needs to be sent or received. This makes the transition in and out of LPI very quick, with latency in the microseconds.
By intelligently powering down during idle periods, EEE can achieve significant power savings with minimal impact on performance. The time it takes to transition in and out of LPI is fast enough that protocols like TCP remain unaffected.
The Benefits of EEE
Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) was developed in order to reduce power consumption of network equipment during periods of low network traffic. By putting Ethernet interfaces into a low power idle mode when not in use, EEE can provide meaningful power savings and environmental benefits.
According to the Wikipedia article on Energy-Efficient Ethernet, EEE can potentially reduce energy costs by an estimated $450 million per year in the United States alone[1]. Power savings from EEE can also reduce electrical waste heat, which can lower cooling demands in data centers and telecom facilities.
A thread on Reddit also highlights the potential power savings of EEE, with one commenter noting that disabling EEE provided over 200W of power savings across their network switches[2]. This demonstrates the substantial impact EEE can have on energy consumption.
By reducing power usage, EEE provides both financial and environmental benefits. The energy savings can be significant, especially in large network deployments. While the power reduction per port or device may not seem dramatic, the overall savings add up across an entire enterprise or data center network.
When EEE is Used
Energy Efficient Ethernet utilizes low power idle modes during periods of low network traffic to save power. The primary triggers for enabling EEE are long periods of network inactivity.
EEE introduces low power idle or “sleep” states to Ethernet interfaces. When no data needs to be sent, EEE will shift the interface into a low power mode to conserve energy. These sleep states can reduce the power usage of an idle Ethernet link by 50-80%. As soon as there is data to be transmitted, the interface immediately wakes back up.
The low power idle states in EEE are most useful for Ethernet links that experience bursty traffic patterns with periods of low utilization. Examples would be desktop PCs, laptops, printers and other devices that may sit idle for long stretches before suddenly transmitting a burst of data. Links with consistent high throughput like servers would see less EEE benefit.
Overall EEE provides the most value in networks with intermittent low traffic volumes. The sleep states allow Ethernet connections to scale down power draw during lulls without sacrificing responsiveness.
Potential Drawbacks of EEE
While Energy Efficient Ethernet can help reduce power consumption, it comes with some potential drawbacks to consider:
Increased Latency – EEE works by essentially putting the Ethernet link to sleep during periods of low network traffic. However, this sleep and wake cycle can introduce increased latency as the link transitions between low power and active states 1. This may negatively impact applications sensitive to network latency.
Compatibility Issues – Some older network switches and NICs may not properly support EEE standards. This could lead to connectivity problems or negotiation failures between EEE-enabled and non-EEE devices 2. Care should be taken to ensure EEE is supported by all connected equipment.
Overall, while EEE can save power, it may come at the cost of increased latency and potential compatibility issues with older equipment. Careful testing and evaluation should be performed before enabling EEE widely across a network.
EEE Recommendations
When it comes to enabling or disabling EEE, there are pros and cons to consider. Many experts recommend enabling EEE for most use cases, as the power savings usually outweigh the potential downsides.
EEE should generally be enabled for desktop PCs, laptops, servers, and networks with light to moderate usage. The power savings can be significant, often 15-20% lower power usage. Enabling EEE is also recommended for networks using newer equipment from the past 5 years, as many of the previous compatibility issues have been resolved [1].
There are some cases where disabling EEE may be preferable. For high-performance networks with intensive throughput, like storage networks or high-frequency trading, disabling EEE can avoid latency spikes during state transitions. Disabling EEE may also help troubleshoot compatibility issues with older NICs and switches [2].
In summary, EEE is recommended for most networks, but can be disabled to optimize performance in latency-sensitive environments or resolve compatibility issues.
Disabling Energy Efficient Ethernet
Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) can sometimes cause issues with network connectivity and latency. If you are experiencing network problems, one troubleshooting step is to disable EEE.
On Windows 10 and 11, you can disable EEE by going to your network adapter properties, clicking on the Advanced tab, and disabling options like “Energy Efficient Ethernet”, “Green Ethernet”, or “EEE”. For example: Disable Energy-Efficient Ethernet in Windows.
On Mac OS, open System Preferences > Network > Select your Ethernet adapter > Advanced > Hardware tab. Uncheck “Energy Efficient Ethernet” if the option exists. See discussions.apple.com for more details.
For other devices like networking equipment, consult the device documentation on how to disable EEE or Green Ethernet options. For example, see help.theatremanager.com.
In general, disabling EEE involves finding the setting in your network adapter or device properties and turning it off. This can help resolve connectivity issues potentially caused by EEE power saving features.
Enabling EEE
EEE is typically enabled by default on most devices. However, if you need to enable it, here are some instructions for common operating systems and devices:
On Windows 10 and 11:
– Open Network Connections and go to the Properties of your Ethernet adapter.
– Select “Configure” and go to the Advanced tab.
– Enable the setting for “Energy Efficient Ethernet” and click OK. (Source: Apple Discussions)
On Mac:
– Go to System Preferences > Network.
– Select your Ethernet connection and click Advanced.
– Make sure “Enable Energy Efficient Ethernet” is checked. (Source: Apple Support)
On Dell PCs:
– Open Device Manager and go to Network Adapters.
– Right click on your Ethernet adapter and select Properties.
– Go to the Advanced tab and enable Energy Efficient Ethernet. (Source: Dell Support)
For other devices, check your network adapter settings or user manual.
Troubleshooting EEE Problems
EEE can sometimes cause issues with network connectivity and performance. Here are some tips for troubleshooting and fixing problems caused by EEE:
Check your network adapter settings to see if EEE is enabled. You may need to disable EEE on the adapter experiencing problems. Refer to your adapter documentation for instructions.
Update your network adapter drivers to the latest version. Driver updates may include fixes for EEE-related bugs and optimizations.
If you are experiencing slow network speeds or lag, disable EEE and test again. EEE can sometimes cause latency and performance issues.
Use networking monitoring software to check for excessive collisions, errors, or packet loss when EEE is enabled. These can indicate compatibility issues.
Troubleshoot or replace Ethernet cables, switches, and other hardware components to rule out other potential causes of problems.
Consider disabling EEE as a temporary workaround if you are unable to resolve problems through other troubleshooting.
Consult your networking equipment manufacturers for information on EEE requirements, compatibility, and troubleshooting steps specific to your hardware.
The Future of EEE
EEE technology continues to evolve with emerging standards and developments aimed at further improving energy efficiency. The IEEE 802.3bz standard introduced in 2016 builds upon EEE with the goal of reducing Ethernet power consumption by another 10x (cite: https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3az/4270/). This new standard applies to backplanes and copper cabling up to 30 meters. Research is also underway by the IEEE P802.3cd Task Force to define a new low-power physical layer for 50GBASE-T Ethernet.
As network bandwidth demands increase, energy efficiency will remain an important consideration in Ethernet technology. Vendors are likely to continue introducing devices and solutions aimed at minimizing power usage during periods of low utilization while still providing high performance when needed. The evolution of EEE will be an important component in making future high-speed Ethernet technologies sustainable and efficient.
Conclusion
Energy Efficient Ethernet is designed to save power when there is low network traffic. By putting interfaces into a low power idle mode, EEE can reduce energy usage by upwards of 50-60%. However, there are some potential drawbacks to enabling EEE. The sleep/wake cycle can cause increased latency and performance issues for some applications. EEE may also introduce compatibility problems with some devices.
The benefits of power savings usually outweigh the drawbacks of EEE for most networks. However, EEE is not recommended for networks running latency-sensitive applications like voice and video. Do thorough testing before deploying EEE on a production network. Make sure to enable EEE on both sides of a link for maximum power savings. Keep an eye out for compatibility issues and be prepared to disable EEE if problems arise. With proper planning, Energy Efficient Ethernet can substantially reduce power consumption without impacting network performance.
