This knowledge base article explains how to diagnose and reduce overheating symptoms on specific Broadcom network interface cards (NICs) in servers and workstations. This is crucial if the NIC is intermittently disconnecting and behaving abnormally. It focuses on airflow, placement, firmware and driver updates, monitoring, and remediation actions to help restore reliable camera operation.
Symptoms
- Intermittent camera disconnections, unstable network links, or reduced image streaming performance.
- Unexpected NIC resets that interrupt or affect camera connectivity and image acquisition.
- The NIC is no longer being detected, and cameras cannot be discovered.
How to confirm if the NIC is overheating
- When the device overheats, Windows stops being able to detect the NIC. To confirm this, check Device Manager to see if the card does not appear under Network Adapters.
- If you do not see the camera, check Event Viewer to see if bnxtnd (the Broadcom driver) outputted this error under the System logs.
Ways to minimize overheating
If you have confirmed that the card is overheating, there are several ways to mitigate the symptoms:
- Improve airflow. Verify that all chassis fans are operational and that airflow is directed over the NIC area. Replace any failed fans, remove dust, and ensure that cable routing does not block air paths.
- Improve placement. If the platform allows it, move the NIC away from adjacent high-heat devices. Avoid placing the NIC directly beside GPUs or high-power storage controllers.
- Update firmware and drivers. Install the latest vendor-approved NIC firmware and driver versions for the specific Broadcom card that is located under the downloads section of the product page.
- Add heatsinks and chassis fans.
- Monitor temperatures under load. Check adapter and chassis temperatures during sustained traffic, not only at idle, to confirm that thermal conditions remain stable. The card should be within the specified operating temperature (0°C to 55°C).