Articles on: ggRock

🔄 Replacing the Network Card in Your ggRock Server

❗ Problem

You need to replace or upgrade the network card in your Debian-based ggRock server—either due to failure, hardware upgrade, or performance reasons.

✅ Solution: Install and Configure the New NIC

Follow these steps to safely install and configure a new network interface card (NIC):

🛑 Step 1: Shut Down the Server

Gracefully shut down the ggRock server using the Control Panel, SSH, or console access:

shutdown -h now

🧰 Step 2: Physically Install the New Network Card

Power off the server and unplug it from power.
Install the new network card into an available PCIe slot.
Secure it properly and close the chassis.

🔌 Step 3: Power On the Server

Reconnect power and boot the server normally.

🧠 Step 4: Install Drivers (If Required)

Most modern network cards are supported out of the box by Debian. If your NIC is not detected automatically:

Identify the card's model (e.g., using lspci)
Install the appropriate driver/kernel module from Debian repositories or the manufacturer’s website

Let us know if you need help with this step!

🌐 Step 5: Connect the Network Cable

Plug your Ethernet cable into the new network card’s port.

🧭 Step 6: Reconfigure ggRock Networking

Run the ggrock-linux-configurator tool to update your network settings:

ggrock-linux-configurator

Select the correct network interface from the list if your server has more than one. The correct one is based on your network setup, or in most cases the same subnet as the client PCs.

🖥️ Step 7: Test PXE Boot

Boot a few client PCs and verify that they are able to PXE boot from the new NIC. Confirm that:

PXE menu appears
OS images load successfully

ℹ️ Reverting to the Old NIC

To switch back to the previous NIC:

Power down the server
Reinstall the old network card
Boot the server
Run ggrock-linux-configurator again and select the old NIC by IP

Updated on: 10/12/2025

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