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PCIe Network Card

This section introduces how to use the PCIe expansion network port functionality on the Raspberry Pi, laying the foundation for subsequent project development.

Note: The PCIe interface must be enabled before using this function.
warning

The product supports only PCIe Gen 2.

Working with Official Raspberry Pi OS​

Enabling the PCIe Interface​

  • Enabling the PCIe interface (PCIe Gen 2 is enabled by default)

    • Edit the config.txt file

      sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

    • PCIe defaults to gen2. If PCIe is not already enabled, add the following to config.txt:

      dtparam=pciex1

    • After modification, reboot the Raspberry Pi to recognize the device

      sudo reboot

    • After reboot, check the PCIe recognition status (the output may vary depending on the module)

      lspci

PCIe Network Card Operations​

  • If the PCIe interface is not enabled, enable the PCIe interface first

  • The Raspberry Pi has the relevant drivers installed by default; the expansion network port can be used once PCIe is enabled

  • Power is supplied through the PCIe interface by default; no additional power is required

  • After reboot, check the existing network interfaces

    ifconfig

  • Use the ping command with a specified interface for testing

    ping google.com -I eth1   #-I specifies the network interface

Using on Other Systems​

warning

If you are not using Raspberry Pi OS but another Raspberry Pi‑supported system, the PCIe device may be detected but the corresponding network card may not work.

  • The kernel needs to be recompiled
Device Drivers
> Network device support
  > Ethernet driver support
    > Realtek devices
      > Realtek 8169/8168/8101/8125 ethernet support
  • You can also download and install the driver directly (high failure rate, not recommended)