Mikrotik RB5009 SFP+ Supported Link Modes

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Howdy,

I installed OpenWrt 24.10.0-rc5 r28304-6dacba30a7 / LuCI openwrt-24.10 branch 25.001.48925~f5c1806 on my MikroTik RB5009 and everything works great save my SFP+ port. I have a Magic-SFP (https://www.mdslink.com/magic-sfp/) which operates at 2.5G and does work without issue on stock Mikrotik hardware (autoneg off and forcing 2500) but I cannot get it to operate in any capacity in OpenWrt.

Using ethtools (removing ethtool and installing ethtool-full) I get this on the empty cage:

root@OpenWrt:~# ethtool sfp
Settings for sfp:
	Supported ports: [ MII ]
	Supported link modes:   10000baseT/Full
	                        10000baseKX4/Full
	                        10000baseKR/Full
	                        10000baseCR/Full
	                        10000baseSR/Full
	                        10000baseLR/Full
	                        10000baseLRM/Full
	                        10000baseER/Full
	Supported pause frame use: Symmetric
	Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
	Supported FEC modes: Not reported
	Advertised link modes:  10000baseT/Full
	                        10000baseKX4/Full
	                        10000baseKR/Full
	                        10000baseCR/Full
	                        10000baseSR/Full
	                        10000baseLR/Full
	                        10000baseLRM/Full
	                        10000baseER/Full
	Advertised pause frame use: Symmetric
	Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
	Advertised FEC modes: Not reported
	Speed: Unknown!
	Duplex: Unknown! (255)
	Auto-negotiation: on
	Port: MII
	PHYAD: 0
	Transceiver: internal
	Supports Wake-on: d
	Wake-on: d
	Link detected: no

plugging in the module ethtools returns

	Supported ports: [ TP ]
	Supported link modes:   1000baseX/Full
	Supported pause frame use: Symmetric
	Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
	Supported FEC modes: Not reported
	Advertised link modes:  1000baseX/Full
	Advertised pause frame use: Symmetric
	Advertised auto-negotiation: No
	Advertised FEC modes: Not reported
	Speed: 1000Mb/s
	Duplex: Full
	Auto-negotiation: off
	Port: Twisted Pair
	PHYAD: 0
	Transceiver: internal
	MDI-X: Unknown
	Supports Wake-on: d
	Wake-on: d
	Link detected: no

The SFP port just doesn't seem to want to communicate with the rest of the network and neither can serve as a DHCP client or communicate out for a DHCP server.

Running ethtools -m sfp I can get

root@OpenWrt:~# ethtool -m sfp
	Identifier                                : 0x03 (SFP)
	Extended identifier                       : 0x04 (GBIC/SFP defined by 2-wire interface ID)
	Connector                                 : 0x22 (RJ45)
	Transceiver codes                         : 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x01 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
	Transceiver type                          : Ethernet: 1000BASE-SX
	Encoding                                  : 0x01 (8B/10B)
	BR, Nominal                               : 2500MBd
	Rate identifier                           : 0x00 (unspecified)
	Length (SMF,km)                           : 0km
	Length (SMF)                              : 0m
	Length (50um)                             : 0m
	Length (62.5um)                           : 0m
	Length (Copper)                           : 100m
	Length (OM3)                              : 0m
	Laser wavelength                          : 0nm
	Vendor name                               : MDSLinkkk_______
	Vendor OUI                                : 00:00:00
	Vendor PN                                 : MaGiC-SFP_______
	Vendor rev                                : V1.0
	Option values                             : 0x22 0x00
	Option                                    : Power level 2 requirement
	Option                                    : Power level 3 requirement
	BR margin, max                            : 0%
	BR margin, min                            : 0%
	Vendor SN                                 : 0000000000000001
	Date code                                 : 23-04-08

Is there some sort of kmod or package I need to install? Thanks for the help!

2

@robimarko I think you know most about this during the dev for this device

3

Most likely the module has broken EEPROM since you can see it advertises 1000BASE-SX which is why you only get 1G.

So adding a quirk like this for your module is probably required:
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/next/linux-next.git/tree/drivers/net/phy/sfp.c?h=next-20250109#n495

4

Interesting. Is that something I can do from the firmware? Will I need to build a custom image? The module does work without issue in some no-name switches and MikroTik's default firmware but I do get that the module is highly specialized and comes from a very small vendor.

Indeed I can't seem to get EEPROM info:

root@cammarouter:~# ethtool -e sfp
Cannot get EEPROM data: Not supported
5

No, kernel needs to be patched so you need to custom build.

SFP module EEPROM can be read for sure as ethtool -m is working and kernel actually recognizes the module, its all read from the EEPROM.

6

Bummer. ethtool -m sfp does respond with information but not -e so i don't know what the deal is. I've got a BananaPi R4 coming so it'll be interested if the issue continues there. I only have one other device with an SFP port but its not + so I don't think that is a fair comparison.

7

Ignore the -e, that is for dumping via custom network driver OP, that doesn't matter.

Again, your issue is that EEPROM is not properly populated and kernel is thus limiting it to 1000Base-X only, you need to add a quirk for the module, I have linked you to the quirk for another module but only the vendor and model strings will be different.

8

Do you have an example of how to add the quirk? Is https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-developer/toolchain/use-buildsystem the path forward?

9

You need to add a kernel patch

https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-developer/toolchain/use-patches-with-buildsystem#adding_or_editing_kernel_patches