Apparatus and method for physical layer transceiver configuration

1. A physical layer transceiver (PHY) ability configuration system, comprising:

a first computing device having a first communication subsystem that includes:

a first PHY device and that is configured to operate in at least one mode; and

a first port that is coupled to the first PHY device; and

a second computing device having a second communication subsystem that includes:

a second PHY device and that is configured to operate in a plurality of modes; and

a second port that is coupled to the second PHY device, wherein the first port and the second port are coupled together via a cable, and wherein the second computing device is configured to:

determine a cable speed from an Ethernet transceiver device connected to the cable and coupled with the second port;

configure the second PHY device with a first default mode of the plurality of modes when the cable speed provides a first speed that is a minimum supported speed of the second PHY device, wherein the first default mode includes a first default set of PHY abilities;

configure the second PHY device with a second default mode of the plurality of modes when the cable speed provides a second speed, wherein the second default mode includes a second default set of PHY abilities;

determine that the cable is a second cable type and, in response, maintain the second default mode;

determine, in response to the cable coupling the first port and the second port while the second PHY device is configured to operate in a first mode of the plurality of modes, that a link is not detected at the second port, wherein the first mode includes a first set of PHY abilities;

change, in response to the determining that the link is not detected at the second port, the first mode of the second PHY device to a second mode of the plurality of modes, wherein the second mode includes a second set of PHY abilities;

detect, subsequent to the change, establishment of the link between the second port and the first port; and

provide network communications over the link.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is configured to:

determine that the cable is a first cable type and, in response, configure the second PHY device with the first mode of the plurality of modes.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first cable type is a direct attached copper cable.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is configured to:

detect that the cable is not coupled to the first port and, in response, wait a predetermined time; and

check, subsequent to the predetermined time, a link status of the cable to determine whether the link is detected at the second port.

5. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a first communication subsystem that includes:

a first physical layer transceiver (PHY) device configured to operate in a plurality of modes; and

a first port coupled to the first PHY device;

a processing system coupled to the first communication subsystem; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system provide a PHY ability configuration engine that is configured to:

determine, in response to an Ethernet transceiver device coupling with the first port, a cable speed of an Ethernet transceiver device; and

configure the first PHY device with a first default mode of the plurality of modes when the cable speed provides a first speed that is a minimum supported speed of the first PHY device, wherein the first default mode includes a first default set of PHY abilities;

configure the first PHY device with a second default mode of the plurality of modes when the cable speed provides a second speed, wherein the second default mode includes a second default set of PHY abilities;

determine that the Ethernet transceiver device supports a direct attached copper cable type and, in response, configure the first PHY device with a first mode of the plurality of modes;

determine, in response to the Ethernet transceiver device coupling with the first port while the first PHY device is configured to operate in the first mode of the plurality of modes, that a link is not detected at the first port, wherein the first mode includes a first set of PHY abilities;

change, in response to the determining that the link is not detected at the first port, the first mode of the first PHY device to a second mode of the plurality of modes, wherein the second mode includes a second set of PHY abilities;

detect, subsequent to the change, establishment of the link at the first port; and

provide network communications over the link.

6. The IHS of claim 5 , wherein the PHY ability configuration engine is configured to:

determine that the Ethernet transceiver device supports a second cable type and, in response, maintain the second default mode.

7. The IHS of claim 5 , wherein the PHY ability configuration engine is configured to

detect that a cable connected to the Ethernet transceiver device is not coupled to a second port on a peer computing device and, in response, wait a predetermined time; and

check, subsequent to the predetermined time, a link status of the cable to determine whether the link is detected at the first port.

8. A method of physical layer transceiver (PHY) ability configuration, comprising:

determining, by a pass-through networking device that includes a first PHY device that is coupled to a first port and that is configured to operate in a plurality of modes, a cable speed associated with an Ethernet transceiver device that is connected to a cable and inserted in the first port;

configuring, by the pass-through networking device, the first PHY device to operate in a first default mode that is included in the plurality of modes when the cable speed provides a first speed that is a minimum supported speed of the first PHY device, wherein the first default mode includes a first default set of PHY abilities;

configuring, by the pass-through networking device, the first PHY device to operate in a second default mode that is included in the plurality of modes when the cable speed provides a second speed, wherein the second default mode includes a second default set of PHY abilities;

determining, by the pass-through networking device, that the cable is a second cable type and, in response, maintaining the second default mode;

determining, by the pass-through networking device, that a link is not detected at the first port when the Ethernet transceiver device is connected to the cable that is coupled to the first port while the first PHY device is operating in a first mode that is included in the plurality of modes, wherein the first mode includes a first set of PHY abilities;

causing, by the pass-through networking device and in response to the determining that the link is not detected at the first port, the first PHY device to switch from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode that is included in the plurality of modes, wherein the second mode includes a second set of PHY abilities;

detecting, by the pass-through networking device and subsequent to the switch, an establishment of the link between the first port and a second port on a peer computing device; and

providing, by the pass-through networking device, network communications over the link.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, by the pass-through networking device, that the cable is a first cable type and, in response, configuring the first PHY device to operate in the first mode that is included in the plurality of modes.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first cable type is a direct attached copper cable.