Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

ratcheer · 2012-05-05 01:53:28

handy wrote:

The r8169 has become incompatible with the new kernel: 3.3.4-2-ARCH

Really? It is still working for me.

Tim

handy · 2012-05-05 01:58:44

Can only call it as I see it.

As previously stated, the r8168 package is now working (for me...).

[edit:] I wonder if different firmware revision of the chip are at play here?

Last edited by handy (2012-05-05 03:47:12)

handy · 2012-05-15 11:09:10

I've been away for 10 days & just got back & upgraded my machine. This bought in kernel 3.3.6-1 x86_64, which stopped my network from working, I had to downgrade to 3.3.4-2 which solved the problem?

Now I have to stop the kernel from upgrading if I want to use the net.

[edit:] I had a look & my machine has reverted to using the r8169 AUR package which is incompatible with the new kernel. Why this has happened I don't know!?

Last edited by handy (2012-05-16 00:50:51)

handy · 2012-05-16 01:48:10

I followed the instructions under the Network heading on this page (which in my case would have reinstalled the package from my cache):

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HP … er#Network

My rc.conf MODULES(r8168) line was already set to r8168 anyway so then I uncommented my previous blacklisting of the r8169 module in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf , so I am once again using the following line there:

blacklist r8169

Now, my network is functioning with the current kernel 3.3.6-1 & the installed r8168 module from package r8168-8.029.00-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz - again...

I don't what happened whilst my computer was turned off for 10 days???

Last edited by handy (2012-05-16 01:48:59)

ratcheer · 2012-05-19 00:26:10

All of a sudden, the problems with this card hit me again, today. Everything was going fine with the r8169 driver, but then web page loads slowed down drastically. Both of my sons said the internet response for them was just fine. So, on a hunch, I instructed NetworkManager to disconnect the wired connection and Bam!, my response time was fine again (on wireless).

I repeated several times. With the wired connection connected, response was extremely slow, with it disconnected and using wireless, response was fine. The wired connection is working, it is just extremely slow.

So, I downloaded the latest r8168 driver (it is now up to v8.030) and installed it. This has always gotten my ethernet connection working before, but not this time.

Then I tried the oldest trick of powering down the computer and disconnecting it from the AC power. This has always worked, but again, not this time. I can only conclude that this is some new problem. But, it seems very strange that it hit while I was successfully using the connection, just all of a sudden. Maybe it is really a hardware problem, this time, as in the card is now broken. Well, it is an onboard chip, not a card.

I am feeling your pain, now, @handy. Did you get yours straightened out? I am thinking I might need to buy one of those expensive Intel cards and be done with all this crap.

Tim

Last edited by ratcheer (2012-05-19 00:27:16)

ratcheer · 2012-05-19 00:39:38

Weird. After suffering with this for about two hours, I reconnected eth0 after writing that missive. It seems to be back to normal, full speed ahead. I have no idea what is going on.

I am getting too old for this.

Tim

ratcheer · 2012-05-22 12:13:48

ratcheer wrote:

Weird. After suffering with this for about two hours, I reconnected eth0 after writing that missive. It seems to be back to normal, full speed ahead. I have no idea what is going on.

I spoke too soon. My wired ethernet connection is still giving me fits. I will open a new thread if I can figure out any hope of fixing it, but it is not specific to Arch. I am having the exact same problem with Ubuntu, Sabayon, and Debian. I am beginning to suspect a hardware or cabling problem. However, I am finding many others on several other forums who are also having the same problem - the ethernet remains connected, but slows to ridiculously slow speeds, then goes back to full speed, then slows down, ...

I am pulling my hair out.

Tim

Hohoho · 2012-05-22 12:22:30

I have a similar ethernet card requiring r8168 to work.

One issue I had was it started to act up after suspending, I usually only do reboots, but apparently a reboot doesn't completely
reinitialize the network card if its in a deep sleep state or something. Even Windows refused to connect with it.

I turned my laptop off and on and it seemed to sort itself out.

I hate this piece of hardware, there's always something wrong with it.

handy · 2012-05-22 13:18:36

I've been free of network problems since my last post in this thread. BUT as so many other users of this chip-set know from experience, you just don't know what tomorrow is going to bring.

I don't think that this is an Arch specific problem, though it likely affects Arch users more than most other distros that take much longer to upgrade their packages.

I was so disappointed when I found that the replacement card I purchased used the same chip-set though at least it was a later revision (06) which I think has been slightly helpful (though I'll never truly know).

If I could go down to the local electronics shop & order a new NIC (intel would suit me fine) I would. If this problem comes back to this machine I will be looking on the net to buy a specific card with a known NON-realtek chip-set.

Last edited by handy (2012-05-22 13:21:42)

alphaniner · 2012-05-22 13:35:43

Single port Intel NICs are not that expensive. AFAIK anything GBit will be PCIe or PCI-X. If you don't need GBit, I expect a used 100MBit PCI card would be dirt cheap.

ratcheer · 2012-05-23 11:31:44

I am pretty sure my problem is now solved, and it was not the NIC or the driver. It was the HomePlug ethernet adapter. I swapped it with the one that went to my Bluray player and now my speeds are high and consistent.

The HomePlug adapters are great when they are working, but this is at least the third one that has gone bad. I live in an area that has a lot of lightning and I suspect it sometimes fries something inside the adapters. You are not supposed to use them with surge protectors, either.

Sorry for all the disturbance, but since the connection seemed to be at least functional, it did not dawn on me that anything was wrong with the HomePlug.

Tim

handy · 2012-07-23 08:03:04

What a surprise!

Upgraded to kernel: 3.4.7-1 64bit, & lost my NIC.

The error was something like "unknown device eth0 in rc.conf".

Downgraded to the previous Kernel: 3.4.5-1 & my NIC works.

I wonder how long I'll have to block kernel upgrades for this time?

[edit:] I'm using the r8168-8.031.00-4-x86_64 driver package.

Last edited by handy (2012-07-23 08:16:47)

jmarki · 2012-07-23 12:59:26

handy wrote:

What a surprise!
Upgraded to kernel: 3.4.7-1 64bit, & lost my NIC.
The error was something like "unknown device eth0 in rc.conf".
Downgraded to the previous Kernel: 3.4.5-1 & my NIC works.
I wonder how long I'll have to block kernel upgrades for this time?

[edit:] I'm using the r8168-8.031.00-4-x86_64 driver package.

You need a r8168 kernel module compiled for your latest kernel. Either wait for the community r8168 package to be recompiled, or compile from AUR.
The built-in r8169 worked as a quick standin for my Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 06)
A quick check using ifconfig or ip link will show the missing eth0 device.

What I did:
root$ modprobe r8169
root$ /etc/rc.d/network restart
user$ yaourt -S r8168-all

(replace all /lib/ with /usr/lib/ in the PKGBUILD)

root$ /etc/rc.d/network stop
root$ modprobe -r r8169
root$ modprobe r8168
root$ /etc/rc.d/network start

handy · 2012-07-23 13:11:05

Thanks for the heads up jmarki.

I don't expect it will take too long for upstream to sort this out, so I'm happy to wait a bit for them.

handy · 2012-07-27 12:39:34

I've been away for a few days, so this probably happened a day or so ago:

The r8168-8.031.00-7-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz in combination with Kernel: 3.4.6-1 work beautifully together.

This NIC driver does NOT work with the previous version of the kernel though. (at least on my machine)

Arch Linux

#26 2012-05-05 01:53:28

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#27 2012-05-05 01:58:44

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#28 2012-05-15 11:09:10

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#29 2012-05-16 01:48:10

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#30 2012-05-19 00:26:10

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#31 2012-05-19 00:39:38

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#32 2012-05-22 12:13:48

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#33 2012-05-22 12:22:30

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#34 2012-05-22 13:18:36

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#35 2012-05-22 13:35:43

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#36 2012-05-23 11:31:44

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#37 2012-07-23 08:03:04

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#38 2012-07-23 12:59:26

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#39 2012-07-23 13:11:05

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

#40 2012-07-27 12:39:34

Re: Kernel upgrade(s)/other cause? -> of no internet/LAN on boot? r8168:

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