# Realtek RTL8111/8168B, missing something simple [SOLVED]

## krisse

Let me start off with saying: everything worked just fine a moment ago.

Got a computer with the Realtek RTL8111/8168 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller. 

```
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)
```

It was working with stable kernel 2.6.33-gentoo-r2, but then I messed around with the kernel config, trying to streamline it, and now I can't get it back for the life of me.

I'm sure it's just some silly little setting somewhere, but I can't figure it out.

Tried with r8169 both as a module and built in. No difference. Ifconfig only shows lo.

Kernel config at pastebin.

Yes, yes, I know, realtek also offers linux-drivers for the card. But since I had it working out of the box, using genkernel's config, then I'd rather get it working using the proper config again.

Thanks for every tips and suggestions!Last edited by krisse on Sun Jul 11, 2010 5:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

----------

## DONAHUE

what does 

```
ifconfig -a
```

 show?

what does 

```
lspci -k
```

 show?

----------

## krisse

I appreciate your effort to help!

Though I thought I already had kind of answered your questions above? Oh well, doesn't hurt to be more verbose.  :Smile: 

 *DONAHUE wrote:*   

> what does 
> 
> ```
> ifconfig -a
> ```
> ...

 

```
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  

          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0

          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host

          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1

          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 

          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX  

          inet addr:XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX  Bcast:XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX  Mask:255.255.255.0

          inet6 addr: XXXX::XXX:XXXX:XXXX:XXXX/XX Scope:Link

          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:2836 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:2983 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 

          RX bytes:2510598 (2.3 MiB)  TX bytes:680405 (664.4 KiB)
```

 (Yes, I have a wireless card too. Which works.)

 *DONAHUE wrote:*   

> what does 
> 
> ```
> lspci -k
> ```
> ...

  Here's the network card:

```
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)

        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 83a3

        Kernel modules: r8169
```

 Full output at this pastebin.

----------

## chithanh

Find out why the r8169 is not loaded. Maybe dmesg tells why.

I would guess the module and kernel don't match because they were built at different times/with different kernel config/with different gcc.

----------

## DONAHUE

lspci -k shows r8169 is loaded.

running meld on your kernel config versus pappy's kernel seed and against the defconfig and against my config found a lot of differences in areas that might matter. Suggest saving a backup of your current configuration file, downloading pappy's kernel seed to a known location, running 

```
cd /usr/src/linux

make clean

make mrproper

```

copy pappy's kernel seed  to /usr/src/linux/.config, then

```
make menuconfig
```

Minimize changes to pappy's seed except for enabling items for your cpu and wireless under networking support and device drivers and file sytems. You seem to have disabled some normally selected stuff under Networking support--->  Networking options  --->. Also some stuff for connecting kernel to userland has been disabled.

----------

## chithanh

lspci -k shows kernel modules, but not kernel driver in use as it should if the driver were loaded properly.

----------

## krinn

 *DONAHUE wrote:*   

> lspci -k shows r8169 is loaded.

 

```
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)

        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 83a3

        Kernel modules: r8169

06:01.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

        Subsystem: Netgear Device 5a00

        Kernel driver in use: ath5k

        Kernel modules: ath5k
```

It show ath5k is need, and ath5k is loaded

And it show r8169 is need, but not that r8169 is loaded  :Smile: 

edit: grrr, i'm getting old & slow

----------

## DONAHUE

Standing corrected.  :Embarassed: 

```
modprobe r8169

lspci -k | grep -i r8169

dmesg | grep -i r8169

dmesg | grep -i eth0

```

----------

## krisse

Hmm. 

r8169 was loaded earlier as well, as shown by both lsmod and lspci, albeit evidently not when I ran the commands for posting here on the forums. Sorry about that; should've made sure I provided you with good information.

Thanks for the reminder of pappys seeds. I'll give them a go.

Have it working now with a kernel built with genkernel though. I'll see if I start from that, changing bits and pieces to see where I went wrong the last time, or perhaps I'll begin with pappys seeds instead, and see where that leads me.

lsmod doesn't show any big differences from before 

```
$ lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

ipv6                  191544  22 

ath5k                 106920  0 

led_class               1800  1 ath5k

sg                     14056  0 

r8169                  26516  0 

mii                     2752  1 r8169

processor              20276  4 

thermal                 9840  0
```

 Apart from ipv6. That wasn't loaded in my previous efforts, even though it was built as a module, if I recall correctly. But that can't be the culprit, surely?

As far as I can understand, it should be something that's built into the kernel now (not a module), but wasn't before, yes? Since none of these modules alone can explain the difference? I distinctly recall both r8169 and mii being used before, with the network card not working.

Thanks for your time and effort!

----------

## krisse

Got it to work with pappys seeds[1] as well!

Still don't know exactly how I botched those earlier configs, but all is well now.[2]

Thanks again! 

[1] More specifically, 2.6.33-gentoo-r2-x86_64-07.

[2] And this is the current config.

----------

