# Why has my network interface name changed?

## noddyt

Hi

My network interface (net.enp14s0) failed to start up on boot today on my laptop.  It's had gentoo on it for ~5 years, updated weekly.

The error:

```

* Bringing up interface enp14s0

*   ERROR: interface enp14s0 does not exist

*   Ensure that you have loaded the correct kernel module for your hardware

* Error: net.enp14s0 failed to start

```

I haven't made any changes to my kernel since may.

So why has udev changed the name of my network card.

```
$ ls /sys/class/net/

lo p2p1 wlp20s0
```

(I don't use wlp20s0 wireless card)

Reading the gentoo x86 handbook on network interface naming says that name is from ID_NET_NAME_PATH. But checking that produces:

```
$ udevadm test-builtin net_id /sys/class/net/p2p1 2>/dev/null

ID_NET_NAME_MAC=[my mac address]

ID_OUI_FROM_DATABASE=[company name]

ID_NET_NAME_PATH=enp14s0
```

So the interface name shouldn't have changed according to that.

Setting up the network connection for net.p2p1 works but I don't like unnecessary changes.

I'm just trying to understand what's happened here and if this may be a bug.

Thanks

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## Ant P.

 *Quote:*   

> So why has udev changed the name of my network card.

 

The unflattering truth is that "persistent network interface names" is anything but. I'd add something about udev's upstream developers being clueless idiots, but we have about ten active 500-post threads for that very subject already.

Just disable that antifeature entirely - your ethernet and wifi will then be named eth0 and wlan0 respectively and *stay* that way.

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