# [Solved]Strange network device naming

## HungGarTiger

Just installed Gentoo on an old computer I'm using for a home server, manually configured the kernel and after booting into the install I couldn't ping. So

```
ip link
```

reveals lo and something called 

```
sit0@NONE
```

weird.... so 

```
ifconfig
```

 confirms a device called "sit0"

never heard of that naming convention before, but 

```
lspci | grep -i net
```

 shows 

```
2:00.0 Ethernet controller: Qualcomm Atheros AR8121/AR8113/AR8114 Gigabit or Fast Ethernet (rev 60)
```

So I'm assuming that my drivers are installed correctly.

Changed all the networking config to "sit0" instead of "eth0" and I get some weird errors on boot and still no network...

Have I missed something basic?

[Moderator edit: changed [quote] tags to [code] tags to preserve output layout. -Hu]Last edited by HungGarTiger on Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:53 am; edited 1 time in total

----------

## Hu

Yes.  You missed your network card driver.  SIT is a virtual device unrelated to what you want here.  lspci can see devices for which no driver is available, so seeing the Ethernet card there does not mean you have a working driver for it.  I don't see an exact match for your card in the Kconfig entries, but ALX looks close:

```
config ALX

   tristate "Qualcomm Atheros AR816x/AR817x support"

   depends on PCI

   select CRC32

   select MDIO

   help

     This driver supports the Qualcomm Atheros L1F ethernet adapter,

     i.e. the following chipsets:

     1969:1091 - AR8161 Gigabit Ethernet

     1969:1090 - AR8162 Fast Ethernet

     1969:10A1 - AR8171 Gigabit Ethernet

     1969:10A0 - AR8172 Fast Ethernet
```

----------

## HungGarTiger

 *Hu wrote:*   

> Yes.  You missed your network card driver.  SIT is a virtual device unrelated to what you want here.  lspci can see devices for which no driver is available, so seeing the Ethernet card there does not mean you have a working driver for it.  I don't see an exact match for your card in the Kconfig entries, but ALX looks close:
> 
> ```
> config ALX
> 
> ...

 

That one doesn't work unfortunately, as system rescue CD ran ethernet with no problems wouldn't that mean that one of the drivers in the kernel should work? And I won't have to download and install one manually?

----------

## HungGarTiger

So I just enabled all the options for Atheros Ethernet controllers, one of them apparently works but I can confirm it isn't the one you mentioned Hu.

Anyway, up and running now   :Laughing: 

----------

## Hu

Yes, some driver should work.  None of the models mentioned in the Kconfig help text looked like an ideal match, so I picked the closest one I could see.  Use lspci -k to see which one you used.  You could use that on the LiveCD to see how it worked or use it on your kitchen sink installed kernel to see which options you can remove.

----------

