[arch-general] Realtek 8111/8168/8411 Blues - cannot get dhcpcd address (link UP)

[David C. Rankin]

On 08/20/2015 07:00 PM, David C. Rankin wrote:
> Anatol,
>
>    The symptoms sound exactly what I'm experiencing with the Realtek NIC. 1 out
> of 3 boots I have established a dhcpcd IPv4 address (on the r8169 module), but
> then the connection dies. If this is related to what is happening in the thread,
> then it is related to the Realtek hardware in my case. I can take the same
> archlinux-2015.08.01-dual.iso CD pop it into my failed box with the MSI board
> and get a reliable connection and address every time.
>
>    I really don't know where to go from here. I've tried a static IP with both
> the r8169 module and the r8168 module and the static IP can't ping the box 2
> feet away. (It's not a network "unreachable" error, it's a no network/no
> response error -- the system thinks it has a good config with address/subnet
> broadcast and broadcast address -- and good default route)
>
>    What else can I try when I'm limited to booting the install media?

OK,

   This is just plain weird. I'm beginning to think there is a problem with the 
new board/bus whatever carries network traffic. I have now tried the onboard 
NIC, and then with that disabled, tried two additional pci-NICs and all 
exhibited partial connect/no connect behavior. This is trying with older 100TX 
cards:

     - Netgear (uses realtek r8169 -- of all the luck)
     - generic card out of an old Compaq desktop (uses tulip driver)

   I was able to configure both with static IPs, but then there was a packet 
loss of 66%+ to other boxes on the LAN. Name resolution worked (it would show 
the correct IP to ping (e.g. yahoo.com/google.com), but then 3-10 packets of 
"Network Unreachable", followed by 5-10 good packets with normal ping times 
(2-60 ms) Same behavior under both the 201308 install media and the 201508 
install media (eliminating the latest version of dhcpcd issue)

   By this time I was convinced that my cable had gone bad, so I moved the old 
broken server back into place, booted the install media, and the onboard NIC 
came right up (forcedeath driver), obtained a dhcp address and resolution worked 
with 0 packet loss. So I'm at a loss.

   Has anyone ever had a board or an install where the network was just flaky or 
dead for multiple NICs? Thoughts?

-- 
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.