[SOLVED] Hate that Updates then no connection

[Qqmike]

This is "Solved -- MAYBE!" yet to be seen ...

22.04, look at the system tray, see there has been an update and a call to re-boot, I re-boot, everything goes nicely and quickly, back to the desktop, and ... no darned Internet connection, "can't find IP address, can't configure whatevers" ...

Today, I did as I always do to fix it: unplug Ethernet cable between modem and PC, wait 15 seconds, plug it back in. That worked. Sometimes, I have had to re-boot the modem to get things back up. This has happened around 3-5 times with 22.04, not very often obviously, but alarming and annoying.

Rant # 23

[Schwarzer Kater]

Never had this problem with Ethernet - only with external USB-WiFi sticks after kernel firmware updates…
After the reboot then I sometimes have to unplug the USB-WiFi stick, wait 5-10 seconds, plug the stick in again - network connection established. Has worked this way for years (at my other half's flat). It does not happen if you shut the computer off and on again instead of restarting.

I don't know if I would even call this a "bug" in my case - but with Ethernet…?
Can you tell if specific packages have been installed/updated every time when this happens?
And this happens only after updating something, not after every (re)boot?

[Qqmike]

Happens only after updates
Today, the update took place automagically, overnight. I only noticed it upon waking up this morning.
I have not specifically looked for the packages updated, but I will in the future. In fact, I can check Muon's history now and see.
It's only an annoyance (after that first panic stab subsides).

[Qqmike]

Just checked 7/25/23: This was a kernel upgrade, except for one package: openssh-client.
And the kernel update was listed as 'automatic.'

[Snowhog]

You do have package dkms installed?

[Qqmike]

There is absolutely no dkms installed on my PC (I checked all the versions on Muon's list).
What does it do?

[Snowhog]

dkms - Dynamic Kernel Module Support (DKMS)

[claydoh]

Your driver for your ethernet card likely doesn't need a kernel module rebuilt with every kernel update, as Nvidia and other things may need.
(the only reason I have DKMS on my system is from OpenRGB needing some external drivers for the blinkenlites )
Your network card probably has a default device driver built in to the kernel.

Sometimes, I have had to re-boot the modem

This seems important, at least providing extra places to investigate

A basic question: what Ethernet card do you have? Maybe it is a known thing?
KInfoCenter can tell you, or lspci -v | grep net

[Qqmike]

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 05)
Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.  RTL8125  2.5 GbE Controller

[Schwarzer Kater]

Possibly you have to install an extra package for this 2.5 GbE controller: r8125-dkms (and dkms and if not already installed for the kernels you use: linux-headers-XXX).

Package: r8125-dkms […]
Description: dkms source for the r8125 network driver
r8125 is the Linux 2.5G Ethernet device driver released by RealTek for their
network controller.
.
This package provides the dkms source code for the r8125 kernel modules.
Kernel source or headers are required to compile these modules.

Also see: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=257114 .

[Qqmike]

I will look at this later when I return (from something). Thanks.

[Qqmike]

I read some of the stuff at Arch and links.
If there is a kernel upgrade, shouldn't modules be updated automatically?
Or, upon a re-boot?

A note on that:
After a kernel upgrade, I do NOT always lose Internet connection. Only sometimes. But I'm not sure when.
Maybe it occurs with major kernel upgrades, and in that case, I think Discover notifies that a re-boot is necessary.

I don't want to monkey around and get it too complicated, or end up with something broken, or end up building my own kernels & modules 😲

So, I had:

lspci -v | grep net
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 05)

When I do lsmod, r8125 is not listed. modinfo r8125 returns 'not found.'

modinfo r8125
modinfo: ERROR: Module r8125 not found.

But r8169 is listed when I run lsmod.
And then, re r8169:

modinfo r8169
filename: /lib/modules/5.15.0-78-generic/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169.ko

Kind of confusing! Looks like the r8169 is running the RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 05).

[Schwarzer Kater]

lspci -v should also show which kernel driver/module your Ethernet controller is currently using.
Do you even get the full 2.5 with the r8169 driver/module?

And as claydoh pointed out: there could also be your modem to look into…

[Qqmike]

Oh, yes, I didn't catch that, current module in use is r8169:

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 05)
Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
I/O ports at 4000 [size=256]
Memory at a0c00000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Memory at a0c10000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: r8169]
Kernel modules: r8169

[Qqmike]

Do you even get the full 2.5 with the r8169 driver/module?

How do I know?