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I have dual boot for windows 10 and Ubuntu 20.14.

Since some time ago, I have a problem with my PC... When it starts in Ubuntu sometimes randomly (I mean, about 30% of startups it the problem comes out) says Activation of network connection failed, it's a desktop PC so I use ethernet port.

Experimenting with some solutions on the web when the problem is presented nothing solves the problem. I've tried:

  • Reenable wired connection sugested here
  • Reboot all routers - I have 2 and are connected like this: [ISP router] <LAN port - WAN port> [Tplinkrouter] <LAN port - Eth port> [PC]. Solution sugested here
  • Reinstall network manager and reboot: sudo apt-get install --reinstall network-manager ; sudo reboot now sugested here too

Also, something really funny is the fact that when I reboot from Windows 10 to Ubuntu the problem disappear, if I reboot from Ubuntu to Ubuntu then problem comes out again...

Some context about my system:

  • Windows 10 fast boot is disabled
  • Dual boot is on nvme drive
  • The problem never comes out on Windows
  • sudo lshw -C network output (when problem is not presented):
*-network                 
description: Ethernet interface
product: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
logical name: enp5s0
version: 0c
serial: b4:2e:99:e7:89:ea
size: 100Mbit/s
capacity: 1Gbit/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=5.8.0-48-generic duplex=full firmware=rtl8168g-2_0.0.1 02/06/13 ip=192.168.1.65 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=MII speed=100Mbit/s
resources: irq:35 ioport:f000(size=256) memory:fcb00000-fcb00fff memory:f0300000-f0303fff

Something to solve this annoying failure?

Thanks in advance.

Edit 1:

lspci -nn | grep -i ethernet output:

05:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 0c)

Edit 2:

Following @heynnema solution:

Step 1. Adding script "r8169_disable_msi" to /etc/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top path and do a chmod a+x to it:

To check that here is ls -l /etc/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top output:

total 4
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1118 mar 30 11:59 r8169_disable_msi

Step 2. "Add 'r8169_disable_msi' to your kernel command line (/etc/default/grub, GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" usually.)" so I made changes to /etc/default/grub file to this:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
#GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash r8169_disable_msi"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

Step 3. sudo update-initramfs -c -k $(uname -r) output:

update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-48-generic
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_gpu_info.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_gpu_info.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_ta.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_asd.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_sos.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_ta.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_asd.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_sos.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_rlc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_mec2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_mec.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_rlc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_mec2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_mec.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_me.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_pfp.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_ce.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_sdma.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_sdma1.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_sdma.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi10_mes.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi12_dmcu.bin for module amdgpu
I: The initramfs will attempt to resume from /dev/nvme0n1p6
I: (UUID=64e37a0f-3360-471d-8c6d-02a5865d7e77)
I: Set the RESUME variable to override this.

Step 4. sudo update-grub output:

Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub.d/init-select.cfg'
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-48-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-48-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-45-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-45-generic
Found Windows Boot Manager on /dev/nvme0n1p1@/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings
done

This solution worked.

1
  • Status please...
    – heynnema
    Mar 26, 2021 at 14:02

1 Answer 1

2

Link speed

Your ethernet card is capable of 1Gb speed, but is only being used at 100Mb speed. This usually indicates either a cable problem, or that some network device like an ethernet hub/switch/router isn't providing 1G speed. First, check that you're using cat 5e or cat 6 ethernet cables.

sudo lshw -C network

size: 100Mbit/s
capacity: 1Gbit/s

ethernet driver

The r8169 driver is known to have some problems. Install this driver and see if things improve.

sudo apt update

sudo apt install dkms r8168-dkms

reboot

MSI interrupt problem

Some r816x ethernet cards don't handle MSI/MSIX interrupts properly. If needed, we may need to implement a patch to work around the problem. Information provided when needed. Show me:

lspci -nn | grep -i ethernet

05:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 0c)

Here's the required patch. Instructions are in the script. Follow closely.

# https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1779817

# filename: r8169_disable_msi

# Drop it in /etc/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top and chmod a+x it. Add 'r8169_disable_msi'
# to your kernel command line (/etc/default/grub, GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
# usually.) 

# Remember to update-initramfs and update-grub as necessary.

# sudo update-initramfs -c -k $(uname -r)
# sudo update-grub
# reboot

# For the moment it disables MSI on everything with the ID 0x10ec:0x8168, as there seems to
# be no way to get the MAC version from userspace - and certainly not before the driver is
# loaded. Other PCI IDs may need adding..

PREREQ=""
prereqs()
{
    echo "$PREREQ"
}
case $1 in
# get pre-requisites
prereqs)
    prereqs
    exit 0
    ;;
esac

disable_msi () {
    for i in /sys/bus/pci/devices/*; do 
        if [ $(cat $i/vendor) = "0x10ec" -a $(cat $i/device) = "0x8168" ]; then
            echo 0 >$i/msi_bus
        fi
    done
}

for x in $(cat /proc/cmdline); do
        case ${x} in
        r8169_disable_msi)
        disable_msi
        break
                ;;
        esac
done
11
  • I installed r8168 and the problem persist... I already made an edit to de question to show the output of lspci -nn | grep -i ethernet Mar 30, 2021 at 17:43
  • Also @heynnema after r8168 drivers where installed and also rebooted to Ubuntu the problem persist but after rebooting to Windows, the ethernet port was unable to connect to internet... So I ran the networking problem solver tool and the problem was unable to get a valid ip, I've not touched anything about static ip in both routers, even in my ubuntu system. Mar 30, 2021 at 17:52
  • @AntonioDavila Did you check your ethernet cable, as per my answer. Until you can get 1G link speed, something is wrong there. I've updated my answer to include the MSI/MSIX patch. Follow the instructions VERY carefully. Report back.
    – heynnema
    Mar 30, 2021 at 17:54
  • can you check my edit 2 if I did all correct?, now that pc is running avoid boot problems jeje :) Mar 30, 2021 at 18:20
  • @AntonioDavila You can leave GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="r8169_disable_msi" as GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash r8169_disable_msi" and redo sudo update-grub. Did you check your cables? In sudo lshw -c network are you getting 1G link speeds?
    – heynnema
    Mar 30, 2021 at 18:25

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