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The internet connection to my computer using Ubuntu 16.04.5 became very unstable over the last month after some updates Another computer on the same network, not using Linux, does not show issues. And this is not using a WiFi connection.

After some research, I found several references to issues related to the r8168 RealTek Ethernet controller I have with kernel 4.15.0-33.

Reading various answers, I found that I should install a newer version of the driver compatible with 4.15 linux kernels.

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

  • 63 ask to test a kernel which happen to be 4.15.0-33 which has the issue
  • 59 it is recommended to load latest r8168 driver version, so I downloaded and installed version 8.046.00 from .deb

But the connection is still unstable and afterwards when I use the following command to check driver installation there is a warning:

This is the output of dkms status:

bbswitch, 0.8, 4.15.0-32-generic, x86_64: installed  
bbswitch, 0.8, 4.15.0-33-generic, x86_64: installed  
bbswitch, 0.8, 4.4.0-134-generic, x86_64: installed  
nvidia-384, 384.130, 4.15.0-32-generic, x86_64: installed  
nvidia-384, 384.130, 4.15.0-33-generic, x86_64: installed  
nvidia-384, 384.130, 4.4.0-134-generic, x86_64: installed  
r8168, 8.046.00, 4.15.0-33-generic, x86_64: installed (WARNING! Diff between built and installed module!)

And this is output of modinfo r8168 | grep -i version asked on similar issue discussions:

version:        8.046.00-NAPI  
srcversion:     EEF16FD7BFA162691D9F9DD

So from dkms status I think the installation did not work properly, but I do not know what to do from there.

Could anyone point me to what I should do or could try?

EDIT:
I realize that sound card was not working anymore using kernel 4.15 as well. So I tried to start using older kernel 4.4.0-134. At least it solved the sound issue. But regarding the internet unstability, as r8168 8.046 did not build with that kernel, I re-installed the r8168-dkms package from synaptic (r8168-8.041) but it did not solve the internet issue which is still completely unstable using 4.4.0-134 & r8168-8.041.

muru
  • 207,228
user867375
  • 11

2 Answers2

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Using the latest supported kernel for 16.04.5 (4.15.xx)...

Purge...

r8168-dkms v8.041

Reinstall...

r8168-dkms_8.046.00-1_all.deb

Edit /usr/src/r8168-8.046.00/dkms.conf...

PACKAGE_NAME="r8168"
PACKAGE_VERSION="8.046.00"
BUILT_MODULE_NAME[0]="$PACKAGE_NAME"
DEST_MODULE_LOCATION[0]="/updates/dkms"
AUTOINSTALL="YES"
REMAKE_INITRD="YES"

Add add this line...

MAKE="'make' -j$PROCS_NUM KVER=${kernelver}"

Then redo the dkms commands...

sudo dkms build...
sudo dkms install...

Then recheck the r8168 version info...

modinfo r8168 | grep -i version

reboot
heynnema
  • 73,649
0

The issue was eventually due to the router which was giving same ip address to my daughter's ipad she got from school in august and my computer. After delete/create the conection on my computer when her ipad was connected, my computer got a different ip adress and the issue was fixed. Should have found this earlier, I just did not know her ipad had been connected to our wifi.

Note that I had other issues with 16.04 and kernel 5.15 which were solved by installing 18.04 so something went broken for sure in my 16.04 system with newest kernel but the internet issue was most likely not linked to those as I had thought.

user867375
  • 11