NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

[Danie Wessels]

Hi

I would like to use my onboard NIC (eth0) with its r8168 driver from 
RealTek together with my D-Link NIC (eth4=eth1) with its r8169 default 
driver from the install. Sepatately they seem to work...but I would like 
a firewall set up with NAT and had it before I "upgraded". ;^)

2 Questions:
1) How can / should I modify the rules (in /etc/rules.d ?) and apply 
them for the kernel to load both drivers? (Even if it is just temporary 
until next update and I have to apply it again)
2) Are there still known issues with instability of the r8168 drivers 
(as per Ubuntu bug lists)?

Here follows ALL the info I though was relevant(?).
I am running Ubutnu 11.04: uname -av
Linux weer 2.6.38-8-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Mon Apr 11 03:31:50 UTC 2011 
i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

With default install:
    grep Gigabit lshw.txt -A 13 -B 2
    *-network
    description: Ethernet interface
    product: RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller
    vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    physical id: 0
    bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
    logical name: eth0
    version: 01
    serial: 00:1c:c0:a7:03:49
    size: 10Mbit/s
    capacity: 1Gbit/s
    width: 64 bits
    clock: 33MHz
    capabilities: pm vpd msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom ethernet 
physical tp mii 10bt
    10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
    configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 
driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI
    alias: pci:v000010ECd00008168sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
    depends:
    vermagic: 2.6.38-8-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 686
    parm: eee_enable:int
    parm: speed:force phy operation. Deprecated by ethtool (8). (array 
of int)
    parm: duplex:force phy operation. Deprecated by ethtool (8). (array 
of int)
    parm: autoneg:force phy operation. Deprecated by ethtool (8). (array 
of int)
    parm: rx_copybreak:Copy breakpoint for copy-only-tiny-frames (int)
    parm: use_dac:Enable PCI DAC. Unsafe on 32 bit PCI slot. (int)
    parm: debug:Debug verbosity level (0=none, ..., 16=all) (int)

On start up I get from dmesg
    dmesg
    [ 1.368802] <30>udev[71]: starting version 167
    [ 1.485938] r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.3LK-NAPI loaded
    [ 1.485956] r8169 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> 
IRQ 17
    [ 1.485994] r8169 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
    [ 1.486061] r8169 0000:03:00.0: irq 43 for MSI/MSI-X
    [ 1.486546] r8169 0000:03:00.0: eth0: RTL8168b/8111b at 0xf8024000, 
00:1c:c0:a7:03:49, XID
    98500000 IRQ 43
    [ 1.500171] r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.3LK-NAPI loaded
    [ 1.500191] r8169 0000:04:06.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> 
IRQ 21
:
    [ 91.680437] r8169 0000:03:00.0: eth0: link down
    [ 91.680442] r8169 0000:03:00.0: eth0: link down
    [ 91.682304] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
    [ 91.685229] r8169 0000:04:06.0: eth4: link down
    [ 91.685410] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth4: link is not ready
    [ 93.666844] r8169 0000:04:06.0: eth4: link up
    [ 93.666993] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth4: link becomes ready
    [ 94.424913] svc: failed to register lockdv1 RPC service (errno 97).
    [ 94.424944] NFSD: Using /var/lib/nfs/v4recovery as the NFSv4 state 
recovery directory
    [ 94.612971] NFSD: starting 90-second grace period

I now have:
    /lib/modules/2.6.38-8-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko eth0 
0000:03:00.0:
    /lib/modules/2.6.38-8-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8169.ko eth4 
0000:04:06.0:
-

    root@weer:~# grep "816" lsmod*
    lsmodr8169.txt:filename: 
/lib/modules/2.6.38-8-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8169.ko
    lsmodr8169.txt:firmware: rtl_nic/rtl8168d-2.fw
    lsmodr8169.txt:firmware: rtl_nic/rtl8168d-1.fw
    lsmodr8169.txt:description: RealTek RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver
    lsmodr8169.txt:author: Realtek and the Linux r8169 crew 
<netdev@vger.kernel.org>
    lsmodr8169.txt:alias: pci:v00000001d00008168sv*sd00002410bc*sc*i*
    lsmodr8169.txt:alias: pci:v000010ECd00008169sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
    lsmodr8169.txt:alias: pci:v000010ECd00008168sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
    lsmodr8169.txt:alias: pci:v000010ECd00008167sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
    lsmod.txt:r8169 42534 0

    root@weer:~# grep "bit" lspci.txt
    03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. 
RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit
    Ethernet controller (rev 01)
    04:06.0 Ethernet controller: D-Link System Inc DGE-528T Gigabit 
Ethernet Adapter (rev 10)

    root@weer:~# modinfo r8168
    filename: /lib/modules/2.6.38-8-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko
    version: 8.024.00-NAPI
    license: GPL
    description: RealTek RTL-8168 Gigabit Ethernet driver
    author: Realtek and the Linux r8168 crew <netdev&am;vger.kernel.org>
    srcversion: F7DC35DC47F0220384E5AE2

    root@weer:~# modprobe -l -i r816* -v
    kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko
    root@weer:~# grep eth udevadm_export_db.txt -A 8
    P: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.1/0000:03:00.0/net/eth0
    E: UDEV_LOG=3
    E: DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.1/0000:03:00.0/net/eth0
    E: INTERFACE=eth0
    E: IFINDEX=2
    E: SUBSYSTEM=net
    E: ID_VENDOR_FROM_DATABASE=Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    E: ID_MODEL_FROM_DATABASE=RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
controller
    E: ID_BUS=pci
    E: ID_VENDOR_ID=0x10ec
    E: ID_MODEL_ID=0x8168
    E: ID_MM_CANDIDATE=1
    --
    P: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:04:06.0/net/eth4
    E: UDEV_LOG=3
    E: DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:04:06.0/net/eth4
    E: INTERFACE=eth4
    E: IFINDEX=3
    E: SUBSYSTEM=net
    E: ID_VENDOR_FROM_DATABASE=D-Link System Inc
    E: ID_MODEL_FROM_DATABASE=DGE-528T Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
    E: ID_BUS=pci
    E: ID_VENDOR_ID=0x1186
    E: ID_MODEL_ID=0x4300
    E: ID_MM_CANDIDATE=1
    udevadm info --export-db >udevadm_export_db1.txt


    root@weer:~# grep Intel lshw.txt -A 2 -B 2
    description: Motherboard
    product: DG31PR
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 0
    version: AAD97573-302
    --
    *-firmware
    description: BIOS
    vendor: Intel Corp.
    physical id: 0
    version: PRG3110H.86A.0052.2008.0612.1910
    *-cpu:0
    description: CPU
    product: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6550 @ 2.33GHz
    vendor: Intel Corp.
    physical id: 4
    bus info: cpu@0
    --
    description: Host bridge
    product: 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express DRAM Controller
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 100
    bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
    --
    description: PCI bridge
    product: 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express PCI Express Root Port
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 1
    bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0

Best regards
Danie

-- 
Danie Wessels
Sel: +27 82 432 2975; Tel: +27 12 663 2564; Faks: +27 12 663 2564

Re: NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:44:40 +0200
Danie Wessels <dawessels@telkomsa.net> wrote:

> I would like to use my onboard NIC (eth0) with its r8168 driver from 
> RealTek together with my D-Link NIC (eth4=eth1) with its r8169 default 
> driver from the install.

The kernel developers do not support the use of out of tree
vendor drivers. If there is some reason the default kernel driver does
not work for your hardware, that is a bug that should be reported and
it will get fixed.

Re: NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

[Francois Romieu]

Danie Wessels <dawessels@telkomsa.net> :
[...]
> I would like to use my onboard NIC (eth0) with its r8168 driver from
> RealTek together with my D-Link NIC (eth4=eth1) with its r8169
> default driver from the install. Sepatately they seem to work...but
> I would like a firewall set up with NAT and had it before I
> "upgraded". ;^)

Remove the 8168 PCI IDs from the r8169 driver and you should be set.

[...]
>    [ 1.486546] r8169 0000:03:00.0: eth0: RTL8168b/8111b at
> 0xf8024000, 00:1c:c0:a7:03:49, XID 98500000 IRQ 43

It ought to be supported by the kernel r8169 driver.

Which problem(s) do you have with it ?

-- 
Ueimor

Re: NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

[Danie Wessels]

On 07/20/2011 09:22 PM, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:44:40 +0200
> Danie Wessels<dawessels@telkomsa.net>  wrote:
>
>> I would like to use my onboard NIC (eth0) with its r8168 driver from
>> RealTek together with my D-Link NIC (eth4=eth1) with its r8169 default
>> driver from the install.
>
> The kernel developers do not support the use of out of tree
> vendor drivers. If there is some reason the default kernel driver does
> not work for your hardware, that is a bug that should be reported and
> it will get fixed.
>
I understand from Ubuntu forum that this bug (#347711) with the r8169 
driver for the RTL8111/8168B is in the Will-not-fix state due to 
(hardware?) it not being supported any more.
That leaves a number of us with little options.

.> Remove the 8168 PCI IDs from the r8169 driver and you should be set.
gr8. I can give that a try...8^0  (some more hints....?)

.>It ought to be supported by the kernel r8169 driver.

See bugs listed on Ubuntu:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.22/+bug/141343
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/221499
https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/347711

And 0n Bug #347711
linux-kernel-bugs #12411
Duplicates of this bug
Bug #76489
Bug #347670

.> Which problem(s) do you have with it ?
No communication to outside devices. I can not ping my router through it 
but can ping its IP.


What can I do now or where should I report it or how can I help?
RTFM 4 rules.d = where?
-- 
Dankie
Danie Wessels

Re: NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

[Francois Romieu]

Danie Wessels <dawessels@telkomsa.net> :
[...]
> .> Remove the 8168 PCI IDs from the r8169 driver and you should be set.
> gr8. I can give that a try...8^0  (some more hints....?)

Search for rtl8169_pci_tbl and remove the 0x8168 line : the kernel r8169
driver will stop being used on the 8168s.

> 
> .>It ought to be supported by the kernel r8169 driver.
> 
> See bugs listed on Ubuntu:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.22/+bug/141343

Executive summary :
a. started in 2007
b. includes "kernel r8169 driver does not work, tried Realtek's r8168,
   happy now"
c. includes b. +  "...wait a few days, Oops"
d. covers different devices (8168b, 8168c, plain 8169).
e. people still using old kernel (see post 2.6.26
   77332894c21165404496c56763d7df6c15c4bb09 in #38 then mention of 2.6.22,
   2.6.24)
f. usual "this is the same bug" (#141343 is the same bug as #141343
e. one (1) dmesg attached to the whole thread (74 messages). Tons of lspci,
   not a single XID. 

> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/221499

Trend (?) : recent kernels help. XID and up-to-date reports would be
welcome if they can be streamlined to a standard (for me :o) ) kernel.
See below.

> https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/347711

I wish I could filter out comments by author. Flat PR get really, really
messy with time.

> And 0n Bug #347711
> linux-kernel-bugs #12411
> Duplicates of this bug
> Bug #76489
> Bug #347670

Parts of reports look the same but it is more a bag of mixed bugs than
a duplicated one. On the bright side I only have to pick one to fix
something. :o/

> .> Which problem(s) do you have with it ?
> No communication to outside devices. I can not ping my router
> through it but can ping its IP.

So it is receiving packets either in promiscuous mode or (and)
as long as its peer knows its MAC address ?

No Tx at all (it may help if you can capture traffic on the remote
end) or just a few packets before it stops (and spits a NETDEV
WATCHDOG message) ?

> What can I do now or where should I report it or how can I help?
> RTFM 4 rules.d = where?

- Where (general)
  Here and/or kernel.org bugzilla. Cc: good. Private email: bad. You may
  Cc: Hayes as well.
  If you go for bugzilla, fill Product/Component as "Drivers/Network"

- What (general)
  If it is not a regression - i.e. it does not fall in the "stopped
  working" bucket - always try last Linus's -rc or David Miller's "next"
  branch. I may have a bit more pending sauce but the "next" branch usually
  is a good starting point (especially as fixing regressions in it asap is
  a rather high priority task). "next" is waiting for you at :
  git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/davem/net-next-2.6.git

  Comparing Realtek's driver and kernel r8169 one is welcome. BIOS lan
  options and reboot from a different OS sometimes make a difference (its
  always nice to be sure than the damn thing _can_ work).

  Include:
  - dmesg output (unabbreviated, explicit). The XID line is a mess but it
    allows me to triage the bugs.
  - ethtool -d ethX. Be it a single line or a (nowadays partial) registers
    dump.
  - lspci -v/-tv
  - brand/motherboard identification 

  (wrt your report, I already have most of the needed material)

  Ping me when you want a status update or feel things are sidetracked.

- What (specific)
  One of Ubuntu's report suggests that you are experiencing a regression.
  If so it would be nice to bissect it.

In the short run I can not do more as I must push something out for a mac
address change problem with the 8168evl.

-- 
Ueimor

Re: NIC driver r8168 with r8169 for RTL8111/8168B and DGE-528T together

[Danie Wessels]

On 07/21/2011 12:22 PM, Francois Romieu wrote:
> Danie Wessels<dawessels@telkomsa.net>  :
> [...]
>> gr8. I can give that a try
and ...
> Search for rtl8169_pci_tbl and remove the 0x8168 line : the kernel r8169
> driver will stop being used on the 8168s.
I see the r8168 driver was based on the r8169 of kernel 2.6.18 ?
{GPL of Copyrig.. with paten.. ??} see r8168-8.024.00.tar

ht tp://152 
.104.125.41/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=4&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false&Downloads=true
>>
>> .>It ought to be supported by the kernel r8169 driver.
>>
>> See bugs listed on Ubuntu:
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.22/+bug/141343
>
> Executive summary :
> a. started in 2007
> b. includes "kernel r8169 driver does not work, tried Realtek's r8168,
>     happy now"
> c. includes b. +  "...wait a few days, Oops"
> d. covers different devices (8168b, 8168c, plain 8169).
> e. people still using old kernel (see post 2.6.26
>     77332894c21165404496c56763d7df6c15c4bb09 in #38 then mention of 2.6.22,
>     2.6.24)
> f. usual "this is the same bug" (#141343 is the same bug as #141343
??
> e. one (1) dmesg attached to the whole thread (74 messages). Tons of lspci,
>     not a single XID.
I think is is good summary!
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/221499
>
> Trend (?) : recent kernels help. XID and up-to-date reports would be
> welcome if they can be streamlined to a standard (for me :o) ) kernel.
> See below.
>
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/347711
>
> I wish I could filter out comments by author. Flat PR get really, really
> messy with time.
yes, I can understand
:
>> .>  Which problem(s) do you have with it ?
>> No communication to outside devices. I can not ping my router
>> through it but can ping its IP.
>
> So it is receiving packets either in promiscuous mode or (and)
> as long as its peer knows its MAC address ?
No. sorry, I think. What I meant is that I cannot ping any other IPs 
other than the that of the card itself (on this onboard card) with the 
r8169 driver.
Further: When I then rebooted to Win 7 the card also does not work until 
I disable the card and then re-enable the onboard card.
Then when I rebooted to the previous Ubuntu (i.e. 10.10) the card might 
work (if it was hot reboot..?)
>
> No Tx at all (it may help if you can capture traffic on the remote
> end) or just a few packets before it stops (and spits a NETDEV
> WATCHDOG message) ?
I will look into this.
>
:
 > - What (specific)
>    One of Ubuntu's report suggests that you are experiencing a regression.
>     If so it would be nice to bissect it.
Now even after a reboot (and disable/enable) from Win 7, Ubuntu 11.04 
does not have the card enabled any more.
> In the short run I can not do more as I must push something out for a mac
> address change problem with the 8168evl.
OK

-- 
Danie Wessels