Can't connect to internet after install <SOLVED - kind of>

[Tone the Bone]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but can I ask how you're pasting this information back if you have no connection

The thought just dawned on me, I'm a little slow today

I save the info in a text file, reboot in Windows XP where I can still connect to the internet, open the file and paste the text here.
As to why I can't connect in Mint still seems to be a mystery. I mean, why would it work with live DVD, but not with the install? The setup is the same, isn't it?
Are the permissions different in the installed version or something?

[Grokling]

Sounds very painful!

Nothing you've posted up points to a problem that I know anything about. I would have been inclined to look at cables etc, but the fact that you can just reboot into windows without changing anything else rules that out nicely.

With two people reporting the same issue, I wonder if there's been a new ISO published recently with some new networking fault included as a 'bonus feature'.

When did you download your ISO, which version, and do you know which mirror you used? I know my copy of LM15 Cinammon x64 is okay, but I've had it for a couple of months now. I'm downloading a 'current' ISO now (x64 MATE version though) so will keep an eye out for networking headaches.

Grokling

[Tone the Bone]

Thanks Grokling,
I've tried different cables too. I think I downloaded the ISO from a mirror in Germany, can't remember which one. But I've installed Mint on another machine using the same ISO and DVD, and that works fine. (LM15 Mate 32-bit), so I guess the ISO is OK. I've read of people having problems with Realtek network cards, but that doesn't really explain why the live disk works and the install doesn't.

[WharfRat]

Tone the Bone,

The results you pasted back here would indicate that you don't have the cable connected to the router, however since you can connect when booted to windows leaves me befuddled.

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Network:   Card: Realtek RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ driver: 8139too ver: 0.9.28 port: ec00 bus-ID: 00:0d.0
           IF: eth0 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>

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PING 192.168.2.1 (192.168.2.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 192.168.2.100 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.2.100 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable

Taking a closer look at the device, it's listed as RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+. The driver that's loaded is for RTL 8129/8130/8139 chips. However there is another driver for the RTL8139C+ chips which you appear to have (see attachment).

So if you want, try blacklisting 8139too and see if 8139cp loads and works

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sudo echo "# Added by user for Ethernet card" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

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sudo echo "blacklist 8139too" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Then reboot and check the driver with

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inxi -i

Hopefully it will show 8139cp as the driver, otherwise try to modprobe it.

Good luck

[Tone the Bone]

WharfRat,

I tried blacklisting 8139too as you suggested and I was denied permission. So I did

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sudo pluma /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

and added your text, which I think gives the same result (see below)

/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

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# This file lists those modules which we don't want to be loaded by
# alias expansion, usually so some other driver will be loaded for the
# device instead.

# evbug is a debug tool that should be loaded explicitly
blacklist evbug

# these drivers are very simple, the HID drivers are usually preferred
blacklist usbmouse
blacklist usbkbd

# replaced by e100
blacklist eepro100

# replaced by tulip
blacklist de4x5

# causes no end of confusion by creating unexpected network interfaces
blacklist eth1394

# snd_intel8x0m can interfere with snd_intel8x0, doesn't seem to support much
# hardware on its own (Ubuntu bug #2011, #6810)
blacklist snd_intel8x0m

# Conflicts with dvb driver (which is better for handling this device)
blacklist snd_aw2

# causes failure to suspend on HP compaq nc6000 (Ubuntu: #10306)
blacklist i2c_i801

# replaced by p54pci
blacklist prism54

# replaced by b43 and ssb.
blacklist bcm43xx

# most apps now use garmin usb driver directly (Ubuntu: #114565)
blacklist garmin_gps

# replaced by asus-laptop (Ubuntu: #184721)
blacklist asus_acpi

# low-quality, just noise when being used for sound playback, causes
# hangs at desktop session start (Ubuntu: #246969)
blacklist snd_pcsp

# ugly and loud noise, getting on everyone's nerves; this should be done by a
# nice pulseaudio bing (Ubuntu: #77010)
blacklist pcspkr

# EDAC driver for amd76x clashes with the agp driver preventing the aperture
# from being initialised (Ubuntu: #297750). Blacklist so that the driver
# continues to build and is installable for the few cases where its
# really needed.
blacklist amd76x_edac

# Added by user for Ethernet card
blacklist 8139too

I’ve rebooted (a few times!) and done “modprobe 8139cp” which seemed to have been accepted, but inxi –I still shows:

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tony@PC ~ $ inxi -i
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ driver: 8139too 
           IF: eth0 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:0d:87:71:45:ed

so it seems 8139too is still in use. Arrrrrgggghhhh!

What’s the plan now?

[WharfRat]

Real stubborn stuff here hey

Try:

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sudo rmmod -v 8139too

Then check that it doesn't show up with

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lsmod|grep  8139too

When you get past that:

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sudo modprobe -v 8139cp

Then check it just to make sure

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lsmod|grep 8139cp

You might have to restart the network service:

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sudo service network-manager restart

Good luck

[Fornhamfred]

Hi Wharfrat

Out of interest what is the line starting with 169.254.0.0 in the Kernel IP routing table?

[Tone the Bone]

Thanks for your ongoing efforts WharfRat. Mint seems determined to keep using 8139too!

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tony@PC ~ $ sudo rmmod -v 8139too
[sudo] password for tony: 
tony@PC ~ $ lsmod|grep 8139too
tony@PC ~ $ sudo modprobe -v 8139cp
tony@PC ~ $ lsmod|grep 8139cp
8139cp                 26557  0 
tony@PC ~ $ tony@PC ~ $ sudo service network-manager restart
network-manager stop/waiting
network-manager start/running, process 2289
tony@PC ~ $

Connection Information on the Network icon still says 8139too. And after reboot:

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tony@PC ~ $ inxi -i
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ driver: 8139too 
           IF: eth0 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:0d:87:71:45:ed

[WharfRat]

Hi Wharfrat

Out of interest what is the line starting with 169.254.0.0 in the Kernel IP routing table?

It's what's called a link local address. It's a reserved range (I forget the exact range) for directly connected devices like NAS storage devices.

[WharfRat]

Tone the Bone,

Remove the lines you added to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and try creating the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-8139too.conf with the entry blacklist 8139too

Also paste back

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lspci -nnk|awk '/Ethernet|Network/,/Kernel/'

[Tone the Bone]

/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf is back to its original state and /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-8139too.conf created with the entry blacklist 8139too.

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tony@PC ~ $ lspci -nnk|awk '/Ethernet|Network/,/Kernal/'
00:0d.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ [10ec:8139] (rev 10)
	Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ [10ec:8139]
	Kernel driver in use: 8139too
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 65x/M650/740 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter [1039:6325]
	Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems Device [1019:1814]
tony@PC ~ $

[WharfRat]

Tone the Bone,

Leave the 8139too module loaded and try to load the other and see if it kicks in

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sudo modprobe -v 8139cp

Verify with

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lsmod|grep 8139

From your device number I gleaned some interesting information.

[url]http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=89155[/url]

Bottom line from this thread was no resolution

This one shows there were some overlap with 8139cp and 8139too drivers way back, but was supposed to be fixed.

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=157783

It looks like you might have one of those problematic cards

[Tone the Bone]

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tony@PC ~ $ sudo modprobe -v 8139cp
[sudo] password for tony: 
tony@PC ~ $ lsmod|grep 8139
8139too                23071  0 
8139cp                 26557  0 
tony@PC ~ $

I can load or unload modules no problem, and if I delete 8139too and leave 8139cp loaded, it will not even attempt to connect, presumably because nobody has told it which driver to use instead. If I try to blacklist the file, it is still loaded on re-boot, so I still can't get it to try 8139cp.

If the network card works fine with the live DVD using 8139too, I’m thinking it’s not a driver problem or a card problem, but something more fundamental with the install setup.

I have other problems with the in install, e.g. it is reluctant to show or open connected USB drives, it sometimes hangs on shutdown or start-up and it won't play videos properly. Maybe Mint is just not suited to this machine, which is a shame because it works so well on my laptop.

I’m a bit bemused by it all.

[Fornhamfred]

Tony

Just do not give up on Mint. Mint 15 will soon be superseded by 16 but have you tried LMDE. You do not have to reinstall every 6 months as it is a semi-rolling distro. I have run it since it started as my main system and apart from a few hiccups when the update packs are issued it has been very stable.
If you still suffer from the connection problems with LMDE then it would be worth inserting a replacement network card, which is very cheap. On this machine it is integrated on the motherboard but is a RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 06) with which I have had no problems, my other machine has a D-Link DGE-530T

[WharfRat]

If the network card works fine with the live DVD using 8139too, I’m thinking it’s not a driver problem or a card problem, but something more fundamental with the install setup.

That's what's so strange with this. I don't know what goes on with the install, but you would think it would behave the same way after it's installed

My next suggestion was going to be updating your installation to the latest kernel and see if that makes any difference. I don't know if you want to pursue this any further or not, but there are a couple of things left to try.

Also I found this and from what I can determine two boot paramaters, pnpbios=off pnpacpi=off fixed it

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=46583

Good luck

[Tone the Bone]

Fornhamfred,
Good idea, I'm in the process of trying LMDE now.

WharfRat,
Thanks. If I have the same problem with LMDE (hope not!), I'll refer back to your pnpbios suggestion.

[WharfRat]

Fornhamfred,
Good idea, I'm in the process of trying LMDE now.

WharfRat,
Thanks. If I have the same problem with LMDE (hope not!), I'll refer back to your pnpbios suggestion.

I'd be very interested in knowing if LMDE's network worked out-of-the-box

Good luck

[Tone the Bone]

I installed LMDE and although Firefox and some other programs wouldn't load, I did have internet connection as I was able to install over 1135 (!) updates. I was then able to load those programs and internet now works fine. But I've swapped one problem for some others: Computer VERY slow after coming out of standby (looks like this is a well-known issue), no sound except the occasional beep, and four small black squares at the top of the display. But I guess this counts as the original problem “solved”. Thanks to Fornhamfred, and WharfRat for all the help

Edited to say: Sound now works since plugging the correct lead into the speakers socket!