Solved Network card is not enabled

vienuolis · Jul 7, 2024

Weird, FreeBSD does not recognise, even detect a cable connection in miniPC Ser7. I can not find even an attempt to connect Ethernet in the boot log. Rebooting, pulling out the LAN cable and reinserting it back into the RJ45 socket does not help.

I can not complain about this miniPC on its manufacturer’s forum, because with MS Windows the connection works flawlessly, both Ethernet and WiFi.

I checked the BIOS, and found nothing forbidden to connect.

gpart shows all the drives of my miniPC correctly, including USB sticks.

ifconfig, however, does not show Ethernet at all, and WiFi as maybe existing, but supposedly unrecognised and unresponsive:

Code:

2024-07-06 Bee-link's Ser7 LAN interfaces with Ethernet cable.

nomad@NomadBSD ~> ifconfig
lo0: flags=1008049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST,LOWER_UP> metric 0 mtu 16384
    options=680003<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,LINKSTATE,RXCSUM_IPV6,TXCSUM_IPV6>
    inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000
    inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128
    inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
    groups: lo
    nd6 options=21<PERFORMNUD,AUTO_LINKLOCAL>
wlan0: flags=8c43<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,DRV_OACTIVE,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
    options=0
    ether e4:c7:67:40:34:90
    inet 192.168.1.106 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255
    inet6 fe80::e6c7:67ff:fe40:3490%wlan0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x2
    groups: wlan
    ssid "" channel 11 (2462 MHz 11g)
    regdomain ETSI country LT authmode WPA1+WPA2/802.11i privacy ON
    deftxkey UNDEF txpower 30 bmiss 7 scanvalid 60 protmode CTS wme
    roaming MANUAL
    parent interface: iwlwifi0
    media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect (autoselect)
    status: no carrier
    nd6 options=23<PERFORMNUD,ACCEPT_RTADV,AUTO_LINKLOCAL>
nomad@NomadBSD ~>

bsdconfig Network Management: Network interfaces — wlan0 only, marked as inactive and unknown:

Is there any chance for FreeBSD in miniPC?

Cath O'Deray · Jul 7, 2024

What are the PCI IDs of the network interfaces? You'll find them in output from:

pciconf -lv

vienuolis said:
FreeBSD

vienuolis said:
nomad@NomadBSD

bsdcode · Jul 8, 2024

It seems this minipc has a Realtek NIC which is not supported by the kernel. You will need to install net/realtek-re-kmod. Be aware that the packages are currently build for 14.0-RELEASE and because this port is a kernel module you'll probably need to compile the port if you are using 14.1-RELEASE.

Side note: Last week I got a EliteMini UM780 XTX miniPC which also has a Realtek NIC and I had to compile and use the port myself

.

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

Yes, sorry for the confusion. Despite being small and light, this miniPC is not a laptop or tablet (without a monitor), it is intended to be a permanent workstation — that's why I am interested in a robust wired connection rather than WiFi.

I think Ethernet is a much simpler connection in software. These days, laptops are often made without an RJ45 socket and connects to the net only via WiFi. While Ethernet is available for any FreeBSD implementation, with or without a monitor. I hope these Ethernet drivers are the same.

Among other great features, NomadBSD is designed to test hardware compatibility with FreeBSD before installation — from USB live drive. If everything works, I would install it internally, as NomadBSD is quite suitable for a desktop computer, too.

Cath O'Deray said:
What are the PCI IDs of the network interfaces?

Ethernet — RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)

Wireless — Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (Intel Corporation).

The full list of pciconf -lv I have put online.

SirDice · Jul 8, 2024

Realtek 2.5Gb interfaces aren't supported, yet, not in the base at least (net/realtek-re-kmod is reported to work). The only 2.5Gb interface currently supported are the Intel I-225 series (igc(4)).

T-Daemon · Jul 8, 2024

Try net/realtek-re-kmod.

Solved - Realtek RTL8125 on-board not discovered

So...I want to install FreeBSD on my shop computer. I use a USB flash drive to install FreeBSD 13.2-RELEASE and everything goes forward just fine.....except....that it doesn't find my on-board NIC, so I have no network. I realize that the Realtek NICs sometimes have difficulty with...

forums.freebsd.org

Solved - if_re for RTL8125- module loads, no device output

OS: FreeBSD14-Current Kernel: Custom Arch: AMD64 Package: realtek-re-kmod-198.00.pkg device miibus device if_re are commented out within my kernel conf, otherwise I would get a "pci/if_re" and "re/miibus" already loaded message when trying to use the new kmod if_re_load="YES"...

forums.freebsd.org

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

Sorry bsdcode, I am not a programmer, I might not be able to compile this driver. Should I install FreeBSD 13.3R and search for some old desktop environment?

Or is it easier to employ Intel's Wi-Fi 6 AX200 somehow?

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

SirDice said:
Realtek 2.5Gb interfaces aren't supported, yet, not in the base at least (net/realtek-re-kmod is reported to work). The only 2.5Gb interface currently supported are the Intel I-225 series (igc(4)).

It looks like realtek-re-kmod will also work on FreeBSD 14.1R, right? I am going to patch it then, thank you very much!

bsdcode · Jul 8, 2024

vienuolis said:
Or is it easier to employ Intel's Wi-Fi 6 AX200 somehow?

According to your provided boot log the iwlwifi(4) driver has some troubles. I'm currently out of the loop for WIFI trouble shooting unfortunately. I don't know if we can get you going with the WIFI...

vienuolis said:
Sorry bsdcode, I am not a programmer, I might not be able to compile this driver. Should I install FreeBSD 13.3R and search for some old desktop environment?

vienuolis said:
It looks like realtek-re-kmod will also work on FreeBSD 14.1R, right? I am going to patch it then, thank you very much!

You definitely want to use 14.1-RELEASE, because your AMD Radeon 780M graphics are only supported by graphics/drm-61-kmod which needs at least this version.

You don't need to be a programmer to compile a port, the FreeBSD ports framework does all the heavy work for you. The question is how the ports framework can download the sourcecode without network. Do you have a second machine where you can run FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE on it with an internet connection? If so, you could compile the port there and copy the driver over to your minipc (that's how I've done it).

The FreeBSD installation medium should have a /usr/freebsd-dist/ports.txz distribution file which contains the ports tree at the time of the release creation. This would be sufficient for now. bsdinstall(8) let's you install this alongside the kernel, base, lib32, etc... This way you get a ports tree in /usr/ports. Now compile the port:

Code:

cd /usr/ports/net/realtek-re-kmod
make

Copy the driver /usr/ports/net/realtek-re-kmod/work/stage/boot/modules/if_re.ko over to your minipc to /boot/modules/if_re.ko and add these lines to your /boot/loader.conf of the minipc:

Code:

if_re_load="YES"
if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko"

SirDice · Jul 8, 2024

bsdcode said:
Copy the driver /usr/ports/net/realtek-re-kmod/work/stage/boot/modules/if_re.ko over to your minipc to /boot/modules/if_re.ko and add these lines to your /boot/loader.conf of the minipc:

I would suggest doing make package and let it build a proper package. Then transfer that package to the other machine and pkg-add(8) it.

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

Oops, you are quicker me, sorry for asking the answered question: ~~how to obtain and install this patch off-line?~~

bsdcode · Jul 8, 2024

SirDice said:
I would suggest doing make package and let it build a proper package. Then transfer that package to the other machine and pkg-add(8) it.

Ah yes, I thought the bootstraping process of pkg(8) would be troublesome without working internet connection, therefore I went without a proper package. But if pkg-add(8) works than this is probably the better way.

T-Daemon · Jul 8, 2024

bsdcode said:
The question is how the ports framework can download the sourcecode without network. Do you have a second machine where you can run FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE on it with an internet connection? If so, you could compile the port there and copy the driver over to your minipc (that's how I've done it).

SirDice said:
I would suggest doing make package and let it build a proper package.

Why build a package from source at all, there is one ready to download.

https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg

T-Daemon · Jul 8, 2024

vienuolis said:
~~how to obtain and install this patch off-line?~~

If your phone is USB tethering capabil, see

Chapter 34. Advanced Networking

Advanced networking in FreeBSD: basics of gateways and routes, CARP, how to configure multiple VLANs on FreeBSD, etc

docs.freebsd.org

Run dhclient ue0

Install packages from NomadBSD: pkg install realtek-re-kmod

If not, fetch packages on machine with internet connection

https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/pkg-1.21.3.pkg

https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg

transfer to Nomad, execute

Code:

 # SIGNATURE_TYPE=none  pkg  add  pkg-1.21.3.pkg

 # pkg  add  realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg

SirDice · Jul 8, 2024

T-Daemon said:
Why build a package from source at all, there is one ready to download.

https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg

It's built for 14.0-RELEASE, it'll probably fail to load on 14.1.

T-Daemon · Jul 8, 2024

SirDice said:
It's built for 14.0-RELEASE, it'll probably fail to load on 14.1.

Good point, didn't though about kernel version.

vienuolis, that makes post # 14 obsolete. Kernel modules must match kernel version. Downloaded realtek package is for version 14.0.

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

T-Daemon said:
that makes post # 14 obsolete. Kernel modules must match kernel version. Downloaded realtek package is for version 14.0.

No, the latest NomadBSD version is 140R-20240126, still based on FreeBSD 14.0-RELEASE-p4, and graphics from miniPC are working pretty well there. Unfortunately, for some reason NomadBSD 140R-20240126 refuses to update this Realtek Ethernet driver:

Code:

root@NomadBSD # SIGNATURE_TYPE=none pkg add /home/nomad/Downloads/pkg-1.21.3.pkg
Installing pkg-1.21.3...
the most recent version of pkg-1.20.9 is already installed
root@NomadBSD # pkg add /home/nomad/Downloads/realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg
Installing realtek-re-kmod-1100.00...
the most recent version of realtek-kmod-199.00_1 is already installed

root@NomadBSD # pkg-add
fish: Unknown command: pkg-add

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

Weird, pkg info realtek-re-kmod-199.00_1 claims that it supports Realtek RTL8125 driver:

Code:

Supported devices:

* 5G Gigabit Ethernet
  - RTL8126

* 2.5G Gigabit Ethernet:
  - RTL8125 / 8125B(G)

* 10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet
...
* 10/100M Fast Ethernet
...

bsdcode · Jul 8, 2024

vienuolis said:
Weird, pkg info realtek-re-kmod-199.00_1 claims that it supports Realtek RTL8125 driver:

It does. My minipc has the same NIC and works flawlessly with net/realtek-re-kmod.

vienuolis said:
Unfortunately, for some reason NomadBSD 140R-20240126 refuses to update this Realtek Ethernet driver:

Have you followed T-Daemon's post literally and installed the driver via pkg install realtek-re-kmod before you fetched https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/pkg-1.21.3.pkg and https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg and tried to install them? If so, then it explains your error, you already installed the driver. Now insert the mentioned

Code:

if_re_load="YES"
if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko"

into /boot/loader.conf and reboot (I hope you can do persistent changes to /boot/loader.conf with NomadBSD).

vienuolis said:
and graphics from miniPC are working pretty well there.

But probably only with the scfb(4) driver without hardware acceleration.

T-Daemon · Jul 8, 2024

vienuolis said:
... for some reason NomadBSD 140R-20240126 refuses to update this Realtek Ethernet driver:

If a realtek-re-kmod kernel module is already installed on the system, you don't need to upgrade necessarily. It doesn't matter if version 199.00_1 or 1100.00.

Check if the driver is loaded:

Code:

 # kldstat -v | grep if_re

There should be returned something like

Code:

 2    1 0xffffffff82138000   11d580 if_re.ko (/boot/modules/if_re.ko)
          1 pci/if_re

If it is not loaded, no message returned, execute pkg info -D realtek-re-kmod and follow instructions, same instructions
bsdcode you gave for automatic loading in loader.conf.

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

After inserting if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko" line into /boot/loader.conf (if_re_load="YES" already was there) and rebooting, network is still disabled, altghough some new signs of a recognition attempt have already appeared in the boot log:

Code:

acpi_ec0: <Embedded Controller: GPE 0xb> port 0x62,0x66 on acpi0
pcib0: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> port 0xcf8-0xcff on acpi0
pci0: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib0
pci0: <base peripheral, IOMMU> at device 0.2 (no driver attached)
pcib1: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> at device 1.2 on pci0
pci1: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib1
re0: <Realtek PCIe 2.5GbE Family Controller> port 0xf000-0xf0ff mem … at device 0.0 on pci2
re0: Using Memory Mapping!
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: version:1.99.04
re0: Ethernet address: 70:70:fc:05:ca:90
This product is covered by one or more of the following patents: …
re0: Using defaults for TSO: 65518/35/2048
re0: Ethernet address: 70:70:fc:05:ca:90
pcib3: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> at device 2.2 on pci0
pci3: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib3
pci3: <network> at device 0.0 (no driver attached)

bsdcode said:
Have you followed T-Daemon's post literally and installed the driver via pkg install realtek-re-kmod before you fetched https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/pkg-1.21.3.pkg and https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-1100.00.pkg and tried to install them? If so, then it explains your error, you already installed the driver.

No, this task is too complex for me… And NomadBSD in a USB live drive does not include the ports tree. I fetched these two packages only and attempted to install them, unsuccessfully.

vienuolis · Jul 8, 2024

T-Daemon said:
If a realtek-re-kmod kernel module is already installed on the system, you don't need to upgrade necessarily. It doesn't matter if version 199.00_1 or 1100.00.

Check if the driver is loaded:

Code:

# kldstat -v | grep if_re

There should be returned something like

Code:

2 1 0xffffffff82138000 11d580 if_re.ko (/boot/modules/if_re.ko) 1 pci/if_re

Yes, this line is similar in my miniPC, too:

 2    1 0xffffffff81f34000   1148e0 if_re.ko (/boot/modules/if_re.ko)
          1 pci/if_re

T-Daemon · Jul 8, 2024

vienuolis said:
altghough some new signs of a recognition attempt have already appeared in the boot log:

That's good, now configure the network interface to get an IP.

I assume the machine is connected to a router or internet modem with a DHCP server.

/etc/rc.conf

Code:

ifconfig_re0="DHCP"

Start service: service netif restart

vienuolis said:
I fetched these two packages only and attempted to install them, unsuccessfully.

You don't need to anymore. The driver has been loaded and has attached to the device, visible by the re0 device name.

Cath O'Deray · Jul 8, 2024

T-Daemon said:
… Kernel modules must match kernel version. …

Not always.

A few hours ago I used FreeBSD-14.1-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso.xz to install the OS and offline packages.

drm-515-kmod amdgpu loaded without error; SDDM appeared.

bsdcode said:
… I thought the bootstraping process of pkg(8) would be troublesome without working internet connection, …

Offline bootstrap is simple whilst using the DVD image, after installing the OS (before existing the installer). Simple, but not in the FreeBSD Handbook, and not in official FAQ.

SirDice · Jul 8, 2024

Cath O'Deray said:
Not always.

A few hours ago I used FreeBSD-14.1-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso.xz to install the OS and offline packages.

drm-515-kmod amdgpu loaded without error; SDDM appeared.

What does pkg query '%At:%Av' drm-515-kmod tell you?

Solved Network card is not enabled

vienuolis

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bsdcode

vienuolis

SirDice

Administrator

T-Daemon

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Solved - if_re for RTL8125- module loads, no device output

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