# Losing Static IP



## erohal (Feb 5, 2012)

I know it is very basic question but very confusing for a newby like me. I have installed FreeBSD on a PC and after installation, configured a static IP. Even though the entry is there in rc.conf:


```
ifconfig_em0="inet 192.168.0.254 netmask 255.255.255.0"
defaultrouter="192.168.0.1"
```

but I only see IP on em0 for a few minutes by checking *ifconfig*. Only during that time when there is the IP entry I can ping other PC on the network but after few minutes, without any error message, it stops pinging other PCs and *ifconfig* does not show any IP associated to the em0. I have rebooted, manually entered the IP but still having same issue. 

Could you please help me?
thanks,


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## shitson (Feb 5, 2012)

could you please post your /etc/rc.conf also look in /var/log/messages to look for unusual error messages to do with adapter em0


```
grep em0 /var/log/messages
```


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## erohal (Feb 6, 2012)

Thank you shitson!
The rc.conf is

```
# Created: Fri Jan 27 08:56:38 2012
# Enable network daemons for user convenience.
# Please make all changes to this file, not to /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
# This file now contains just the overrides from /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
hostname="test-bed.com"
Ifconfig_em0="inet 10.10.10.5 netmask 255.255.255.0"
Defaultrouter="10.10.10.1"
#sshd_enable="YES"
gateway_enable="YES"
inetd_enable="YES"
```

For your information, the output of *ifconfig -a* was 

```
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: <Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection 7.1.9> port 0xecc0-0xecdf mem 0xfe9e0000-0xfe9fffff,
0xfe9db000-0xfe9dbfff irq 21 at device 25.0 on pci0
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: Using an MSI interrupt
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: [FILTER]
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: Ethernet address: 00:23:ae:1c:0c:9a
```

and after I manually execute following command,
[cmd=]ifconfig em0 inet 10.10.10.5 netmask 255.255.255.0[/cmd]

the output of *ifconfig -a* was

```
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: <Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection 7.1.9> port 0xecc0-0xecdf mem 0xfe9e0000-0xfe9fffff,
0xfe9db000-0xfe9dbfff irq 21 at device 25.0 on pci0
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: Using an MSI interrupt
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: [FILTER]
Feb  3 06:46:27 test-bed kernel: em0: Ethernet address: 00:23:ae:6c:0c:9a
Feb  6 03:46:04 test-bed kernel: em0: link state changed to DOWN
Feb  6 03:46:05 test-bed kernel: em0: link state changed to UP
```

During this time I was able to ping others but once I rebooted, I lost the connectivity again.
Again thank you for your help.


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## SirDice (Feb 7, 2012)

erohal said:
			
		

> ```
> Feb  6 03:46:04 test-bed kernel: em0: link state changed to DOWN
> Feb  6 03:46:05 test-bed kernel: em0: link state changed to UP
> ```


This looks like a bad connection. Have you tried a different cable? Different port on the switch?


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## ecazamir (Feb 7, 2012)

Is there any special reason to use capital "i" on /etc/rc.conf for ifconfig_Xxx?

```
Ifconfig_em0="inet 10.10.10.5 netmask 255.255.255.0
```

What you set on ifconfig_xxx in /etc/rc.conf will be enabled after executing */etc/rc.d/netif restart*, but you will need to execute */etc/rc.d/routing restart* too.

I personally like using a two-line-setup to avoid alias issues:

```
ifconfig_em0="up"
ipv4_addrs_em0="1.2.3.4/24 2.3.4.5/23"
```


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## erohal (Feb 17, 2012)

Thank you all for the help. It is working now. I think there was an issue with the network card. Again, thanks.


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