# Realtek RTL8111/RTL8168 Ethernet NIC Problems



## yks (Dec 23, 2009)

Got a mobo (ASUS P7P55D) with integrated Realtek 8111/8168 Gigabit Ethernet NIC (`_re_' driver). It is a complete trouble: once system is started, it shows only 10baseT/UTP <half-duplex> media, while it should 100% proof 100baseTX <full-duplex> and other cards work in this mode.
But the more weird things begin when the NIC is assigned an IP or configured `_up_': it loses cable connection; after kldunload'ing `_if_re_' and loading it back it may or may not find it again. 
I experimented in FreeBSD 7.2-STABLE and 8.0-STABLE, my devinfo shows:

```
# devinfo -v
...
re0 pnpinfo vendor=0x10ec device=0x8168 subvendor=0x1043 subdevice=0x83a3 class=0x020000 at slot=0 function=0
              miibus1
                rgephy0 pnpinfo oui=0x732 model=0x11 rev=0x2 at phyno=1
...
```

I have read previous threads on realtek nics, but I don't want to believe that realtek makes rubbish; though, in windows(R) there is also some sort of a problem with it. Still, if anyone experienced problems of this kind, is there any solution?
Or, maybe, it's worth to ask the mobo/NIC manufacturers?
P.S. Actually I first bought an ASRock P55 chipset mobo with the same or very much alike NIC, and there was the same problem with it, too; I got the mobo replaced with the ASUS. 
It is really incredible for such a respected manufacturer to equip its products with trash, isn't it?


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## Graaf_van_Vlaanderen (Dec 24, 2009)

I have a RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet PCI gigabit ethernet card somewhere here, which I used for OpenSolaris, since there is (still) no driver for the onboard gigabit NIC of an Asus P5KR.
I haven't tested it under FreeBSD though.

Talking about bad hardware, this morning when I was booting my HP servers, I received an error "no route to host". After I put my TP-LINK switch on a heater it worked again. As an IC design engineer
I simulated and tested all my chips from -55 to 155 degrees C to ensure proper operation over temperature. 
Then there seem to be crap companies like TP-LINK were it refused to operate when you turn on the device and the temperature is below 10 degrees C... Of course you get where you pay for.


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## deepdish (Dec 26, 2009)

I'm using the Asus P6T6 WS Revolution motherboard which has 2 x Realtek 8111C. Zero issues in FreeBSD.


```
re0: <RealTek 8168/8168B/8168C/8168CP/8168D/8168DP/8111B/8111C/8111CP/8111DP PCIe Gigabit Ethernet> port 0xe800-0xe8ff mem 
0xfbeff000-0xfbefffff,0xf7ef0000-0xf7efffff irq 17 at device 0.0 on pci11
re0: Using 1 MSI messages
re0: Chip rev. 0x3c000000
re0: MAC rev. 0x00400000
miibus0: <MII bus> on re0
rgephy0: <RTL8169S/8110S/8211B media interface> PHY 1 on miibus0
rgephy0:  10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, 1000baseT, 1000baseT-FDX, auto
re0: Ethernet address: 00:24:8c:69:ce:aa
re0: [FILTER]
pcib10: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> irq 18 at device 28.2 on pci0
pci10: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib10
re1: <RealTek 8168/8168B/8168C/8168CP/8168D/8168DP/8111B/8111C/8111CP/8111DP PCIe Gigabit Ethernet> port 0xd800-0xd8ff mem 
0xfbdff000-0xfbdfffff,0xf7df0000-0xf7dfffff irq 18 at device 0.0 on pci10
re1: Using 1 MSI messages
re1: Chip rev. 0x3c000000
re1: MAC rev. 0x00400000
miibus1: <MII bus> on re1
rgephy1: <RTL8169S/8110S/8211B media interface> PHY 1 on miibus1
rgephy1:  10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, 1000baseT, 1000baseT-FDX, auto
re1: Ethernet address: 00:24:8c:69:d2:fc
re1: [FILTER]
```

Only re0 is being used.


```
re0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
	options=389b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM,WOL_UCAST,WOL_MCAST,WOL_MAGIC>
	ether 00:24:8c:69:ce:aa
	inet 10.54.1.2 netmask 0xffffffc0 broadcast 10.54.1.63
	media: Ethernet autoselect (1000baseT <full-duplex>)
	status: active
re1: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
	options=389b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM,WOL_UCAST,WOL_MCAST,WOL_MAGIC>
	ether 00:24:8c:69:d2:fc
	media: Ethernet autoselect (10baseT/UTP <half-duplex>)
	status: no carrier
```


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## Graaf_van_Vlaanderen (Dec 26, 2009)

One question, how does this NIC behave on other operating systems?
Do you experience similar problems?


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## bschmidt (Jan 5, 2010)

I have issues with my re(4) to, what helped for me was:
`# ifconfig re0 -rxcsum -txcsum`


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## yks (Jan 14, 2010)

Well, actually, it seems to be a problem with the NIC. I tested it in windows(tm) and it also fails 50% of time, or more. First thought it was an issue with power management, switched any PM off in BIOS and OS, no effect. So I disabled it and pulled an old 100-mbit DLink out of my stock, it's a 5-bucks issue not worth nerves, but anyway, somewhat annoying.


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## vladd110 (Sep 5, 2020)

Looks like there is something wrong  with rtl 8168/8111, because it causes glitches in all mainstream OS


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