No Ethernet on fresh Qubes R4.2.3 install

User Support
1

Hello, I just bought a NovaCustom NV41 (Dasharo Coreboot+Heads) and installed Qubes OS R4.2.3 on it. This laptop is Qubes certified and everything should work fine, however, it is not the case :slightly_smiling_face:.

From the start, when I insert an Ethernet cable into the RJ45 port, the icon of the default sys-net (Fedora-40) starts loading, but no connection is ever established. After some time a message pops up “The network connection has been disconnected” and it keeps doing the same (loading some time, then error message) and finally stops trying to connect to the internet.

I have tried installing Qubes OS with the default option and the latest kernel option. I have also tried to create different installation mediums and reinstalling again, to discard a corrupt ISO or else. I have tried to change the kernel of the default sys-net. I have also tried changing the template from Fedora 40 to Debian 12. None of those approaches has work so far.

I have checked the Ethernet cable and router with other devices and they get internet.

All software of the laptop is updated. Dasharo Coreboot+Heads is updated to the latest version (0.9.1). The Qubes OS version installed on the laptop is also the lastest version.

The Ethernet network adapter is a Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411, which should work out of the box, and it works out of the box on another laptop running Qubes OS R4.2.3 that I have, but in the NV41 it just do not work.

I do not know why this is happening and would appreciate any help to solve this problem.

Thank you.

2
  1. What basic networking infrastructure are you connecting to? (Basic description …) Just an ethernet cable plugged into the home router?
  2. How is your lan connection configured (dhcp/fixed ip etc)?
  3. Is the laptop hardware initialized? → in dom0 terminal: lspci
  4. If 3. is positive: is the interface seen by the sys-net qube? → in sys-net terminal: ip a
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3

In addition to @OvalZero suggestions, could you try sys-net using a debian template (not a debian-minimal)? Just in case.

4
  1. What basic networking infrastructure are you connecting to? (Basic description …) Just an ethernet cable plugged into the home router?

Yes, just an ethernet cable plugged into a router.

  1. How is your lan connection configured (dhcp/fixed ip etc)?

The IP’s are assigned by DHCP. Router config is all default.

  1. Is the laptop hardware initialized? → in dom0 terminal: lspci

Yes, here is the output of the lspci command on a dom0 terminal:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Device 4621 (rev 02)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics] (rev 0c)
00:06.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 12th Gen Core Processor PCI Express x4 Controller #0 (rev 02)
00:07.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P Thunderbolt 4 PCI Express Root Port #0 (rev 02)
00:0a.0 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation Platform Monitoring Technology (rev 01)
00:0d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P Thunderbolt 4 USB Controller (rev 02)
00:0d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P Thunderbolt 4 NHI #0 (rev 02)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH USB 3.2 xHCI Host Controller (rev 01)
00:14.2 RAM memory: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH Shared SRAM (rev 01)
00:15.0 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH Serial IO I2C Controller #0 (rev 01)
00:15.1 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH Serial IO I2C Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCI Express Root Port #9 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCI Express x1 Root Port #10 (rev 01)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH eSPI Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.3 Audio device: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH-P High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.4 SMBus: Intel Corporation Alder Lake PCH-P SMBus Host Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.5 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P PCH SPI Controller (rev 01)
01:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller PM9A1/PM9A3/980PRO
2d:00.0 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. SD/MMC Card Reader Controller (rev 01)
2e:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
  1. If 3. is positive: is the interface seen by the sys-net qube? → in sys-net terminal: ip a

Output when it tries to establish a connection:

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host noprefixroute
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: ens6: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether d4:93:90:2b:92:54 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    altname enp0s6
    inet6 fe80::d873:37c7:f360:93d8/64 scope link noprefixroute
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
3: vif10.0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP group 2 qlen 1000
    link/ether fe:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 10.138.15.182/32 scope global vif10.0
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 fe80::fcff:ffff:feff:ffff/64 scope link proto kernel_ll
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

Output when it stops trying to establish a connection:

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host noprefixroute
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: ens6: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether d4:93:90:2b:92:54 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    altname enp0s6
3: vif10.0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP group 2 qlen 1000
    link/ether fe:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 10.138.15.182/32 scope global vif10.0
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 fe80::fcff:ffff:feff:ffff/64 scope link proto kernel_ll
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
5

Tried to change the default-dvm template (from which is based sys-net) from fedora-40-xfce to debian-12-xfce and restarted sys-net. Ethernet still did not work either.

6

It seems, like there is media connect, but the interface is not enabled. Please check gnome network manager with right click

  • network should be enabled
  • → edit connections → ethernet: there should be a config with dhcp under IPv4 tab enabled
7

deleted

8
  • network should be enabled

Yes, screenshot below:

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-13-06

  • → edit connections → ethernet: there should be a config with dhcp under IPv4 tab enabled

Yes, screenshot below:

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-13-52
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-13-52798Ă—686 38.8 KB

1 Like
9

Thanks.

What fedora version are your net templates (sys-firwall / sys-net) running? Both are 40-xfce?

Could you please post some snapshots of the settings pages of those two qubes (basic tab is enough)?

10

Yes, both are fedora-40-xfce.

Sure, here are the config of the sys-net:

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-26-19
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-26-19958Ă—773 65 KB

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-26-39
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-26-39951Ă—761 79.7 KB

I have also taken screenshots of the config of the default-dvm, in which sys-net is based:

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-27-17
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-27-17924Ă—749 77.3 KB

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-27-33
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-27-33900Ă—759 86.4 KB

1 Like
11

Also, here it is the configuration of sys-firewall:

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-36-47
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-36-47925Ă—755 68.2 KB

Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-37-03
Screenshot_2024-11-25_19-37-03902Ă—745 75.1 KB

1 Like
12

I know, it sounds a bit crazy, but it worked for me (just found it in my post-install docs - some firmware wasn’t initialising):

  1. Open Qubes-Manager and shutdown sys-net. (It will take down all “attached/dependant” qubes as well.)
  2. Restart sys-net alone.
  3. Insert ethernet cable.
  4. Open Terminal in sys-net and enter sudo ip set link ens6 up. (If ens6 is not your eth0 device, change the name accordingly.)
  5. Start any other necessary qubes [firewall(s), vpn, app qubes, $whatever].

It should work afterwards. Even if you switch net devices, pull the cable, stop the wifi etc. It will prefer the ethernet connection over wifi if you didn’t change the priority in the general tab of the connection config.

13

Ok, I fixed it, it was the router. Your steps did not solve the problem. So, I got upset and said “fuck it” and started to make a mess. I replaced my router with other one that I had spare, sitting inside a box getting dust, and voila, it works now.

It is just very weird, because with the original router (the one I just raged replaced) I had a laptop connected through Ethernet port, and several other devices (mine and from family members) connecting through Wifi, and all of them got Internet, but the NV41 simply did not :rofl:

With the other router that I just put all works flawlessly. All devices (including my NV41) have internet connection now. I tested several times with both routers and with the original there is no way getting Internet in my NV41, but with the other router it has Internet without any problem.

I do not know the cause of this (probably some magic) but with the replacement it all works now. Time to buy better routers, I guess?

Anyway, thanks for all the help @OvalZero ! You are awesome! Keep it going! :kissing_heart: :+1:

1 Like
14

maybe you just exhausted your DHCP pool as sys-net defaults is to use a random MAC address every time. (been there)

1 Like