Trying Get To Work Both R8125 And Mellanox Connectx-3pro

Experiencing network connectivity issues after a fresh Ubuntu installation can be incredibly frustrating, especially when dealing with specialized hardware like the Realtek R8125 and Mellanox ConnectX-3 Pro. This article delves into the common problems users encounter when trying to get these network cards to function correctly on Ubuntu 24.04, offering a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting and resolving these issues. Whether you're a seasoned system administrator or a home user, understanding the nuances of driver installation, kernel compatibility, and hardware configuration is crucial for a stable and high-performance network setup. We'll cover everything from diagnosing initial setup problems to advanced configuration tweaks, ensuring your network cards are operating at their full potential.

Initial Setup and Problem Diagnosis

When tackling network card issues on a new Ubuntu installation, starting with a systematic approach to problem diagnosis is crucial. Begin by identifying whether the issue stems from the Realtek R8125, the Mellanox ConnectX-3 Pro, or both. After a clean install of Ubuntu 24.04, it’s not uncommon for the motherboard's integrated Ethernet card, often a Realtek R8125, to be non-functional out-of-the-box. This is frequently due to the kernel not including the necessary drivers or having an outdated version that doesn't fully support the hardware. The first step is to verify that the card is recognized by the system at all. You can do this by using the lspci command in the terminal. This command lists all PCI devices connected to your system. Look for entries that mention Realtek R8125 or Mellanox ConnectX-3 Pro. If the cards are listed, it means the hardware is detected, but drivers might be missing or incorrectly installed.

If the card isn't listed, there might be a more fundamental hardware issue, such as the card not being properly seated in its PCI slot or a BIOS setting that disables the card. Ensure the card is firmly in its slot and check your motherboard's BIOS settings for any relevant configurations. Some motherboards have options to disable onboard network adapters or control PCI slot behavior. Make sure these settings are correctly configured to allow the cards to function. Once the cards are recognized at the hardware level, the next step is to focus on the driver installation. This involves downloading the appropriate drivers, compiling them if necessary, and ensuring they are loaded correctly by the kernel. For the Realtek R8125, the drivers are often available from the Realtek website, while Mellanox drivers might be obtained from the Mellanox support site or through Ubuntu's package repositories. Understanding the specific needs of each card and following the correct installation procedure is vital for a stable and functional network connection. Always refer to the manufacturer's documentation for the most accurate and up-to-date instructions.

Installing Realtek R8125 Drivers

The Realtek R8125 network interface card (NIC) is a popular choice for many modern motherboards, but it often requires manual driver installation on Linux distributions like Ubuntu. After confirming that your system recognizes the R8125 using lspci, the next step is to obtain the correct drivers. Realtek typically provides drivers on their website, which are usually packaged as source code. This means you'll need to compile the drivers before you can use them. Before you begin, ensure your system has the necessary build tools, including the Linux kernel headers. You can install these tools using the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

The build-essential package includes essential tools like the GCC compiler and Make, while linux-headers-$(uname -r) provides the kernel headers specific to your running kernel version. Once the build tools are in place, download the R8125 driver package from the Realtek website. After downloading, extract the package and navigate to the driver directory in the terminal. The next step is to compile the driver. Typically, the driver package includes a README file with detailed instructions, but the general process involves running make to compile the driver and sudo make install to install it. Here’s a typical sequence of commands:

tar -xvzf r8125-driver-version.tar.gz
cd r8125-driver-version
sudo make clean
sudo make
sudo make install

After installation, you might need to load the new driver manually or reboot your system. To load the driver manually, you can use the modprobe command:

sudo modprobe r8125

To ensure the driver loads automatically on boot, you can add it to the /etc/modules file:

echo