Make sure your unit really is an r8169, and not an r8168. Whilst (as I understand it) the r8169 module is supposed to work with an r8168, at least on my laptop (Acer Aspire E17 (E5-722-425Q), currently 18.04 (up-to-date)), using the r8169 module has resulted in "flakely" behaviour for as long as I can remember, including becoming unusable after a (some?) warm reboot. (Sorry, I cannot recall any specific details, albeit I vaguely recall that was not the only problem I had.) Using the r8168 dkms module, there has not been any(?) problems. However, I believe the r8168 module (in package `r8168-dkms') is specific to r8168 hardware and will not work with an r8169 unit.
Using `lspci' my r8168 is listed as: Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 12) -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1841040 Title: r8169 ethernet sometimes doesn't work after cold boot/boot Status in linux package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: Whenever the computer is rebooted there is a roughly 50% chance that the r8169 ethernet cannot negotiate a link. There is no relevant information in dmesg except for the "link down" message. The work around is to just keep rebooting the computer until it eventually works; sometimes this may take up to 7 reboots. The first set of attached log files were generated while the ethernet was working. The second set are generated on the 5.0 HWE kernel when the ethernet was NOT working. Note that this is a regression. Ubuntu 16.04 ran on this computer for three years without the ethernet doing this even once. Unloading and loading the r8169 module will eventually make it work. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 Package: linux-image-4.15.0-58-generic 4.15.0-58.64 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-58.64-generic 4.15.18 Uname: Linux 4.15.0-58-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.7 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/by-id', '/dev/snd/pcmC2D0c', '/dev/snd/controlC2', '/dev/snd/hwC0D0', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D8p', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D7p', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D3p', '/dev/snd/controlC0', '/dev/snd/by-path', '/dev/snd/hwC1D0', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D2c', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D1p', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0c', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0p', '/dev/snd/controlC1', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1: Date: Thu Aug 22 10:05:17 2019 HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=4ab51820-6203-45a8-a04d-07946b0fbe56 InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-22 (2068 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1) IwConfig: lo no wireless extensions. eth0 no wireless extensions. MachineType: ASUS All Series ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-58-generic root=UUID=e1e7d1a7-19e8-4203-ad6a-86a144db61bc ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1 PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon. RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-4.15.0-58-generic N/A linux-backports-modules-4.15.0-58-generic N/A linux-firmware 1.173.9 RfKill: SourcePackage: linux UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2019-01-30 (203 days ago) dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2015 dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc. dmi.bios.version: 2201 dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M. dmi.board.name: H87M-E dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890 dmi.chassis.type: 3 dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2201:bd06/18/2015:svnASUS:pnAllSeries:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnH87M-E:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion: dmi.product.family: ASUS MB dmi.product.name: All Series dmi.product.version: System Version dmi.sys.vendor: ASUS --- ProblemType: Bug ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.7 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC2: al 14985 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC0: al 14985 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC1: al 14985 F.... pulseaudio CurrentDesktop: Unity:Unity7:ubuntu DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=4ab51820-6203-45a8-a04d-07946b0fbe56 InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-22 (2068 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1) MachineType: ASUS All Series Package: linux (not installed) ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.0.0-25-generic root=UUID=e1e7d1a7-19e8-4203-ad6a-86a144db61bc ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.0.0-25.26~18.04.1-generic 5.0.18 RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-5.0.0-25-generic N/A linux-backports-modules-5.0.0-25-generic N/A linux-firmware 1.173.9 RfKill: 0: phy0: Wireless LAN Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no Tags: bionic Uname: Linux 5.0.0-25-generic x86_64 UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2019-01-30 (203 days ago) UserGroups: adm lpadmin sambashare sudo _MarkForUpload: True dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2015 dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc. dmi.bios.version: 2201 dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M. dmi.board.name: H87M-E dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890 dmi.chassis.type: 3 dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2201:bd06/18/2015:svnASUS:pnAllSeries:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnH87M-E:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion: dmi.product.family: ASUS MB dmi.product.name: All Series dmi.product.sku: All dmi.product.version: System Version dmi.sys.vendor: ASUS To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1841040/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp