[SOLVED] My Ethernet Will Not Connect On Any Operating System.

OK so I was on Ubuntu 17.04 I used it for gaming and all of the sudden after like 8 months of using Ubuntu I was having really bad internet connection issues for a few weeks. Then one day it just stops working. I tried everything I could to fix it but then decided to just do a new install of 16.04 because I regretted upgrading anyways. And I thought the OS was the cause. So I reinstall And now I have 16.04 but the internet won't work so I try another operating system called Solus and that won't work either. Next I try steamos but Now I get this message when I am on the install page (This isn't exactly how the error message was but I took a picture with my phone and didn't get the whole message so I don't know exactly what it says) Detect Network Hardware Hardware Needs non-free firmware to operate the missing firmware files are: rtl_nic/rtl8168f-1.few if you have such media available now, insert it, and continue. Load missing firmware from removable media? Yes or no? Same error message happened when I just tried to install Debian. Any help would be very much appreciated. If you know how to fix it please dumb it down as much as possible I am a Linux noob EDIT: My Issue Has Changed Please IGNORE This Thread

Could be the nic has died on the board not likely but entirely possible. For the Debian error search on debian non-free installer it should get you a link to an installer that includes the firmware it leaves out from the standard images.

Originally Posted by HappyTux Could be the nic has died on the board not likely but entirely possible. For the Debian error search on debian non-free installer it should get you a link to an installer that includes the firmware it leaves out from the standard images.

Could you link it to me? I would like to install Ubuntu again so even if that works idk if that would fix my issue. Maybe link the same thing but for Ubuntu 16.04

Originally Posted by AveryFB Could you link it to me? I would like to install Ubuntu again so even if that works idk if that would fix my issue. Maybe link the same thing but for Ubuntu 16.04

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u...ding-firmware/

You can install

firmware-realtek

on a working system. Then copy

/lib/firmware/rtl8168f-1.few

to a usb drive. Run the installer again, and when it asks for the firmware, insert the usb drive.

Originally Posted by AwesomeMachine You can install firmware-realtek on a working system. Then copy /lib/firmware/rtl8168f-1.few to a usb drive. Run the installer again, and when it asks for the firmware, insert the usb drive.

Where do I type this on the second system? Can you maybe explain more in depth? I really am a super Linux noon. I tried typing this in terminal and it said it wasn't a think on Linux mint

To install the firmware package on the working system, if it's Ubuntu or other Debian-based distro:

$ apt-get install firmware-realtek

Then, insert the USB drive. Open a file manager and copy

/lib/firmware/rtl8168f-1.few

to the USB drive.

If you don't know which is the USB drive, it will say something like "64 GB volume", or whatever size it is, where the drives are listed in the FM.

Originally Posted by AwesomeMachine To install the firmware package on the working system, if it's Ubuntu or other Debian-based distro: $ apt-get install firmware-realtek Then, insert the USB drive. Open a file manager and copy /lib/firmware/rtl8168f-1.few to the USB drive. If you don't know which is the USB drive, it will say something like "64 GB volume", or whatever size it is, where the drives are listed in the FM.

It doesn't recognize it as a command. Is there a way you could do it for me so that I could just download it? I really have no clue what I am doing. I am just a 16 year old that is trying to play some videogames haha.

How did you install Ubuntu if your internet connection wasn't working?

Have you changed any hardware since your last Ubuntu install?

Originally Posted by JeremyBoden How did you install Ubuntu if your internet connection wasn't working? Have you changed any hardware since your last Ubuntu install?

I used my dads computer and got it on USB. I added a nic card to try and fix the issue

Is there any chance of installing the same nic as your dads PC and re-installing Ubuntu or some other Linux variety?
Take a backup of any data you want to keep.

This way you should be guaranteed of getting a working install.
I usually use the nic that is built-in to the motherboard and it seems to be OK.