Realtek ethernet controller driver discrepancy

EStyles · 06-08-2012, 01:05 AM

I am using Backtrack 5 R2, kernel 3.2.6
So this is not an issue that prevents my hardware from functioning properly as far as I've noticed but I am curious as to why my kernel driver is r8169 when I have the RTL8111/8168B controller.

Here is the lspci -vnn output regarding the ethernet controller :

Code:

08:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168] (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168]
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 45
	I/O ports at be00 [size=256]
	Memory at f3dff000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]
	Memory at f3df8000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16K]
	Expansion ROM at f3ee0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
	Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
	Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 01
	Capabilities: [ac] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=4
	Capabilities: [cc] Vital Product Data <?>
	Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
	Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
	Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-e0-4c-68-00-00-00-5c
	Kernel driver in use: r8169
	Kernel modules: r8169

	0a:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168] (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168]
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 46
	I/O ports at ae00 [size=256]
	Memory at f39ff000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]
	Memory at f39f8000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16K]
	Expansion ROM at f3ae0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
	Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
	Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 01
	Capabilities: [ac] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=4
	Capabilities: [cc] Vital Product Data <?>
	Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
	Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
	Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-e0-4c-68-00-00-00-5d
	Kernel driver in use: r8169
	Kernel modules: r8169

I came across this because of some "Possible missing firmware" errors regarding r8169 so i checked out my hardware to see if I did have 8169 or not. I downloaded this LINUX driver for kernel 3.x and 2.6.x and 2.4.x in both tar.gz and bz2, extracted ran chmod +x <filename> for each then attempted to install but it just says "cannot execute binary file". (No, I am not attempting to install both, just trying multiple when one doesn't work.)

Any help or insight into this matter would be appreciated. :-)

zuzoa · 06-09-2012, 10:02 AM

Unzip the archive file (tar xvf rtl*tar.gz), navigate to the directory rtl_bsd_drv and compile the driver using "make" and follow the instructed in the Readme.txt.