You won't be able to ping anything except localhost if your ethernet interface isn't brought up with a good ip address/netmask/gateway. This says nothing about whether or not the hardware and driver is functional. Everything could be in perfect working order, except the IP address is simply set to something outside the LAN's valid range, and you'll get no response from anything on the network.
You will only be able to ping it if the ethernet interface is brought up with suitable settings. Since you have the issue on various distros, including Gentoo, I think it very likely something is wrong with your router. Your Fedora install is simply lucky enough to still have some fortuitously saved settings from before the router's DHCP configuration went bad.

Not a big problem, though, you just set the ethernet interface up with static IP rather than DHCP, and all will work out.

You don't say what your computer's IP address is in Fedora, but it's likely that any address from 192.168.100.2 to 192.168.100.253 will work.
You don't need three DVDs full of debian packages to go through. You just need the first DVD. Or better yet, the small netinstall disc.

My suggestion is to do a fresh re-install using either the netinstall disc or the first DVD with:

1) Let it attempt DHCP negotiation. Do NOT install any firmware blob. Just let it attempt on its own. Assuming this fails, your router is not configured properly, but that's not a show stopper.

2) Assuming DHCP fails, set static IP settings with:

192.168.100.123 <-- IP address
255.255.255.0 <-- netmask
192.168.100.1 <-- gateway

3) Choose manual partitioning.

4) Delete the existing Debian partition

5) Create a new ext4 partition in the empty space for /

That should give you a fresh Debian 8 install with a working ethernet wired connection.

At this point, you can then concentrate your efforts on fixing the router's configuration.

You're welcome.

1 members found this post helpful.

By the way, what you had asked for:

############################

Script started on Thu 15 Sep 2016 11:25:02 PM CDT
root@kevhome:~# lspci -k
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (external gfx0 port B) (rev 02)
Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (external gfx0 port B)
00:02.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port B)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port D)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:09.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port H)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:11.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 40)
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device b002
Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:12.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
00:12.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:13.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
00:13.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 SMBus Controller (rev 42)
Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 SMBus Controller
Kernel driver in use: piix4_smbus
00:14.1 IDE interface: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 IDE Controller (rev 40)
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5002
Kernel driver in use: pata_atiixp
00:14.2 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA) (rev 40)
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device a182
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 LPC host controller (rev 40)
Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 LPC host controller
00:14.4 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge (rev 40)
00:14.5 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI2 Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
00:16.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
00:16.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5004
Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 3
Kernel driver in use: k10temp
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 4
Kernel driver in use: fam15h_power
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h Processor Function 5
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 [GeForce GTX 650] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Device 196e:0973
Kernel driver in use: nouveau
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 HDMI Audio Controller (rev a1)
Subsystem: Device 196e:0973
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
02:00.0 USB controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. Device 3483 (rev 01)
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device 5007
Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 0c)
Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Motherboard
Kernel driver in use: r8169
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~# dmesg -| grep -i eth
[ 1.033020] r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.3LK-NAPI loaded
[ 1.038738] r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: RTL8168g/8111g at 0xffffc900018a4000, 40:8d:5c:8d:fc:75, XID 0c000800 IRQ 73
[ 1.038740] r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: jumbo features [frames: 9200 bytes, tx checksumming: ko]
[ 13.132580] r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: link down
[ 13.132638] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 13.132651] r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: link down
[ 16.105581] r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: link up
[ 16.105595] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~# ip a
1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default
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
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 40:8d:5c:8d:fc:75 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet6 fe80::428d:5cff:fe8d:fc75/64 scope link
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~# ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
Supported ports: [ TP MII ]
Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full
Supported pause frame use: No
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Full
Advertised pause frame use: Symmetric Receive-only
Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Link partner advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full
Link partner advertised pause frame use: Symmetric Receive-only
Link partner advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Speed: 1000Mb/s
Duplex: Full
Port: MII
PHYAD: 0
Transceiver: internal
Auto-negotiation: on
Supports Wake-on: pumbg
Wake-on: d
Current message level: 0x00000033 (51)
drv probe ifdown ifup
Link detected: yes
root@kevhome:~# exit

Script done on Thu 15 Sep 2016 11:26:05 PM CDT

########################################

additionally:

Script started on Thu 15 Sep 2016 11:32:08 PM CDT
root@kevhome:~# ifdown eth0
Killed old client process
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.3.1
Copyright 2004-2014 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

Listening on LPF/eth0/40:8d:5c:8d:fc:75
Sending on LPF/eth0/40:8d:5c:8d:fc:75
Sending on Socket/fallback
root@kevhome:~# ifdown eth0
ifdown: interface eth0 not configured
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~#
root@kevhome:~# ifup eth0
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.3.1
Copyright 2004-2014 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

Listening on LPF/eth0/40:8d:5c:8d:fc:75
Sending on LPF/eth0/40:8d:5c:8d:fc:75
Sending on Socket/fallback
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 6
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 6
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 11
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 12
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 15
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 7
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 4
No DHCPOFFERS received.
No working leases in persistent database - sleeping.
root@kevhome:~# exit

Script done on Thu 15 Sep 2016 11:33:41 PM CDT

OK. I got a cable modem from my ISP, in case my own cable modem was partially "hosed".

I still didn't get an autoconfig of DHCP on a new install, so I aborted the install.

Fedora, of course, still works just fine.

I need to move some files around that I don't want deleted, so I will make a small Debian install, and set up static networking on the small install. If I am lucky, the static network will work, and I will then set up a much larger install, and be all happy and sh!t.

However, recently, I have not been lucky. If I cannot get internet on my computer by next week. I will use (spit) Fedora, BUT I will still attempt to get debian working for me.

Like I said, your router probably has a bad DHCP configuration. Just set the static IP info as described above, and the install should proceed fine.

What you have posted suggests that the ethernet device and drivers are all working properly, it's just that your router doesn't have DHCP configured properly.

You do have a router, right? If you're connecting to the cable modem directly, or via a switch, then you are relying upon the ISP's DHCP server. But typically, a cable service provider won't serve up DHCP to a new MAC address unless the cable modem itself is power cycled also. That's one of those annoying gotchas.

You have not posted any information about how it's set up in Fedora. This would actually be useful information, since things are functioning in Fedora. I don't understand why you don't think it would be useful to know or show.

CRAP.... Bad news.

I plugged in my cable modem from my ISP, the first browsing I did, I got a message from the ISP about rules and stuff. The ISP's cable modem was working with Fedora, but not, as usual, on Debian. I did some attempted installs, yes, using my information for a static connection. So, everything was fine using the ISP's modem, so I plugged in my own modem again, the everything went sideways. No connection at all, not even Fedora. So I plugged in ISP's modem in, and I didn't get a connection AT ALL, not even with Fedora.

I called the (so called) "help desk" (that is a JOKE!), he asked me if I had a Windows system or a Mac system (OK, I blew up). The second guy I talked to told me that their ISP doesn't support Linux, and he had me do some Windows type stuff (power cycling and things like that).

So, I have no internet connectivity AT ALL, and I think it is because my ISP and my swapping modems around caused some bad configurations with my Fedora connectivity.

SO... I am reduced to communicating via the library, and copying things via a flash drive.

I am going to have to ask someone in my city who is knowledgeable about Linux to give me connectivity, and I am willing to pay if I get a connection.

Until then, I need your further assistance in trying to figure this problem out.

################################

And I did do a static IP connection got a "network not available", or something like that.

IsaacKuo, Emerson: I am sorry if I am a bit... "cranky" right now. I have been dealing with, or thing about, this problem since last Friday, and I am a bit ragged. Please forgive me for anything I say that may offend you, it is nit my intention to be rude.

I will not be at the library Sunday, I need a break from my current problem.

OK.

I think I have troubleshot (??? troubleshooted ???) my problem.

The ethernet card and Debian do not understand each other.

Solution one (bad one): Wait until Debian produces a newer *.fw package
Solution two (good one): buy a Linux-friendly, or at least a Debian-friendly, ethernet card.

I will be checking on the linuxquestions.org HCL list and see what is available.

I will tell you how it goes..... If it goes OK, I will call it [SOLVED]. If not, we will continue, I hope.

PS: D*mn Realtek!!!!!

From everything you have posted, it seems that Debian fully recognizes your ethernet card and it is fully functional. Your problems seem entirely related to your modem/router issues.

In fact, it seems like you don't have any router at all. As such, it's really a matter of problems with your modems, and interaction with the Isp's DHCP serving. Generally, a cable Isp will only let you use one MAC address with your service, and it will require a power cycling of their modem to allow it to switch from one MAC address to another. Switching between the cable Isp's modem and your own modem probably has caused some issues also.

Basically, you've been barking up the wrong tree from the start, as far as I can tell. So long as you continue to try and "solve" the wrong problem, you're not going to fix the actual issue.

1 members found this post helpful.

But, I had gotten a modem from the ISP, and it still cannot make a connection with Debian.
So, in my opinion, either BOTH modems were somewhat faulty, or the problem is something else.

Or you have a misunderstanding of how the ISP's service acts when you try to switch modems (they generally must reset something on their side to accept the new modem) and what is required to get the new modem to accept a new DHCP acquisition attempt (must power cycle the modem).

You can't just swap modems and expect it to work. It might work if the client machine's MAC remains the same (yes) and the OS doesn't require a new DHCP negotiation (it had already gotten an IP address previously, and defaults to continuing to try to use the old DHCP leased IP settings). Or the ISP might purposefully set up something to accept the new modem on their end when they send you a new modem you have ordered.

In any case, a clean reinstall is called for, since you have mangled up OS files by copying over stuff from a different distribution.

1 members found this post helpful.

I've done a couple of modem changes when on coax cable. Every time I had to call the tech support and tell them my new MAC address to have my service restored.

I had forgotten, but on Monday, I had a "I don't understand Linux at all" technician came to my apartment. He did was able to connect to the Internet with his laptop, but, as usual, my computer couldn't.

And, yes, I had given the ISP my MAC addresses, and since I couldn't click "accept" on their "rules" (no connection) but the pantechnicon click on accept. BUT.... no Internet.

Thus, I thing the problem is the computer itself, or more specifically Network Internet Card, which I had ordered on NewEgg, and waiting patiently for it to get here. The NewEgg listing says that it is Linux compatible. So, I am hopefull. And when/if it works, I will put a "[SOLVED]" tag on this thread.

My ISP is, currently, the only high speed internet service in Fargo. I have no other choice, but they SHOULD have some people who know anything about Linux. Especially since the tech support telephone people are centralized in Arizona!!!

Weellll..... time to read a bit (with real live pages and everything) and drink some Gin and Tonics!!!!!

As of this afternoon, after I received my new Network Interface Card, and "plugged" it in, I have Internet access.

Either the previous NIC was too new and there was no new "driver" for it in Linux, OR the previous NIC was borked and dying, and the only reason I had a connection via Fedora is the fact that Fedora is..... evil/not nice/stubborn as hell/ or something else.

Thank you all for your help.

Now, how do I call this a "solved" problem?????