Solved The internet stopped working. Faulty network card?

Hello,

I'm using Linux as my OS and an ethernet cable to connect to my router. I never experienced problems like this while on Windows unless there happened to be directly trouble with my internet provider. While on Linux Mint I often got disconnected randomly without being able to reconnect unless I restart my PC. It was annoying, but aside from that I had no speed loss when connected.

Currently I have no internet whatsoever. I'm not sure when it started to happen (on which Linux distro) exactly, but after some time where I lost my connection to the internet completely after several hours of use it began not connecting at all when I turn on my PC. I started using USB tethering and borrowed internet from my mobile phone. It worked flawlessly, but stopped too after I tried it several days ago (before that I didn't use my computer for a few weeks at all).

Fixes I tried so far:
• Changing ethernet ports on my router
• Changing distros (based on Debian, Ubuntu, Arch)
• Changing kernels of my Linux distro
• Switching ethernet cables
• Switching USB ports for USB tethering
• Switching internet connections on my smartphone

I didn't try installing Windows again to see if that could solve it, but I doubt that it can.


Could it be that my network card stopped working? It came integrated with my motherboard.

Would you suggest trying a different network card or perhaps (which I would prefer) a USB ethernet adapter?
What if it doesn't work either since my USB tethering solution stopped working too?

I did try using Linux Live, but the result was the same: no internet access.

Also tried rebooting my router several times, but neither did that help.

I didn't install any security software.

Any other device using my internet works fine.

I'm using currently Lubuntu with LXQT.
I'll research some terms I don't know which you mentioned and I'll try changing kernels and running those commands in the terminal in a few hours. Will report back to you with the results.

I didn't know what NIC and USB to Cat means. Now I do.

I managed to make the ethernet work by switching to an older kernel version.
After that I flashed Manjaro with Plasma DE on my USB and installed it. With Manjaro my ethernet stopped working again (both Live and installed), but USB tethering worked. I managed to run the commands you mentioned while using Manjaro Live. I uploaded two text files with the information.

After installing Manjaro I made a software update which broke my lock screen (I guess it's a bug because it happened to some people before when the screen gets locked during the update). After rebooting I got a message saying some files are missing and I had to start the kernel first. I tried finding a new kernel in the GRUB menu, but there was none aside of the pre-installed one which didn't work anymore. I reinstalled Manjaro.

Prior installing the update I tried to install a few kernels to fall back on if I should lose my internet completely again, but it didn't work through the GUI. I'll try it later with the terminal.

Will update you on the current situation in a few hours.

I updated Manjaro successfully this time. Also installed several (older and newer) kernels through the GUI (worked this time, though I tried after updating Manjaro).

The kernel on which my ethernet worked was 5.13 on Lubuntu. That one is not available for install through the GUI on Manjaro. I tried 4.19, 5.4, 5.10, 5.15 (which was the default one in use on Manjaro) and 6.0. None made my ethernet work, but USB tethering worked on all of them.

I'll try that out and the command too, will report back to you.

Desktop. I uploaded a text file with the information from the command run.

Currently trying to figure out how to install that driver from GitHub with the terminal.

I was unable to install the driver due to my lack of skill with the terminal.

Will try again and let you know how it went.

I'm still distro-hopping, but will settle on a Ubuntu-based one.

The link you shared seems packed with useful information and it could even help me install that driver from GitHub.

I'll update you by tomorrow.

Hopefully today I'll find a solution. If yes, then it was with your help. Of course I'll post about it.

Quick update: installed Zorin OS Core (Ubuntu-based distro) and my ethernet worked until I updated the software. After that, it stopped working again, but I can still use USB tethering to gain access to the internet.

One of the last solutions I had planned was to install Windows to see if my Ethernet would work there. That would mean there's a problem with Linux and not my network card.


I'm still trying things and will update the thread after I gain new insight.

Yesterday I learned how to install drivers on Linux. Today I will try different ones and if I do it right it could be the solution to this.

Maybe I will install Windows today also to be sure it's not my network card's fault.

My plan was to delete Linux and install Windows instead. And if the Ethernet worked as it should, then I would install Linux again and try to find a solution.

I have some good news though and maybe there won't be a need to install Windows. My Ethernet works now. I tinkered about late the previous night trying to install the right driver and at last I called it a day and thought of proceeding tomorrow anew. However, after I started my PC today, the Ethernet worked. I'm not 100% sure it's fixed, but it could be.

I will need a day or two more to monitor if there are any changes in speed or loss of internet access. If everything's right, I will write a tutorial on how I made it work. This wouldn't be possible for me without your guidance though. Thank you, but I still need to make sure it's fully resolved. After that, I leave a tutorial and you can close the thread.