Ethernet module issues

Community Support
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1

So I have a 12th Gen laptop and it worked perfectly fine when I first got it back at the start of 2023.
I had extra modules like the ethernet module that worked perfectly fine too, but then suddenly out of nowhere the module stopped working, I tried everything to fix it, I even had Windows 10 back than and did a fresh install of Windows 11, surprisingly the ethernet module still didn’t work, even after a full windows install. So I thought that maybe the module is faulty or broke somehow.
I contacted Framework and they sent me a replacement which was kind of them but I’ve never been able to get it to work and so I just gave up on it and just used WiFi instead.
But I’ve been needing the ethernet port to test some cable connections recently so tried to use ethernet module again and it still wont work.

What I’ve tried:
Plugging in the module into all other slots in the laptop.
Reinstalling the drivers from the Framework website.
Trying different ethernet cables and plugs.
Disabling the device and enabling it again.
Uninstalling the drivers in the Device Manager and having windows reinstall them automatically.
Reinstalling Windows.
Even replacing the ethernet module when Framework sent me a new one.
(What are the chances the replacement was also faulty ? probably pretty slim)

When I plug the ethernet module in, the green and orange light flash briefly but then nothing, no green activity light, nothing.
Also when I have it unplugged, going into the ethernet settings it obviously doesn’t show anything, but after plugging in the module I get all the settings like changing dhcp to manual and dns settings etc, it also shows up in the device manager, so the laptop and Windows do see it, it’s as if the module just doesn’t know a cable is plugged into it, and I’ve tried multiple different cables in multiple different switches and wall connections.
I’ve also tried plugging in the ethernet module into my pc as it has a usb-c slot but it does the same thing, the green and orange light flash briefly then nothing, though I’m not sure if it would be able to use an ethernet connection throught the usb-c port by default or what.

I’m pretty lost at this point on what to do.
I may have to just ask for another replacement.

2

I would suggest trying the reference Realtek driver. It is newer than the one Framework ships.

https://www.realtek.com/Download/List?cate_id=585

Just download the W11 auto installer. Good luck.

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4

Try booting up with a USB flash drive “Live Linux” version to see if the Ethernet port will work when your Framework is running Linux. If it works with Linux but not with Windows you will know that it is a problem with the Windows driver or with with Windows itself. If the Ethernet port works when you’re running Linux, the hardware of the USB port is working fine. Since you still have the original Ethernet port, test it, too. If they both work when using Linux, then the problem is with Windows. The live Linux version will make no changes to the SSD in your Framework, it will only run from RAM. When you reboot the Framework, it will reboot Windows.

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5

Sorry, I meant to reply sooner.

@Scott_H I tried reinstalling the driver multiple ways, the driver that comes with the Framework package is version 10.53.20.520.
When I go into Device Manager and remove the device along with the driver and have it scan for hardware changes, it automatically adds it back with driver version 11.1.621.2021.
And when I download and run the Realtek driver from the link you provided, the installer seems to attempt a few versions but once complete it has driver version 1156.15.20.327.

Still seem to have the issue of no connection though, on any of the driver versions.

@Linux_Fan

I created a usb bootable stick using Etcher and an Ubuntu iso (version 24.04) I’m not very experienced with Linux but decided to install it along side windows rather than just keep trying to boot off the usb since I’ve always wanted to learn to use Linux more anyways.

But even this seems to not work much, after some googling and some chatgpt help I ran a few commands and will post what I found (Not the whole response just what I believe is relevent to the Ethernet interface)

sudo lshw -C network

  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       physical id: b
       bus info: usb@2:1
       logical name: enx9cbf0d00313b
       serial: 9c:bf:0d:00:31:3b
       size: 10Mbit/s
       capacity: 1Gbit/s
       capabilities: ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8152 driverversion=v1.12.13 duplex=half firmware=rtl8156b-2 v3 10/20/23 link=no multicast=yes port=MII speed=10Mbit/s

lsusb

Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0bda:8156 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. USB 10/100/1G/2.5G LAN

ip a

2: enx9cbf0d00313b: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state DOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 9c:bf:0d:00:31:3b brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

I also ran ‘sudo ip link set enx9cbf0d00313b up’ as it shows as DOWN

dmesg | grep -i ethernet

[    4.107022] Bluetooth: BNEP (Ethernet Emulation) ver 1.3

nmcli device status

DEVICE            TYPE      STATE                   CONNECTION 
enx9cbf0d00313b   ethernet  unavailable             --

And then finally ran:

sudo ethtool enx9cbf0d00313b

Settings for enx9cbf0d00313b:
	Supported ports: [ TP	 MII ]
	Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
	                        100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
	                        1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full
	                        2500baseT/Full
	Supported pause frame use: No
	Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
	Supported FEC modes: Not reported
	Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
	                        100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
	                        1000baseT/Full
	                        2500baseT/Full
	Advertised pause frame use: No
	Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
	Advertised FEC modes: Not reported
	Speed: 10Mb/s
	Duplex: Half
	Auto-negotiation: on
	Port: MII
	PHYAD: 32
	Transceiver: internal
	Supports Wake-on: pumbg
	Wake-on: d
        Current message level: 0x00007fff (32767)
                               drv probe link timer ifdown ifup rx_err tx_err tx_queued intr tx_done rx_status pktdata hw wol
	Link detected: no

At the bottom it shows as ‘Link detected: no’ which as far as I understand in my limited searching, shows that it doesn’t see a cable connected ?

Still no activity lights or anythig showing either, just a quick flash for both green and orange lights when I first plug it in and then nothing after.

Sorry I know it’s a lot, but I like the be thorough :slight_smile: I think the simple answer is that it’s just a hardware issue, I don’t know if Framework will be willing to replace it again, especially since it’s been a long time since I even bothered to try it, I got this replacement back in October 2023 and after realizing I was still getting the issue I just gave up on it.

6

Good for you for trying to run Linux! I’ve been using Linux since 1996 and exclusively since 2001. I think if you spend more time using Linux, you will be more and more impressed with it. My primary Linux distribution is openSUSE Slowroll which has a very recent Linux kernel and drivers and works very well on Framework notebooks. I would also suggest trying LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) which is also very good. Linux is an excellent solution for Windows computers that won’t run Windows 11. There is a version of Linux that will run on almost any PC that has an AMD or Intel 64-bit cpu or Macs with 64-bit x86_64 cpus. The older the PC is and the less RAM the PC has, the slower the PC will run but, if you’re patient, you can run the latest web browsers and the latest application software on a very old PC or Mac.

Linux is also very good for troubleshooting hardware. If a hardware component works with Linux, it is probably OK and, if it doesn’t work with Windows, it’s usually something goofed up in Windows.

What sort(s) of devices are on the “other” end of your Ethernet cable? Is it connecting to a router or an Ethernet switch? If so, you could try plugging the cable into a different Ethernet port on the device if there is more than a single port. It’s not impossible that the port which you are plugging into on the router or switch end is defective, rather than the port on the Framework.

You say that you have used several different Ethernet cables which is good. However one of the “Laws” of Jerry Pournelle, the Byte magazine columnist and SciFi writer, is ““You’ll find by and large, the trouble is a cable.” If you avoid kinking them or crushing them, Ethernet cables are quite reliable but they can go bad, so you want to make sure that you have a “known good and working” Ethernet cable to be certain that the problem is not the Ethernet cable itself.

Sometimes the small plastic lever on an RJ45 plug that latches an Ethernet cable into the Ethernet jack will break off or just lose its stiffness and, although the cable will work if it is fully plugged into the jack, if it is moved slightly, the plug may pull a few millimeters out of the jack and lose its connection. EZRJ45 plugs make it easy to install a new EZRJ45 plug to replace a broken one and salvage an otherwise good cable.

Another thing to check is to see if you have any other type of computer (Windows PC, Mac, Raspberry Pi, etc) with an Ethernet port is to check to see if your Ethernet cables are good and whether you can connect with a device other than the Framework using the other computer’s Ethernet jack and one of your cables to confirm that the cable or the Ethernet jack on the “other” end of the cable are working.

You can also get an inexpensive USB C 3.0 or USB A 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet adapter and plug it into a USB A or USB C jack on the Framework to test Ethernet cables and the device on the “other” end of the cable. You can plug a USB C to Ethernet adapter into smartphones that have a USB C port for charging to check to see whether an Ethernet cable or the router/switch it is plugged into is working. You can get a USB C or USB A to Gigabit Ethernet adapter for $5 to $15 and adapters to convert USB C to USB A and vice-versa for a couple of bucks and use that instead of the Framework Ethernet Module.

Also trying pinging 8.8.8.8 to see if you have a live connection to the Internet on the Framework. You can do this by opening a terminal in Linux or using one of the Linux network utilities to ping 8.8.8.8 or google.com or some other website.

My primary computer uses an Ethernet cable, not WiFi, because it is faster, more consistent, more secure, and almost always works. But sometimes something goes wrong and you have to track it down.

Some of your reports say the connection is “10Mb/s” which surprises me since the Ethernet jack on the Framework is a Gigabit port and should be closer to 1000Mb/s. I don’t know what speed your Internet connection is, but a “10Mb/s” connection would be awfully slow these days. Where I am we have Sonic Gigabit Fiber which is sometimes over 1000Mb/s.

7

Hi,

From the linux output, the obvious problem is the ethernet cables.
The drivers look fine.
“No-link” means it does not see a cable, or the switch port it is plugged into the other end is faulty, or the ethernet cable is not plugged in enough.

8

the “no cable connected” matches what ip a says (NO-CARRIER)

it also seems to be configured to use 10Mb/s ethernet half-duplex but auto-negotiation is on so i dont think? (not really used ethtool before) that this would be an issue (pretty sure it will figure out the correct settings on its own when it gets plugged in - maybe theres some obscure network switch that doesnt support this but ive never heard of one before).

can you test the cable (and port on your network switch or whatever you are plugging it into) with another device? it could well be that the cable has gone bad.

9

Just for an extra bit of context;
I work as an IT assistant at a smallish company so I have access to a huge box full of cables old and new as well as a few server racks with rack mounted switches so it’s not like I’m plugging into a home router and trying one or two cables.
I’ve tried multiple cables (as in over 10) in multiple different ports on the server rack in different switches and I’ve also taken the ethernet plug out of my pc in my office which I know for a fact works because my pc is getting a connection perfectly fine.

And as I’m rather new to using linux I may be wrong but I’m assuming the issue with it showing 10Mb/s, half-duplex, is probably due to it not being able to get a connection, I would think it would update automatically if/when it had a stable connection. All the switches in work I believe are Gigabit switches so I should see that if I had a connection.

10

Thanks for giving us more information on the devices that are trying to connect your Framework to using Ethernet cables.

You may have already tried this but since it isn’t clear from your most recent post, have you tried to disconnect the Ethernet cable from your work PC (which you know is working) and leaving the cable plugged into the switch that it is already connected to, plug it into the Ethernet jack on your Framework and see if it then works?

If it doesn’t work, I know you’ve already tried this, but can you try plugging the work PC Ethernet cable into the Framework Ethernet module into all of the other module positions on the Framework? Even though most of the Framework Expansion modules are hot-swappable, I would go to the trouble of powering off the Framework when moving the Ethernet module to a different expansion port and waiting 20 seconds to power the Framework back up.

It might even be a good idea to unplug all the other Framework modules from your Framework and only have the Ethernet module plugged in, just in case there is some unusual interaction between one of the other Framework modules and the Framework Ethernet module. If there’s enough of a charge on the Framework battery, you could even remove the Framework USB C module so that the Framework Ethernet module would be the only module plugged into the Framework. If the Framework module starts working, plug in the other modules one by one and see if the Ethernet module suddenly stops working when you plug in one of the other modules.

If you don’t already have a USB C 3.0 to Ethernet adapter (or a USB A to Ethernet adapter) I would urge you to get one. Maybe you can borrow one from someone. They are inexpensive and a very handy device to have and a good troubleshooting tool. I also plug one of them into my Android smartphone when I need to install a monthly Android security update or update my Google Play apps. The updates happen much faster over Ethernet than they do over a WiFi connection and it’s more secure. See if a USB C 3.0 or USB A to Ethernet adapter works when plugged into one of the Framework USB C or USB A modules. If that works, it doesn’t solve the problem with the Ethernet module but at least it gives you a “Plan B” that does work.

What does Framework support say about this problem. Your machine is out of warranty but they might be curious to try to figure out what is causing the problem.

Do you know anyone else who has a Framework who could let you try plugging your Ethernet modules into to see if they work in the other Framework computer?

11

Sorry, I didn’t make that clear, I have tried the ethernet cable that I know for a fact works that is plugged into my office pc.

That is a good suggestion to try pulling out all other expansion cards and so I did also try that, powering off the laptop each time when changing the slot the ethernet module was using and I had plenty of battery so tried all 4 slots but sadly still nothing.

I contacted support last night and they’ve asked to check the bios version which I believe it’s on the latest version (HFW30.03.08), check windows updates which nothing is pending, it’s all up to date and they asked for a picture of the ethernet module with the qr code and all that.
I have told them that I don’t mind sending it back to them since it isn’t much use to me anyways, I’ve not heard anything back yet but it was only last night.

No one else has a Framework laptop, I’ve tried suggesting them to invest in them as they are so easy to repair and replace parts for but trying to get them to fund anything here is like pulling teeth :sweat_smile:

And I’ve ordered a usb to ethernet adapter, they are cheap and a good alternative, I was just hoping to get this to work as it’s just odd that windows sees the module but the module doesn’t seem to notice a cable being plugged into it. Looking into the ethernet module itself I don’t see any bent or broken pins/contacts, nothing seems loose or anything when I shake it, the usb-c side of the ethernet module is solid, it doesn’t bend or move at all, so I have no idea what’s wrong with it.

12

When I unplug the cable from my ethernet extension port, it shows exactly what you see.
With a cable in, it looks like this:

$ ethtool  enx9cbf0d004b2c
Settings for enx9cbf0d004b2c:
        Supported ports: [ TP    MII ]
        Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
                                1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full
                                2500baseT/Full
        Supported pause frame use: No
        Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
        Supported FEC modes: Not reported
        Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
                                100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
                                1000baseT/Full
                                2500baseT/Full
        Advertised pause frame use: No
        Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
        Advertised FEC modes: Not reported
        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
        Link partner advertised FEC modes: Not reported
        Speed: 1000Mb/s
        Duplex: Full
        Auto-negotiation: on
        Port: MII
        PHYAD: 32
        Transceiver: internal
netlink error: Operation not permitted
        Current message level: 0x00007fff (32767)
                               drv probe link timer ifdown ifup rx_err tx_err tx_queued intr tx_done rx_status pktdata hw wol
        Link detected: yes
13

The port on the expansion card is physically ok right?

14

Thanks for clarifying that you tried using the Ethernet cable which is plugged into your work PC and which you know is a “good known cable.”

You do have a real “head-scratcher.” I’m not an engineer but I suppose that the Ethernet PHY transceiver integrated circuit on the motherboard could be defective. That would, I think, cause exactly the problem you’re having because, if it is kaput, no Ethernet expansion module would work in any of the expansion module sockets. It would be possible to unsolder the PHY from the motherboard and replace it but you need expensive surface-mount soldering equipment and skill so it would be much easier to replace the motherboard.

If you do have a defective PHY chip on your motherboard, a USB to Ethernet adapter should solve the problem because a USB to Ethernet adapter has its own PHY built into the USB to Ethernet adapter and it would thus bypass the Ethernet PHY built into the motherboard and would probably work. So that should allow you to connect an Ethernet cable to your Framework.

If at some point you upgrade your Framework to a new motherboard (or even a replacement for your existing motherboard) your Ethernet expansion modules will probably work.

If you do upgrade your motherboard, I would recommend getting one of the motherboards with an AMD cpu. I’ve been using AMD cpus since 1984 and, specially since the AMD Ryzen cpus came out, that AMD cpus generally offer better performance both cpu and graphics, longer battery life, and lower cost than comparable Intel cpus (and fewer security flaws, too). I provide Linux tech support to a number of friends and relatives and they all have AMD-based desktops and notebooks.

There’s a 13” framework AMD motherboard available currently for sale on the Framework Community Market.

Do let us know if the USB to Ethernet adapter allows you to use an Ethernet cable with your Framework.

15

There is no ethernet phy on the mainboard, the expansion card is a fancy usb to ethernet adabter, it’s got it’s own phy and isolation transformers and stuff.

Usb to ethernet adabters work quite well with my framework, don’t have the expansion card myself…

16

The FW ethernet module is a usb-c to ethernet adapter. (It goes up to 2.5Gbps, i use mine at 1Gbps with link speed set to autoneg)
You can plug it into any other laptop usb-c port and test it that way.
If it fails there too, it’s just a faulty ethernet module.
While unlikely to have two modules that fail, it is possible.

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