HP 210 Netbook (RealTek NIC) - DHCP Failed on PXE Boot

[noelpd]

@Tom-Elliott Just the undionly.kpxe not .kkpxe

[george1421]

@noelpd If the undionly.kkpxe doesn’t work for you, it might be interesting to know the results of this.

When you get the error in your initial post, press the s key to get to the ipxe kernel command line.

Wait ~30 seconds then key in dhcp net0 and see if it can pull a dhcp address then.

One other thought, can you confirm that a0:1d:48:13:49:7e is the ethernet adapter in this computer and this is the built in ethernet adapter an external adapter.

[noelpd]

@george1421 dhcp net0 did not work. I will let you guys know the results of the undionly.kkpxe, one questions I had was after I have our network admin change it to the .kkpxe, I wanted to double check where I change it on FOG Server. What I have been doing with these tested changes is changing the .fogsettings file and then doing a re-install.

[noelpd]

@george1421 Also just an interesting note. It definitely appears to be an issue with the NIC. I just tried another computer that is the same model and it worked without issues. Took a deeper dive into the specific RealTek NIC they are both using and one HP 210 (Non Working) uses the 8168 and the HP 210 (Working) uses the 8136.

[george1421]

@noelpd Lets back up then. Instead of undionly.kpxe change your boot file to ipxe.kpxe.

The undionly.xxxx drivers use the built in undi driver component built into each network adapter’s boot rom. Sometimes they can be flaky (the undi drivers). iPXE also creates a iPXE boot kernel (similar to a a linux kernel) that has all of the drivers installed. That boot image is ipxe.kpxe. This is just a shot in the dark, but lets see if the iPXE supplied drivers work better than the in nic drivers.

[noelpd]

@george1421 Ok, So i will have our network admin change it to ipxe.kpxe. On the FOG end do I need to change anything? The only way i knew how at the moment is to change the .fogsettings and then re-run the installer. Is there a place I can manually change it on the FOG Server?

[george1421]

@noelpd no this change is done in dhcp. We are just telling the clients to use a different boot kernel.

[noelpd]

@george1421 Ok, so the only place we should ever have to make that change is on the DHCP Server? Nothing to do with FOG? So is that setting on FOG only make a difference if we were using the FOG as a DHCP Server?

[george1421]

@noelpd Well if you are using the dhcp server on the fog server, then that is where you would change it. Most people don’t run it this way so I assumed incorrectly. But if the fog server is also running dhcp, then change it in the config file for isc dhcp and then restart the dhcpd service.

[noelpd]

@george1421 Changing it to ipxe.kpxe is not working either. Still works on the RealTek 8136 NIC but not the 8168

[george1421]

@noelpd Do you have another one of these devices with a 8168 NIC? I guess the next question is, is the issue this physical computer or all HP 210 notebooks with the 8168 NIC?

I can’t remember if I asked this already, is the firmware up to date on this computer?

[noelpd]

@george1421 I have a whole stack of the HP 210 8168 NIC laptops that are not working. I have updated BIOS and NIC Driver on them as well. Still no go. It appears to be a hardware issue with the 8168.

[george1421]

@noelpd welp that’s not good if they all don’t work.

How about trying a plan B? i.e. Booting FOS off a usb flash drive and bypassing iPXE all together.

https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/7727/building-usb-booting-fos-image

I can get you to Part 2a step 6 pretty quick

[Tom Elliott]

@george1421 what about trying the 7156?

Never mind those are for efi.

How exactly are you changing the bootfile?

[george1421]

@Tom-Elliott said in HP 210 Netbook (RealTek NIC) - DHCP Failed on PXE Boot:

what about trying the 7156?

Ah, yes the magic historical iPXE kernel that works with wonderfully mystical devices

[Tom Elliott]

@noelpd How, exactly, are you changing the boot file?

What’s providing your 10.200.x.x IP? It shows a DHCP IP of 10.225.0.0, but your in a class B network (255.255.0.0 netmask).

This would mean, 10.225.0.0 network is handling IP addressing, but from what I gather on this thread you’re only making the boot file change in the /opt/fog/.fogsettings file. Nothing you’ve tried is working or even doing anything different. This would lead me to think your FOG Server is not what’s handling IP addressing for your client machine.

Please provide as much information as to how your systems are informed where to look at a boot file.

[noelpd]

@Tom-Elliott The boot file I am having changed on our separate DHCP Server. Not the FOG Server since we are not using it for DHCP Addresses.

[noelpd]

@Tom-Elliott One problem we may have with 8168 driver is that even when trying to build a custom Kernel, all the RealTek NICS are supported except for the 8168. It is not even an option to include in the build

[noelpd]

@noelpd said in HP 210 Netbook (RealTek NIC) - DHCP Failed on PXE Boot:

@Tom-Elliott One problem we may have with 8168 driver is that even when trying to build a custom Kernel, all the RealTek NICS are supported except for the 8168. It is not even an option to include in the build

Edit: This is with the latest 4.9 Kernel base from Linux directly.

[george1421]

@noelpd Just an FYI the kernel in question is the iPXE kernel, and not the FOS (linux) kernel. You haven’t made it to FOS yet in the pxe boot sequence.

If you want to usb boot into FOS I can help you with that, if that is the direction you want to head.

Also for building custom iPXE kernels you can use the rom-o-matic site: https://rom-o-matic.eu/