Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 driver r8169 not working on Asus Tuff F16 2025 model

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Describe the bug

Bug Report: Realtek r8169 Ethernet Hang - ASUS TUF Gaming F16 (2025)
Hardware / Environment
Device: ASUS TUF Gaming F16 (2025 Model)

OS: Bazzite (Fedora 43)

Kernel Version: 6.17.7-ba28.fc43.x86_64 (Atomic)

Ethernet Controller: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 (rev 15)

Driver in use: r8169

The Issue
The Ethernet controller consistently fails to obtain an IP address via DHCP. While nmcli often reports the device as "connected" (Layer 2 link established), the handshake for IPv4 configuration hangs indefinitely in a DHCPDISCOVER loop.

Symptoms
DHCP Timeout: nmcli stays stuck at connecting (getting IP configuration).

Deaf Driver: Running dhclient -v shows multiple DHCPDISCOVER packets sent with zero DHCPOFFER replies, despite the same hardware working perfectly on Windows 11.

Routing Failure: Even when manually forced, the gateway remains unreachable, and ip route fails to populate for the Ethernet interface.

Kmod Missing: Attempts to layer kmod-r8168 fail as the package appears unavailable or incompatible with the current Fedora 43 kernel build.

Steps Taken (Failed)
Disabled Windows "Fast Boot" and performed a cold power-cycle (60s drain).

Added kernel arguments: pcie_aspm=off, r8169.disable_aspm=1.

Attempted to disable Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) via ethtool.

Forced manual IP/Gateway/Metric via nmcli.

Diagnostic Data
Output of lspci -k:

Plaintext
0000:6d:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 208f
Kernel driver in use: r8169
Kernel modules: r8169
Output of cat /proc/cmdline:

Plaintext
... bluetooth.disable_ertm=1 pcie_aspm=off r8169.disable_aspm=1

[ 0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=(hd0,gpt2)/ostree/default-a1423d3ca375cb11229651abc7ef67ba810b7676227689cbaa22864ca33d6945/vmlinuz-6.17.7-ba28.fc43.x86_64 ostree=/ostree/boot.0/default/a1423d3ca375cb11229651abc7ef67ba810b7676227689cbaa22864ca33d6945/0 rhgb quiet root=UUID=e2b0adce-f375-40e8-a76f-8b656ce16bd2 vconsole.keymap=us rootflags=subvol=root rw bluetooth.disable_ertm=1 btusb.enable_autosuspend=n btusb.enable_autosuspend=n resume=UUID=e2b0adce-f375-40e8-a76f-8b656ce16bd2 resume_offset=14820728 nvidia.NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1 nvidia.NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1 nvidia.NVreg_TemporaryFilePath=/var/tmp nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=0 nvidia.NVreg_EnableS0ixPowerManagement=1 r8169.disable_aspm=1 pcie_aspm=off pcie_aspm=off
[ 0.033096] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=(hd0,gpt2)/ostree/default-a1423d3ca375cb11229651abc7ef67ba810b7676227689cbaa22864ca33d6945/vmlinuz-6.17.7-ba28.fc43.x86_64 ostree=/ostree/boot.0/default/a1423d3ca375cb11229651abc7ef67ba810b7676227689cbaa22864ca33d6945/0 rhgb quiet root=UUID=e2b0adce-f375-40e8-a76f-8b656ce16bd2 vconsole.keymap=us rootflags=subvol=root rw bluetooth.disable_ertm=1 btusb.enable_autosuspend=n btusb.enable_autosuspend=n resume=UUID=e2b0adce-f375-40e8-a76f-8b656ce16bd2 resume_offset=14820728 nvidia.NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1 nvidia.NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1 nvidia.NVreg_TemporaryFilePath=/var/tmp nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=0 nvidia.NVreg_EnableS0ixPowerManagement=1 r8169.disable_aspm=1 pcie_aspm=off pcie_aspm=off
[ 11.881635] r8169: unknown parameter 'disable_aspm' ignored
[ 11.890431] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 eth0: RTL8168h/8111h, bc:fc:e7:f1:8a:1e, XID 541, IRQ 233
[ 11.890437] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 eth0: jumbo features [frames: 9194 bytes, tx checksumming: ko]
[ 11.909707] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: renamed from eth0
[ 24.328593] Generic FE-GE Realtek PHY r8169-0-6d00:00: attached PHY driver (mii_bus:phy_addr=r8169-0-6d00:00, irq=MAC)
[ 24.496384] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Down
[ 27.425418] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flow control rx/tx
[ 348.834176] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Down
[ 358.558555] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flow control rx/tx
[ 497.711874] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Down
[ 497.711879] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flow control rx/tx
[ 715.612831] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Down
[ 723.796107] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flow control rx/tx
[ 744.774212] r8169 0000:6d:00.0 enp109s0: Link is Down

What did you expect to happen?

No internet via ethernet. wifi works.

Session Logs

see main post

Hardware

Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411

Extra information or context

No response