R8125 eth driver updating?

[clydeps]

I have an R6C running Frigate and while using eth1 (2.5Gb port using R8125 driver) I have had repeated failures where the network interface stops working. Unplugging and replugging the cable will sometimes bring it back online.

If I switch to the eth0 port (uses a different driver) the system is reliable, so it's specific to eth1.

I'm now running Debian Trixie from the FriendlyElec download page (had the same issues with Jammy.)

The version of the R8125 driver in the build is not the latest, and I believe there have been some fixes in the driver, so I'd like to try a new version of the driver to see if that solves the problem.

Is there a newer version of the driver available or can I build one? Or is there some other reason why it would be failing?

While there's not always anything useful in the syslog, I did see this on one occasion:

Code: Select all

2026-03-09T08:05:26.590619+00:00 NanoPi-R6C kernel: [384183.140806] NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth1 (r8125): transmit queue 0 timed out

[kabolo]

The issue is likely with the Realtek r8125 driver, not your setup. The “NETDEV WATCHDOG timeout” usually points to driver instability.

You can try installing a newer driver manually from Realtek or compiling the latest version, which often fixes these drops. Also check for kernel updates since newer kernels sometimes include improved support. If stability matters, sticking with eth0 for now is the safest workaround.

[marktuan]

I have an R6C running Frigate and while using eth1 (2.5Gb port using R8125 driver) I have had repeated failures where the network interface stops working. Unplugging and replugging the cable will sometimes bring it back online.

If I switch to the eth0 port (uses a different driver) the system is reliable, so it's specific to eth1.

I'm now running Debian Trixie from the FriendlyElec download page (had the same issues with Jammy.)

The version of the R8125 driver in the build is not the latest, and I believe there have been some fixes in the driver, so I'd like to try a new version of the driver to see if that solves the problem.

Is there a newer version of the driver available or can I build one? Or is there some other reason why it would be failing?

While there's not always anything useful in the syslog, I did see this on one occasion:

Code: Select all

2026-03-09T08:05:26.590619+00:00 NanoPi-R6C kernel: [384183.140806] NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth1 (r8125): transmit queue 0 timed out

The NETDEV WATCHDOG timeout does make it sound like the driver is getting stuck rather than there being a simple link issue, especially since eth0 is stable under the same workload.

If you haven't already, I'd also try a few basic checks before rebuilding the driver:heardle

Test with auto-negotiation versus forcing 2.5 Gbps (if your switch supports it).
Disable EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet), as Realtek adapters have occasionally had issues with it.
Try a different cable, even if it works on eth0, just to rule out marginal signal quality at 2.5 Gb.
Check whether Frigate's sustained traffic is what triggers the problem, or if it also happens while the interface is mostly idle.

If updating the r8125 driver is possible, it's definitely worth trying, since Realtek has fixed watchdog and stability issues in past releases. I'd be interested to hear whether FriendlyElec has plans to package a newer version or if someone has successfully built the latest driver against their current kernel. That would probably be the cleanest way to determine whether this is a driver bug or something platform-specific.