@phillxnet looking at the installer repo, the realtek part does not seem to be there:
running zypper se -s kernel-firmware shows that a realtek package does exist for the kernel-firmware:
S | Name | Type | Version | Arch | Repository
--+-------------------------+---------+------------------------+--------+-------------------------------------------------------------
| kernel-firmware-realtek | package | 20230531-lp154.2.1 | noarch | Kernel_stable_Backport
| kernel-firmware-realtek | package | 20220509-150400.4.16.1 | noarch | Update repository with updates from SUSE Linux Enterprise 15
| kernel-firmware-realtek | package | 20220509-150400.4.13.1 | noarch | Update repository with updates from SUSE Linux Enterprise 15
| kernel-firmware-realtek | package | 20220509-150400.4.8.1 | noarch | Update repository with updates from SUSE Linux Enterprise 15
| kernel-firmware-realtek | package | 20220509-150400.4.5.1 | noarch | Update repository with updates from SUSE Linux Enterprise 15
| kernel-firmware-realtek | package | 20220119-150400.2.3 | noarch | Leap_15_4
(on my system I am using the kernel backport hence that entry on the top).
so, I assume unless it’s added to the base installation of Rockstor, you would have to install the drivers
You could look here for a community package:
https://software.opensuse.org/package/r8168
and use this one:
https://software.opensuse.org/download/package?package=r8168&project=home%3ASauerland
or get the source from Realtek and follow the readme.
https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/category/network-interface-controllers-10-100-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software
For this, @phillxnet - or someone else more knowledgeable than me - has to confirm, but I suspect for a source compilation you would have to install the kernel development tools, using:
zypper install -t pattern devel_kernel → (installing the entire pattern might be overkill and in reality only requires a couple of tools contained within that pattern).
There is an older post on this forum, unfortunately that one was created for the older CentOS based version. The principle is very similar though the prerequisites would have to be installed differently. Might be worthwhile updating/replacing it with a OpenSUSE flavor:
That post incidentally also came out of a Realtek performance issue when it was using the “wrong” driver