TerraMaster F4 SSD - Proxmox VE 8.4 Installation + RTL8126 5G NIC Driver Setup Guide

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » 16 Jul 2025, 17:04

TerraMaster F4 SSD - Proxmox VE 8.4 Installation + RTL8126 5G NIC Driver Setup Guide

I. Preparation

1. Hardware Requirements

TerraMaster F4 SSD device
External USB network adapter (for temporary internet access, e.g., enx00e04c680003)
Built-in 5G NIC (Realtek RTL8126, no default driver)
USB drive (≥2GB, for creating Proxmox boot media)
Monitor + HDMI cable + keyboard/mouse (for initial setup)

2. Software Resources

Proxmox VE 8.4 ISO: https://enterprise.proxmox.com/iso/proxmox-ve_8.4-1.iso
Realtek RTL8126 Driver: https://www.realtek.com/Download/List?cate_id=584
Example file: r8126-10.016.00.tar.bz2
Bootable USB creation tool: Rufus Official Website

II. BIOS Configuration

1. Power on the device and press DEL to enter BIOS.
2. Set TOS Boot First to Disable, ensuring the system boots from the Proxmox USB.

3. Save and exit BIOS (usually F4).

III. Install Proxmox VE 8.4

1. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Proxmox VE.
2. During installation, use the external USB NIC (e.g., enx00e04c680003) for internet access.
3. After installation, reboot into the Proxmox shell.

IV. Configure Software Repositories

1. Comment out the enterprise subscription repo:

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find /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ -type f -exec sed -i 's|^deb https://enterprise.proxmox.com|# deb https://enterprise.proxmox.com|' {} \;

2. Add the no-subscription repository:

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echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-no-subscription" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list

3. Update the system:

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apt update && apt full-upgrade -y

V. Install Kernel Headers and Build Tools

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apt install -y build-essential pve-headers-$(uname -r)

VI. Install RTL8126 Driver

1. Upload the driver package to the Proxmox host

Use SCP or USB to upload:

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scp r8126-10.016.00.tar.bz2 root@<PVE_IP>:/root/

2. Extract and install the driver

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cd /root
tar -xjf r8126-10.016.00.tar.bz2
cd r8126-10.016.00
chmod +x autorun.sh
./autorun.sh

3. Reboot the system:

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reboot

VII. Configure Network Bridge with RTL8126

1. Identify network interfaces:

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ip link

You should see:

enx00e04c680003: External USB NIC
enp1s0: Built-in RTL8126 NIC (after driver install)

2. Edit network configuration:

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nano /etc/network/interfaces

Replace with the following (adjust IP/gateway as needed):

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# Loopback interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# External USB NIC (no longer used)
iface enx00e04c680003 inet manual

# Bridge interface
auto vmbr0
iface vmbr0 inet static
    address 10.18.8.165/24       # Replace with your IP
    gateway 10.18.8.1            # Replace with your gateway
    bridge-ports enp1s0          # Use the RTL8126 NIC
    bridge-stp off
    bridge-fd 0

# Include additional configs
source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

3. Reboot to apply network changes:

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reboot

VIII. Verify Driver and Network

1. Check if RTL8126 driver is loaded:

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lsmod | grep r8126

You should see the r8126 module listed.

IX. Access the Proxmox VE Web Interface

Open your browser and visit:

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https://10.18.8.165:8006

Log in with root and the password you set during installation.