Wired connection doesn't work on fresh Mint 18

[szyk]

1. Version: Linux Mint 18 Mate (tested on live CD and fresh installation on desktop).
2. Network card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller.
3. After start Mint 18 can't detect every time wired connection to router (no problems on Mint 17 live CD).
4. Reason: the problem is caused by default driver included in Mint 18. When I downloaded the newest driver v. 8.042 from 2016/5/12, from http://www.realtek.com/DOWNLOADS/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#2 site (download link: http://12244.wpc.azureedge.net/8012244/drivers/rtdrivers/cn/nic/0005-r8168-8.042.00.tar.bz2 ) and installed it, then connection started to work.
Log from driver installation:

Check old driver and unload it.
rmmod r8169
Build the module and install
At main.c:222:
- SSL error:02001002:system library:fopen:No such file or directory: bss_file.c:175
- SSL error:2006D080:BIO routines:BIO_new_file:no such file: bss_file.c:178
sign-file: certs/signing_key.pem: No such file or directory
Backup r8169.ko
rename r8169.ko to r8169.bak
DEPMOD 4.4.0-21-generic
load module r8168
Updating initramfs. Please wait.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic
Warning: No support for locale: pl_PL.utf8
Completed.

[Usievaład Kimajeŭ (anibyl)]

Reproduced after upgrading Mint 17 to 18 via mintupgrade.
Downgrading the driver to r8168 didn't help. Console output is the same (except locale support).

[Dirk Haar (mideal.de)]

Experiencing similar behaviour on a Toshiba Satellite L50D I installed with Cinnamon 18/64bit today.
Found a forum post telling "works after restarting with blueooth disabled" (which doesn't work as BT can only be softblocked on this machine, not in BIOs) and Mint always reactivates it at restart.
An (unseccesful because of f+++ing UEFI settings) install of "Ultimate 64" had WIFI activated (with BT off by default) and working. No idea how to fix it now.

[Andrew (legoman666)]

Having what seems to me to be a similar issue after I switched from Mint 13 to Mint 18. RTL8111DL worked flawlessly in Mint 13, now with Mint 18, I was getting messages in dmesg every 108.00 seconds (to 2nd the decimal) stating "Link up". During this time, the network would be unusable for minute at a time. No amount of 'ifdown' and 'ifup' seemed to make a difference. Only rebooting. On the other hand, it would go for about 24 hours without a hiccup.

Default in Mint 18 was to use r8169 driver. Like OP, I also tried downgrading to the r8168 driver. It made no difference. Ended up plugging in a USB Ethernet dongle that seems to be working great.