📖 ~1 min read
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
Boot takes several extra minutes while waiting for network-online target.
Environment & Reproduction
Common on VMs with optional interfaces or disconnected secondary NICs.
Root Cause Analysis
wait-online requires interfaces that never become routable or carrier-ready.
Quick Triage
Measure critical-chain timing and identify blocking network unit.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Review netplan and systemd network dependencies for optional links.
Solution – Primary Fix
Mark noncritical interfaces optional and reduce wait-online requirements.
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Solution – Alternative Approaches
Mask wait-online where safe for workloads not requiring immediate network.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
Boot duration improves and required services still reach network successfully.
Rollback Plan
Restore original unit settings if dependent services fail at startup.
Prevention & Hardening
Treat transient or unplugged interfaces as optional in netplan.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
A start job is running for wait-online and dependency failed at boot.
Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
View all Ubuntu 20.04 LTS tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
systemd-networkd wait-online and Ubuntu netplan operational docs.
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