📖 ~1 min read
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
Interface stays DOWN after reboot and IP is missing.
Environment & Reproduction
Connection profile autoconnect was disabled or device was renamed.
Root Cause Analysis
NM profile name mismatches the device or interface name.
Quick Triage
List with `nmcli con show` and `nmcli dev status`.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Inspect `journalctl -u NetworkManager` for activation errors.

Solution – Primary Fix
Re-enable autoconnect: `nmcli con mod connection.autoconnect yes`.
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Solution – Alternative Approaches
Activate now with `nmcli con up `.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
Interface has expected IP and routes after a reboot.
Rollback Plan
Restore the previous keyfile from `/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections`.
Prevention & Hardening
Use stable device-id or MAC binding to prevent drift.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
Often after kernel upgrade renames a NIC.
Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for centos-stream-9.
View all centos-stream-9 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
NetworkManager keyfile and nmcli reference.
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