Q: Ethernet port in Thunderbolt Display connecting intermittently

Following up to my own post.

I rebooted the MBP, and the display ethernet was available again.

The problem is connected with error in logs:

configd[60408]: InterfaceNamer: failed to name known interface, kr=0xe00002c2

InterfaceNamer:   path = IOService:/AppleACPIPlatformExpert/PCI0@0/AppleACPIPCI/PEG1@1,1/IOPCI2PCIBridge /UPSB@0/IOPCI2PCIBridge/DSB2@4/IOPCI2PCIBridge/UPS2@0/IOPCI2PCIBridge/pci-bridge @2/IOPCI2PCIBridge/pci11c1,5901@0/AppleFWOHCI/IOFireWireController/IOFireWireLoc alNode/IOFireWireIP/IOFWInterface

configd[60408]: InterfaceNamer:   unit = 1

Maybe somebody from apple would identify a problem.

I have confirmed the issue is caused by Time machine volumes being used to restore.

I was working fine then I restored Time Machine and Ethernet on Display Stopped working

I then formatted drive and re-installed OSX and now its fine again.

So there is some issue with Time Machine Restores APPLE needs to look at

Not true at all.  No TM here.  No external disks of any kind.

When I got my new 13" MBA I used my TM to set it up just like my old 15" MBP had been. One of my co-workers got a new 15" MBP and used his TM to set it up just like his old 15" MBP had been. We both have problems with USB and Ethernet not working on our new Thunderbolt displays.

Another co-worker of mine started from scratch with a new 15" MBP (he didn't use his TM). He has no problems with his new Thunderbolt display.

I think there may be something to this theory that recovering from a TM image causes issues with the Thunderbolt display functioning correctly.

DDD-MAN, have you ever used TM (time capsule or something like that) or do you simply not have a TM disk connected to your display? I'm betting this isn't an issue of the physical hard drive as much as something screwey coming from a TM image...

No disk ever connected. Not even a flash drive.

but have you ever used Time Machine?

Nope. No TM.

so much for that idea....

Okay, tried several combinations including a complete re-install of the OS on the MBP - no change.

Did notice a few quirks along the way.  Like after downloading and installing the combined 10.7.3 update not connected to the TD, rebooting, and setting the MBP in clamshell mode not to sleep, the Ethernet network connection stays active. It doesn't solve the loss of network connection from waking from sleep, but at least keeping the system wake doesn't have to be rebooted to restore the network connection.

Interestingly, the wireless network still loses connection even though the MBP never goes to sleep.

Never mind my Feb 8 update - worked for 24 hours and is now back to the same behavior of losing the wired connection without MPB sleep mode.

Folks... There is no workaround, trick, fix, etc. this requires a firmware update from apple. They need to just do it.

Info from logs it might help to apple developers:

IOAVBFamily assertion FailIfNULL "NULL == bsdName" failed in /SourceCache/IOAVBFamily/IOAVBFamily-100.1.22/IOAVBNub.cpp at line 364 goto Exit. failed to get bsd name from interface

It is possible that i have found a solutrion.

rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist

reboot

There is possibility that in network settings will be little mess, especially if you have bluetooth interfaces configured. If thats true remove also

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist

It looks like sometimes kernel changes names of the interfaces. In my case en3 have changed into en2 and it was causing problems.

I just tried deleting:

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist

and

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist

and then I rebooted. I let my MBA go to sleep and then attempted connecting to my display. This is the first time its worked connecting to my display after being asleep in a week! I won't call this a fix until I try it a couple more times (mine has not worked reliably every single morning), but it looks promising