So I restored to 6.6.7 again and made sure everything was running properly. After that I performed the upgrade to 6.9-beta with the same result of no IP address. Initially there wasn't a network.cfg file, took screen shots and everything, then shutdown and tried to run 6.8.3 on a different flash drive and it also didn't work. I then put my original flash drive back in, this time in a USB 2.0 port, and still no IP address, but now I do have all of the other files in /boot/config to include the network.cfg file (very strange). I renamed the file and rebooted.....no difference. Created a new network.cfg file to statically configure the IP address. The IP was assigned but no network connectivity. I then copied the network.cfg file from the working 6.6.7 version and it also didn't work.
Since I tried a new flash drive with a fresh 6.8.3 install and had the same outcome, I believe that rules out a defective flash drive.
I've attached a couple diagnostic files:
1 is from the working 6.6.7 just after I downloaded the upgrade.
Another is from the fresh install on 6.8.3 on a different flash drive
Last one is from 6.9-beta
I'm guessing this may have something to do with the Killer NIC on the Gigabyte motherboard. Possibly the drivers were in the 4.x kernel used in 6.6.7 and then removed from the 5.x kernel in later releases? Unfortunately I don't have a spare NIC to throw in right now to test that theory, so I'll have to order one. Unless, that is, someone sees something in the logs that points to something else.
Thanks again for everyone's assistance. I've been meaning to do this upgrade for a while but haven't had the time until the country I'm in put a 24/7 curfew in place for the area I live in. 😷
dagobah-diagnostics-20200407-1725 (6.9-beta).zip
tower-diagnostics-20200407-0640 (6.8.3 new USB).zip
dagobah-diagnostics-20200407-1552 (6.6.7 pre-upgrade reboot).zip