setting the iface variable within secure_mqtt_sensor_actuator

Question

So, hello, hopefully I have done my diligence to be able to afford some help, thank you!

Context: driving an ADIN1110 by Analog Devices with an nRF52840 usb dongle. Within VS code the application secure_mqtt_sensor_actuator has been copied a board overlay has been created, compiled and programmed. The hex file runs messages out the USB COM port indicating the default iface has not been initialized or declared with a constant value, the ADIN1110 driven by the spi of the nrf52840. While I have done an extreme amount of application development within VS code utilizing command line operations with was back ifrom SDK_12.0.012f24da to nRF5_SDK_17.0.2_d674dde, therefore just trying to get my head around best practices of the nRFconnect v2.9.0. Within main.c the function net_if_get_default() prints the warning message <wrn> net_if: no default interface found!

Question: how to force the default iface to the spi of the nrf52840 driving the ADIN1110 out the ethernet?

greatly appreciate your thoughts!

Cy

nrf52840dongle_nrf52840.overlay:

/* Device Tree Overlay for nRF52840 USB Dongle connected to ADIN1110 */

&pinctrl {
    spi_master_default: spi_master_default {
        group1 {
            psels = <NRF_PSEL ( SPIM_SCK , 0, 12) >, /* SCK - P0 .12 */
                    <NRF_PSEL ( SPIM_MOSI , 0, 15) >, /* MOSI - P0 .15 */
                    <NRF_PSEL ( SPIM_MISO , 0, 13) >; /* MISO - P0 .13 */
        };
    };

    spi_master_sleep: spi_master_sleep {
        group1 {
            psels = <NRF_PSEL ( SPIM_SCK , 0, 12) >,
                    <NRF_PSEL ( SPIM_MOSI , 0, 15) >,
                    <NRF_PSEL ( SPIM_MISO , 0, 13) >;
            low-power-enable ;
        };
    };
};

/* SPI Master configuration */
&spi3 {
    status = "okay";
    pinctrl-0 = <&spi_master_default>;
    pinctrl-1 = <&spi_master_sleep>;
    pinctrl-names = "default", "sleep";
    cs-gpios = <&gpio1 0 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>; /* CS - P1 .00 */

/* ADIN1110 Ethernet PHY configuration */
adin1110: ethernet@0 {
    status = "okay";
    //zephyr,default = "yes";
    compatible = "adi,adin1110";
    reg = <0>;
    spi-max-frequency = <8000000 >;
    int-gpios = <&gpio1 15 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW >; /* IRQ - P1 .15 */
    reset-gpios = <&gpio1 10 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW >; /* RST - P1 .10 */
    //label = "ADIN1110";

    // swpd-en-gpios = <&egpio0 20 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
    // tx2p4-en-gpios = <&egpio0 22 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
    // ts_timer-ms-sel-gpios = <&egpio0 24 GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH>;
    // ts-capt-gpios = <&egpio1 13 GPIO_INPUT GPIO_PULL_UP>;
    };

};