can't get PCIe wifi adaptor to work

abh · 03-03-2021, 06:07 AM

After installing the firmware from the Debian buster repositories, I got no complaints after a restart:

# dmesg | grep firmware

rtl18192ee: Using firmware rtlwifi/rt18192eefw.bin
rtl18192ee 0000:02:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8192eefw.bin
r8169 0000:03:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtl_nic/rtl8168d-1.fw

And all the drivers are loaded:

$ lsmod | grep rtl

rt18192ee 98304 0
btcoexist 143360 1 rtl8192ee
rtl_pci 32768 1 rtl8192ee
rtlwifi 65536 3 rtl8192ee,rtl_pci,btcoexist
mac80211 569344 3 rtl8192ee,rtl_pci,rtlwifi
cfg80211 499712 2 mac80211,rtlwifi

I have also checked using rfkill that the wlan interface is unblocked. Despite all this I get "No wireless networks found" from wicd and /proc/net/wireless is empty. There's a windows machine in here that picks up the wireless.

I'm at my wits end because I had the identical experience with a usb wifi adapter. What could I be missing?

By the way, the pci adapter is a tp-link TL-WN881ND (using Realtek firmware) and the usb adapter is tp-link TL-WN722N (using Atheros firmare).

kilgoretrout · 03-03-2021, 07:08 AM

Please post the output of:

Code:

$ lspci -v | grep Wireless

That should give the exact chipset of your wireless card.

abh · 03-03-2021, 06:50 PM

Quote:

$ lspci -v | grep Wireless

02:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8192EE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8192EE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter

This is why I installed the firmware-realtek_20190114-2_all.deb from the Debian buster depository.
I thought this would be enough.
And judging from the output of dmesg and lsmod I put in my first post it should be.

abh · 03-03-2021, 07:06 PM

O, I forgot

Quote:

$ uname -r

4.19.0-10-686-pae

Brains · 03-03-2021, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Despite all this I get "No wireless networks found" from wicd and /proc/net/wireless is empty

Maybe NetworkManager is down, try starting it and enabling if it appears it was not enabled.

Code:

systemctl start NetworkManager
systemctl enable NetworkManager

If you can see the wireless device (IE: wlp1so) when you run command ---> ip link
Try bringing it up with command ---> ip link set wlp1so up

Brains · 03-03-2021, 08:12 PM

Obviously since you're using wicd, NetworkManager is down.
Sometimes unloading the module and reloading it works.

kilgoretrout · 03-03-2021, 09:14 PM

If you google "linux RTL8192EE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter" you'll see that you are not alone in getting this device to work. The general consensus seems to be that you need to install the vendor driver from:

https://github.com/lwfinger/rtl8192ee

See:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1236...8192ee#1245978

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=263714

Apparently, the kernel rt18192ee driver doesn't appear to work very well, if at all, with your card and that's on relatively recent kernels(ubuntu 20.04 and arch). The vendor driver on github seems to have some success.

abh · 03-16-2021, 04:03 AM

Thanks for your links suggesting the unreliability of Linux wifi adapter drivers.

I have side stepped the issue and bought a wifi repeater with an ethernet port.
So my pc can access the wifi from down the road without an adapter.
Works perfectly!

tofino_surfer · 03-16-2021, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Try bringing it up with command ---> ip link set wlp1so up

This is the wrong PCIe address. From the OP's reply it is slot 2:

Code:

$ lspci -v | grep Wireless

02:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8192EE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter

It should be

Code:

$ ip link set wlp2so up

tofino_surfer · 03-16-2021, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Thanks for your links suggesting the unreliability of Linux wifi adapter drivers.

These links only suggest the unreliability of Realtek drivers for 8192. You seem to be substituting Linux for Realtek yourself and assuming if one make and model of chip gives Linux users problems then they all will. This is the wrong attitude.

As you are new to Linux let me tell you the secret. Get Intel wifi adapters or ones with Intel chips such as the Asus I have. Intel drivers come with the Linux kernel. Mine worked perfectly out of the box with Manjaro and Fedora.

https://www.canadacomputers.com/prod...28&language=en

Quote:

I have side stepped the issue and bought a wifi repeater with an ethernet port.

If you used Intel chip adapters there would have been no need for this.

business_kid · 03-17-2021, 05:45 AM

For future reference, Abh, you need to cross check your Realtek card number to see

if it is supported in the kernel
If it is supported on their site
If the website driver is any use

A programmer needs to be of a certain standard before he is allowed to contribute kernel code. So anything in the kernel is good. Many such programmers work for peripheral companies (e.g. Qualcomm) and contribute drivers and firmware. Realtek never bothered, but put drivers on their website. Some but not all of those got in the iwlwifi kernel module, presumably after validation. Realtek are not the only ones with driver issues.

The cheapest hardware is inclined to have the worst support. Another 'Rock below water' is Ralink. Pay an extra $1 or $2 and save yourself endless hours of pain and poor performance.

abh · 03-17-2021, 11:36 PM

Thanks for your suggestions everyone.

Ralink and Realtex have been mentioned as dubious, and Intel as one of the best.
Which chipset manufacurers are the best for Linux and which are the worst?
How many are there in total?

pan64 · 03-18-2021, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abh

Ralink and Realtex have been mentioned as dubious, and Intel as one of the best.

no, that is not that simple

Quote:

Originally Posted by abh

Which chipset manufacurers are the best for Linux and which are the worst?

I would rather say there are supported and not supported chipsets, that is not really manufacturer dependent. You always need to check if the given hardware is compatible with the distro.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abh

How many are there in total?

the number of chipsets is growing, but we have only a few manufacturers.

Brains · 03-18-2021, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tofino_surfer

This is the wrong PCIe address. From the OP's reply it is slot 2:
It should be

Code:

$ ip link set wlp2so up

Thanks, something I obviously overlooked. Sure wish I could edit the post...

tofino_surfer · 03-18-2021, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Thanks, something I obviously overlooked. Sure wish I could edit the post...

It is very easy on LQ to edit your own posts after the fact. All of my own posts have a third icon 'Edit' in between 'Report' and 'Quote'.