[SOLVED] Wifi behavior problems between windows and Linux

Ziluman · 05-08-2016, 06:04 PM

When using Linux, if my on board WiFi disabled by hardware switch, my USB WiFi disabled too (the system reported it also disabled by hardware switch). But in windows XP, if I disable the on board WiFi by hardware switch, I can use my USB WiFi to browse network. Is it anything we could do to solve that?

ferrari · 05-09-2016, 04:47 AM

No. AFAIU if wifi device is disabled, then all such wireless devices will be disabled. You can verify this with the rfkill utility

Code:

/usr/sbin/rfkill list

Ziluman · 05-09-2016, 11:37 AM

I have been trying rfkill list and the output says that the on board WiFi is hard blocked and not soft blocked. And the USB WiFi not soft blocked and not hard blocked. I double recheck the output to make sure I'm not misreading.

ferrari · 05-09-2016, 02:59 PM

Yes, if a switch, key, or button is used to disable the wireless, then rfkill will report as hard blocked and only controlled by the aforementioned switch etc.

Software blocking can be done with

Code:

sudo/usr/sbin/rfkill block wifi

and unblocking with

Code:

sudo/usr/sbin/rfkill unblock wifi

Does the USB wireless device show up with its own device node?

Code:

/sbin/ifconfig

Code:

/usr/sbin/iwconfig

jefro · 05-09-2016, 05:36 PM

If you unplug usb and plug it back in does it work?

Fred Caro · 05-09-2016, 07:40 PM

Try getting rfkill to unblock all (a kill switch is after all hardware) and use its options to allow different types of connection if that is what want to do. I think you are right by saying that the kill switch has killed all, it might depend on different kernels/setups but assume it is hardware (the switch) and kills all.

Fred.

Ziluman · 05-24-2016, 08:15 AM

I've read all of this suggestions. Then I'm testing some laptops. The rfkill command works well for my Compaq CQ20 but not work in my Zyrex laptop. CQ20 use a touch button to switch on/off wifi and the other use an Fn + F4 command to switch on/off it's wifi.
On the case, one switch kill both of my wifi on Linux but not in Windows I agree with Fred. It might be depend on the kernel. Thank you very much for all the answer.