Wifi connection problem on Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon & Ubuntu 16.04
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Wifi connection problem on Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon & Ubuntu 16.04
Hello LQ!
I recently decided to install linux on my "no longer supported by apple" macbook that I currently use for work (emails, text editor, etc so it's still plenty powerful) but I've been having a couple issues...
I first tried installing Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and everything worked fine when I set it up at home but then I wasn't able to have internet access (even if connected to router) at the office and simply wasn't able to connect to the university and eduroam networks (no password prompt).
Then I switched to Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon (I didn't quite like the Unity dash menu and it was a bit resource hungry). I still can't connect to the university and eduroam network (even if I connect using the "connect to hidden network" feature and input the encryption type manually as the guides mention). At the office, I finally managed to connect as the router was replaced but today I wasn't able to reconnect after the computer went to sleep. Even a reboot didn't allow me to reconnect to the network I was using earlier (but I was to connect to my mobile phone hotspot).
Now, the question, what's causing all those "Network Manager" problems? Quick research on the web and I see a lot of other users having similar issues with Ubuntu 16.04 and it's derivatives... What "level" is the error located (what software would need to be replaced to bypass that problem)?
I do like solving problems here and there but I can't spend hours every other day trying to connect to a wifi network.
Thanks for your inputs!
(I don't want to have to install windows on my macbook...)
Now, the question, what's causing all those "Network Manager" problems?
I'm guessing that it could be because you don't have the linux driver installed for either your wifi card or your chipset. If installing a driver doesn't help you could remove Network Mgr and install Wicd. https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/wicd
Quote:
what software would need to be replaced to bypass that problem)?
Then I switched to Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon (I didn't quite like the Unity dash menu and it was a bit resource hungry). I still can't connect to the university and eduroam network (even if I connect using the "connect to hidden network" feature and input the encryption type manually as the guides mention). At the office, I finally managed to connect as the router was replaced but today I wasn't able to reconnect after the computer went to sleep. Even a reboot didn't allow me to reconnect to the network I was using earlier (but I was to connect to my mobile phone hotspot).
Now, the question, what's causing all those "Network Manager" problems? Quick research on the web and I see a lot of other users having similar issues with Ubuntu 16.04 and it's derivatives... What "level" is the error located (what software would need to be replaced to bypass that problem)?
First, if you can connect to any wireless network at all, then that suggests the appropriate wireless driver is loaded.
For Ubuntu 16 or Linux Mint 18 you could open a terminal window and watch the journal log like this
Code:
sudo journalctl -fu NetworkManager
then try to connect via NM. That should help with determining what the underlying issue might be.
In general, if you can connect to a wireless network, but still can't browse, then check IP addressing and routing first
Code:
ip address
Code:
ip route
Check that you can ping the gateway successfully, then try an internet address eg 8.8.8.8 (a well-known google DNS address). If that check out, then proceed with checking for a valid name server...
I'm guessing that it could be because you don't have the linux driver installed for either your wifi card or your chipset.
I have installed both proprietary drivers using the "Driver Manager" tool in Linux Mint. There is more than one choice for the braodcom wifi card but I used the bcmwl-kernel-source for my BCM4321 (it seems to be the recommended one from what I could gather on wikis if I recall correctly).
Currently running the Linux Mint 18.1 default 4.4.0 kernel (if that makes a difference there).
First, if you can connect to any wireless network at all, then that suggests the appropriate wireless driver is loaded.
For Ubuntu 16 or Linux Mint 18 you could open a terminal window and watch the journal log like this
Code:
sudo journalctl -fu NetworkManager
then try to connect via NM. That should help with determining what the underlying issue might be.
Here is a part of the log of one of the event that happened yesterday (failed to reconnect after computer was sleeping, wasn't fixed by rebooting the computer). Looks like it fails at the "ip-config" stage with the reason ip-config-unavailable as reason. (note: I'm usually able to connect to the web on this router).
Code:
Mar 6 13:28:06 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824886.6619] device (wls4): Activation: (wifi) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful. Connected to wireless network 'Office SSID'.
Mar 6 13:28:06 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824886.6621] device (wls4): state change: config -> ip-config (reason 'none') [50 70 0]
Mar 6 13:28:06 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824886.6630] dhcp4 (wls4): activation: beginning transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)
Mar 6 13:28:06 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824886.6648] dhcp4 (wls4): dhclient started with pid 3822
Mar 6 13:28:51 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <warn> [1488824931.9997] dhcp4 (wls4): request timed out
Mar 6 13:28:52 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824931.9998] dhcp4 (wls4): state changed unknown -> timeout
Mar 6 13:28:52 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824932.0164] dhcp4 (wls4): canceled DHCP transaction, DHCP client pid 3822
Mar 6 13:28:52 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824932.0164] dhcp4 (wls4): state changed timeout -> done
Mar 6 13:28:52 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824932.0173] device (wls4): state change: ip-config -> failed (reason 'ip-config-unavailable') [70 120 5]
Mar 6 13:28:52 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <info> [1488824932.0177] manager: NetworkManager state is now DISCONNECTED
Mar 6 13:28:52 MintBook NetworkManager[914]: <warn> [1488824932.0193] device (wls4): Activation: failed for connection 'Auto Office SSID'
These two issues are "connection to the router / network" indeed and not "connection to the internet."
The eduroam problem is that network manager can't "automatically" connect to a WPA2 enterprise network using PEAP without a certificate. Hence the question if there was an alternative solution than trying to force a connection. Example of connection procedure
but for me it didn't work last time I tried, I also found that each website I visit suggest a different certificate.
The original question was more "would I have the same issue if I would have installed Debian / OpenSuse / Arch Linux / Feudora / (name your flavor) or is it simply broken at the kernel level?" more than how to fix this as I can't be spending 30+ minutes fixing the wifi connection each time I go to see a client.
"would I have the same issue if I would have installed Debian
Even after installing Debian you would still have to install the firmware to get the wifi working.
After I installed Debian I had to install the firmware-realtek_0.43_all.deb pkg for my realtek card. After rebooting the wireless connection worked.
With Open Suse and Arch I can't say. Fedora generally works right out of the box with the wireless on my machines and I never had to configure anything.
I've attempted to connect to a WPA2-Enterprise network again and it doesn't work even if I follow the documentation I find on the web (using a connecting to a hidden network menu and adding the details manually, the only part I'm not sure is the certificate itself). I can see an error message in the log but I can't make sense of what it means:
If you continue with this problem you might want to try Fedora.
It's cutting edge and uses the current stable kernel and the wifi has always worked right out of the box for me.
The 'sup-iface' is abbreviated = supplicant-interface. It's not clear to me from the above logs what the problem might be though. This might well take a bug report to help resolve (as the underlying cause may not be user-related).
You could try increasing the NetworkManager logging verbosity. AFAIU the NetworkManager.service file for Ubuntu/Mint is located at /usr/lib/systemd/system/NetworkManager.service, and the following line in the unit file needs to be changed from
Same issue with OpenSuse Tumbleweed (and Xubuntu 16.10), I can't connect to that WPA2-Enterprise network and I can longer connect to a specific network / router if computer went to sleep / suspended while connected to it (so far only way I found to reconnect was to reinstall the OS but I don't want to do that everyday)...
I'm sad to say that I'll have to go back to mac osX on that computer as everything works out of the box even if the os is no longer supported / computer is too old for new osX versions.
I'm sad to say that I'll have to go back to mac osX on that computer as everything works out of the box even if the os is no longer supported / computer is too old for new osX versions.
-::-To Get The WiFi Working in Anti-X-::-
Menu > Control Center > Network > Network Interface (ceni) > wlan0 > Follow the Wizard and give your ESSID and password.
Another thing; sorry I didn't notice sooner. I have helped may people here at LQ with Linux Mint and a lot of members have had problems with "Cinnamon" not working properly.
The fix was to install the "Mate" DE and all was well.
I have the same trouble, driver and firmare present but... if you want wifi interface working you have to configure it using command line cause they named interface "sticazzi" (wlx000....) instead of wlan0 as aspected by every network-manager.
/sys/class/net/"sticazzi" instead of wlan0 (it's a link)
/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:13.2/usb1/1-1/1-1:1.0/net/"sticazzi" instead of wlan0 (the target)
Now I try with a live Debian and I will confirm the cause.
To me with 15 years experience in GNU/Linux builders of Ubuntu and who copies without checking (Mint) are dummies.
Don't give up to GNU/Linux give up to Ubuntu and Mint
Someone suggests you AntiX I'm using it and it's the best distro I've ever tried.
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