Cannot turn on wireless on an HP 2540P in Arch Linux

The wireless cars, an Intel Centrino 6200, is turned on and off by a touch sensitive switch. When booting the switch is blue (on) and just before grub launches it turns orange (off). If I boot Windows 7 it works by touch, if I boot Arch it doesn't respond.

lspci -k yields:

43:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6200 (rev 35)
DeviceName: WLAN
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6200 2x2 AGN
Kernel driver in use: iwlwifi
Kernel modules: iwlwifi


I'm currently using the ethernet (wired) connection. Very limiting to say the least.

Currently running Arch Linux with Mate desktop. Same problem with XFCE previously.

Try this (read the news page first as this will fully update your system and you may have to prepare your system beforehand):

# pacman -Syu rfkill
# rfkill unblock all

I do not know the exact answer, but I know the pain you are going through with wifi on laptops. The best distro I found so far on this particular issue was the Fedora line (Dating this specific to June of 2015). There are a lot of upcoming kernel changes for wifi support, so the bleeding edge distros are currently the ones to best support it. Don't quote me on exact details, just pulling info from memory, but for example, CentOS 7 now has the kernel support that was tested at the very end run of Fedora 20 and early Fedora 21. Depending on the wifi you might need to install the kernel developer package for that distro as well for the additional functionality. As well on some wifi, there might be a kernel published where it fails and you got to roll back to the previous kernel while waiting for the next kernel update.

Originally Posted by joec@home Depending on the wifi you might need to install the kernel developer package for that distro as well for the additional functionality. As well on some wifi, there might be a kernel published where it fails and you got to roll back to the previous kernel while waiting for the next kernel update.

The OP's hardware is supported under Arch

If it helps, I looked up the information on Fedora, though it has more to do with the kernel release than the distro. From 3.19.5 onward the wifi is more stable. This is more from experience since I got 3 different wifi's and ran several different distros on them. Not specifically arch, but different ones other than just Red Hat distros.

Thank you,Head_on_a_Stick, that did it.

I have previously used Fedora on another machine (T42 ThinkPad) and would not hesitate to recommend it. But I'm trying to learn more now than was needed to run F16. I have probably made a dog's breakfast of the install as far as realizing the efficiency of which Arch is capable, but the struggle up the learning curve is its' own reward.

Thanks again, for the prompt responses. I am new to LQ and very impressed.

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ChinaSmith

HP 2540P, 4GB, 250G I7 Energy Star

A low voltage machine with a low wattage operator

Just to clarify, I am not suggesting to use Fedora, but check the kernel release number on your current build.

Originally Posted by joec@home Just to clarify, I am not suggesting to use Fedora, but check the kernel release number on your current build.

Arch is on 4.0.5.

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7m0egwzk.png