wifi problem Dunfell 4.5 - solved

[davrosintas]

Sorry if this is the wrong way to seek help for my problem but I am new to this forum and EasyOS.
Dunfell 4.5 does not recognise my wifi card in Acer Travelmate 6495 laptop.
However Dunfell 4.3 does recognise said wifi card.
Any suggestions to overcome problem or am I just unable to use latest EasyOS.
Thanks in advance for any help available here.

[Caramel]

Dunfell 4.5 does not recognise my wifi card in Acer Travelmate 6495 laptop.
However Dunfell 4.3 does recognise said wifi card.
Any suggestions to overcome problem or am I just unable to use latest EasyOS.

Latest EasyOS is 4.5.5
https://bkhome.org/news/202301/easyos-d ... eased.html

[FeodorF]

Hi, and welcome @davrosintas.

I had a look at your laptop Acer TravelMate 6495 with wireless LAN Mini PCI Card (Date: 2011-201x)
Your laptop was sold with tree different mini PCI cards for wireless LAN. (Vendors: Atheros Broadcom Intel)

https://www.acer.com/us-en/support?sear ... est=6495;0

You reported that version EasyOS 4.3 works well with your laptop. Which one is your wireless vendor?

[davrosintas]

FeodorF

Thanks for your information. Using MXLinux I have the following information from my laptop.

Network: Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: e1000e
v: kernel port: 3080 bus-ID: 00:19.0 chip-ID: 8086:1502 class-ID: 0200
IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
modules: wl port: efa0 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:0082 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>

Is this what you wanted?
Thanks again for your reply.

[FeodorF]

Network:
Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
modules: wl port: efa0 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:0082 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>

Is this what you wanted?

Yes, that's it.
The wireless driver for the Intel N-6205 [Taylor Peak] seems to be missing in the newer version of EasyOS (> 4.3).

https://wiki.debian.org/iwlwifi

[davrosintas]

Hi Caramel,
Sorry that I failed to mention that I am using EasyOS 4.5.5 and not original release.

Dunfell 4.5 does not recognise my wifi card in Acer Travelmate 6495 laptop.
However Dunfell 4.3 does recognise said wifi card.
Any suggestions to overcome problem or am I just unable to use latest EasyOS.

Latest EasyOS is 4.5.5
https://bkhome.org/news/202301/easyos-d ... eased.html

[davrosintas]

Hi FeodorF,
Thanks for your prompt response and valuable information.
Now I understand why it is not working.
Hopefully it may be rectified in a future release but I understand that it may be low in BK's priority.

Network:
Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
modules: wl port: efa0 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:0082 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>

Is this what you wanted?

Yes, that's it.
The wireless driver for the Intel N-6205 [Taylor Peak] seems to be missing in the newer version of EasyOS (> 4.3).

https://wiki.debian.org/iwlwifi

[williwaw]

Supported devices are listed at the end of this page. Non-free firmware is required, which can be provided by installing the firmware-iwlwifi package.

so shouldn't davrosintas be able to download and install?

http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/no ... +1_all.deb

[Caramel]

Network:
Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
modules: wl port: efa0 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:0082 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>

Is this what you wanted?

Yes, that's it.
The wireless driver for the Intel N-6205 [Taylor Peak] seems to be missing in the newer version of EasyOS (> 4.3).

https://wiki.debian.org/iwlwifi

That's weird because the module iwlwifi is present in EasyOS 4.5.5 :

/lib/modules/5.15.86/kernel/drivers/wireless/intel/iwlfi

@davrosintas,
what is the result of

Code: Select all

lspci | grep Network

On the other hand if you have still the version 4.3 you can launch EasyOS 4.5.5 with the kernel of the version 4.3

You simply add the wmlinuz (of 4.3) in /mnt/wkg/ (of 4.5.5) renamed (as vmlinuz1 for example),
add the contents of the folder /lib/modules of EasyOS 4.3 to the folder /lib/modules of Easy 4.5.5,
then add a new entry for EasyOS 4.5.5 with wmlinuz1 in your grub (or limine) configuration file (simply recopy the entry of EasyOS 4.5.5 and change vmlinuz in wimluz1)

NB : If you no longer have EasyOS 4.3 but that EasyOS 4.5 results of an update of 4.3 by the Save button, you could get the vmlinuz and the folder /lib/modules in /mnt/wkg/releases

[rcrsn51]

???????

Williwaw has identified the problem.

Run the standard diagnostic test for missing firmware: dmesg | grep -i firmware

[FeodorF]

Hi @williwaw !

Supported devices are listed at the end of this page. Non-free firmware is required, which can be provided by installing the firmware-iwlwifi package.

so shouldn't davrosintas be able to download and install?

http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/no ... +1_all.deb

Oregon State University Open Source Lab - good find !

I downloaded your Debian package and extracted it.

changelog.Debian (86K)
* iwlwifi: Add Intel Wireless 6005/6205 firmware version 18.168.6.1 (ABI 6)
(Closes: #697473)
- Add support for WoWLAN and P2P

This means v. 18.168.6.1 (ABI 6) is the final one for this PCI card.

[FeodorF]

Hi @rcrsn51 , Bill.

???????

Williwaw has identified the problem.

Run the standard diagnostic test for missing firmware: dmesg | grep -i firmware

I had a look at this one
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... eless.html

At /usr/firmware/ you'll find iwlwifi-6000g2a-6.ucode but it's start option is connected to the defaulttexteditor "$1".
This looks wrong doesn't it?

[davrosintas]

Thanks again for all assistance from contributors.
I am not a seasoned linux user but rather a newbie with little knowledge.
Here is the output requested.
Does this mean that my computers BIOS is actually broken?

# lspci | grep Network
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (Lewisville) (rev 04)
02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] (rev 34)

# dmesg | grep -i firmware
[ 0.142320] DMAR: [Firmware Bug]: No firmware reserved region can cover this RMRR [0x00000000d7800000-0x00000000df9fffff], contact BIOS vendor for fixes
[ 0.142322] DMAR: [Firmware Bug]: Your BIOS is broken; bad RMRR [0x00000000d7800000-0x00000000df9fffff]
[ 0.182602] ACPI: [Firmware Bug]: BIOS _OSI(Linux) query ignored
[ 41.951873] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: loaded firmware version 18.168.6.1 6000g2a-6.ucode op_mode iwldvm

Really appreciate helpful suggestions even though I am still uncertain what to do now.

This is the output using same commands on EasyOS 4.3.2

# lspci | grep Network
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (Lewisville) (rev 04)
02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] (rev 34)
#
# dmesg | grep -i firmware
[ 0.148290] ACPI: [Firmware Bug]: BIOS _OSI(Linux) query ignored
[ 17.848465] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: loaded firmware version 18.168.6.1 6000g2a-6.ucode op_mode iwldvm

[rcrsn51]

What does the command "iwconfig" show?

[williwaw]

I assume you tried to install http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/no ... +1_all.deb and rebooted before you ran the commands in the easy version you are trying to get working correctly?

[davrosintas]

Hi williwaw,
I had installed and saved before rebooting so your assumption was correct.
Tried to install again today but told me already installed.

I assume you tried to install http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/no ... +1_all.deb and rebooted before you ran the commands in the easy version you are trying to get working correctly?

[davrosintas]

As requested.Does this help?

# iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=off
Retry short limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off

eth0 no wireless extensions.

What does the command "iwconfig" show?

[rcrsn51]

So the wlan0 device has been detected.

Run: ifconfig wlan0 up

Are there error messages?

Run: iwlist wlan0 scan

Does it scan for access points?

If it does, wlan0 is working. How does Easy report that it is not?

Run: rfkill

[davrosintas]

Ran the commands you suggested.
Output as follows:-

# ifconfig wlan0 up
ifconfig: SIOCSIFFLAGS: No error information

# iwlist wlan0 scan
wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

# rfkill
ID TYPE DEVICE SOFT HARD
0 wlan phy0 unblocked blocked
1 wlan acer-wireless unblocked unblocked
2 bluetooth acer-bluetooth unblocked unblocked
3 bluetooth hci0 unblocked unblocked
#

How do I interpret this?

So the wlan0 device has been detected.

Run: ifconfig wlan0 up

Are there error messages?

Run: iwlist wlan0 scan

Does it scan for access points?

If it does, wlan0 is working. How does Easy report that it is not?

Run: rfkill

[rcrsn51]

The "rfkill" command is showing a "hard" block on the wlan. This usually occurs when a laptop has a "Wireless" switch or button somewhere that is in the OFF position.

On your Travelmate, it may be the Fn+F3 keys.

Move the switch to ON and reboot.

[davrosintas]

Thanks a million rdrsn51.

Travelmate has a dedicated switch to turn wifi on and off.

I noted that during bootup this was changed from on to off which I noted because of your suggestion.
Don't know if I had somehow corrupted system or download errors but when switched on after boot it allowed me to try to connect to wifi.

Unfortunately password I entered was gibberish (keyboard tranlation problem ?) ..

I decided to redownload from different source.
EasyOS 4.5.5 then loaded without subsequent wifi problems.

Problem now solved as a result of your suuggestion - many thanks

The "rfkill" command is showing a "hard" block on the wlan. This usually occurs when a laptop has a "Wireless" switch or button somewhere that is in the OFF position.

On your Travelmate, it may be the Fn+F3 keys.

Move the switch to ON and reboot.

[rcrsn51]

Problem now solved as a result of your suuggestion - many thanks

Glad to help. Some connection managers will auto-detect this rfkill situation.

[pemasu]

Rerwin created diagnostic tool called pdiag about 2013 and it was added to the woof by Barry Kauler about Precise Puppy time. I still have it in Quirky Werewolf, posting from it. But when I launched easy os, older version, it wasnt there. It looks like it has been droppod out from Barrys nowaday Woof. It would have been really really useful tool to point to that app, launch it in terminal and add the created tarball here.
I believe that including pdiag again to the woof would be great.

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/noarch ... 130207.pet

rcrsn51 did without it fantastic job finding the culprit, great detective work and understanding of the wireless world.