[SOLVED]iwlwifi driver not loading on boot

[acottag]

Hello!
I installed a network card on my system that shows in lspci:

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lspci | grep Network
06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Device 2723 (rev 1a)

I installed the package firmware-iwlwifi from the repositories.
I got driver module iwlwifi loaded with modprobe:

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# /sbin/modprobe iwlwifi
# /sbin/lsmod | grep iwlwifi
iwlwifi      249856    0
cfg80211 774144    1   iwlwifi

I checked kernel option to support userspace firmware loading support:
CONFIG_FW_LOADER = Y

Though, I cant get module iwlwifi - automaticaly - loaded at boot time.

Please help. If there is already a thread / topic concerning this problem I apologize, please guide me to concerning thread.
Thanks in advance

[acottag]

Hi!

The answer is to list the module name in /etc/modules.

Thank you.

[p.H]

No that is not the answer. Merely a workaround.
The module should be automatically loaded if any hardware it is designed for is present, unless some file in /etc/modprobe.d contains

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blacklist iwlwifi

[stevepusser]

The real solution, if you're running a released Debian, is that it needs at least a 5.1 kernel plus updated firmware packages:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... 5-1-kernel

[acottag]

Hello p.H

I believe you are right.
There is a file amd-microcode-blacklist.conf in /etc/modprobe.d

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# cat /etc/modprobe.d/amd-microcode-blacklist.conf
blacklist microcode

The strange thing is that I now removed iwlwifi from /etc/modules but the system now loads iwlwifi on boot, the point of all this discussion.

I don't know how to explain this. Probably as newbie mistake / typo from all the begining... quite embarrassing.

Anyway, thank you for your advice p.H

[acottag]

Ok stevepusser !

I did the upgrade do kernel 5 from Buster (10) backports and wifi appears to be working. I need more time to check how well it works or if there are any failures.

Now I have to figure what's happening with bluetooth that I am not being able to swith on. Maybe another driver issue.

Thank you for your precious advice.

[stevepusser]

we can search the kernel boot messages to see if it's showing any bluetooth or firmware error messages:

# dmesg | grep -i blue

# dmesg | grep -i firmware