Scheduled Maintenance: We are aware of an issue with Google, AOL, and Yahoo services as email providers which are blocking new registrations. We are trying to fix the issue and we have several internal and external support tickets in process to resolve the issue. Please see: viewtopic.php?t=158230

 

 

 

Issue with Wifi on New Install

New to Debian (Or Linux in general)? Ask your questions here!
Post Reply
Message
Author
MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Issue with Wifi on New Install

#1 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Hi

I've just downloaded and installed Debian (latest version) and found that the Wifi setup does not work.

I believe that this is a known problem.

Can someone please point me in the direction of a fix?

Please take into account that my Wifi connection does not work.
This email is being sent from my work and is many miles from the computer with the problem.

Regards
Michael B.

User avatar
4D696B65
Site admin
Site admin
Posts: 2696
Joined: 2009-06-28 06:09
Been thanked: 85 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#2 Post by 4D696B65 »

Post the output of

Code: Select all

lspci -nn | grep -i network
wiki is your friend
https://wiki.debian.org/WiFi

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#3 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Thank you.

I'll run that tonight when I get home from work and post it tomorrow.

Michael B.

User avatar
dilberts_left_nut
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 5346
Joined: 2009-10-05 07:54
Location: enzed
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 66 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#4 Post by dilberts_left_nut »

AdrianTM wrote:There's no hacker in my grandma...

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#5 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Hi

The reply that came back was:
02:00.0 Network Controller [0280]: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] [8086:0082] (rev 34)

I believe the correct driver to use is: iwlwifi

Assuming this is correct, how do I put the driver in place?

Regards

Michael B.

User avatar
dilberts_left_nut
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 5346
Joined: 2009-10-05 07:54
Location: enzed
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 66 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#6 Post by dilberts_left_nut »

AdrianTM wrote:There's no hacker in my grandma...

arochester
Emeritus
Emeritus
Posts: 2435
Joined: 2010-12-07 19:55
Has thanked: 14 times
Been thanked: 54 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#7 Post by arochester »

Connect TEMPORARILY by cable.

Issue the command to become Root:

Code: Select all

su
Issue the command :

Code: Select all

apt install firmware-iwlwifi
When it has finished remove the cable and reboot.

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#8 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Is there a method that does not require an internet connection?

The wifi on the laptop is not working and I don't have a cable connection.

User avatar
4D696B65
Site admin
Site admin
Posts: 2696
Joined: 2009-06-28 06:09
Been thanked: 85 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#9 Post by 4D696B65 »

Download the firmware to your work pc then transfer to usb thumb drive. Bring the drive home and transfer the file to you home dir.
Open a terminal, su to root and issue the following command.

Code: Select all

dpkg -i irmware-iwlwifi_20161130-3_all.deb
https://packages.debian.org/stretch/all ... i/download

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#10 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Okay I've managed to get the iwlwifi drivers and they are now installed.
Note: It appeared they were already installed to start with.

I still have the same problem. No wifi networks are being found.

What do I try next?

arochester
Emeritus
Emeritus
Posts: 2435
Joined: 2010-12-07 19:55
Has thanked: 14 times
Been thanked: 54 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#11 Post by arochester »

Have you rebooted to let the firmware work?

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#12 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Yes, I have rebooted

Is there a way to force the use of the driver?

I'm beginning to think its the network manager. The random mac address is not something I've seen on other systems.

Michael B.
P.S I'm currently booting between Debian and a Knoppix USB. So to use the web, I boot Knoppix. To apply the patch I boot Debian. Lots of re-booting.

User avatar
bw123
Posts: 4015
Joined: 2011-05-09 06:02
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#13 Post by bw123 »

MichaelBlucher wrote:Yes, I have rebooted

Is there a way to force the use of the driver?

I'm beginning to think its the network manager. The random mac address is not something I've seen on other systems.

Michael B.
P.S I'm currently booting between Debian and a Knoppix USB. So to use the web, I boot Knoppix. To apply the patch I boot Debian. Lots of re-booting.
It's okay the driver will be automatically loaded for the device, the firmware too if installed correctly. You can confirm the firmware load with
# dmesg | grep firm
and look for errors.

There's some info on NM here.
https://wiki.debian.org/WiFi/HowToUse
The most important thing is probably making sure you haven't tried ifupdown configuration at the same time, listing the same device in interfaces file conflicts with network-manager default setup.

You can use nmcli to get some info, there are a lot of options, probably start with
$ nmcli status
but read the man page, I don;t have it available right now.

The random mac feature usually doesn't prevent scan results, but I guess it's possible.
resigned by AI ChatGPT

User avatar
cds60601
df -h | participant
df -h | participant
Posts: 706
Joined: 2017-11-25 05:58
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 129 times
Been thanked: 60 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#14 Post by cds60601 »

Another option to try: download the ISO that includes the non-free firmware and give it a shot. I don't think you'll need to go into a full install to see if the drivers are installed on that ISO, if it configs the network on setup, you would be good to go.

You can find the non-free firmware stable ISO here:
https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unof ... 0+nonfree/

Cheers
Chris
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#15 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Hi

I'll try that (dmesg | grep firm) later when I get home from work.

The Knoppix USB I've setup to sort this issue out is using the same driver (iwlwifi). Works fine. Knoppix uses Gnome.

Under Debian (stretch) the scan does not find any wifi points at all. The detection should pick up around 10. This Debian is using KDE.

The main difference I see between the two systems is in the Network Manager.

Under Knoppix, it has a field for "device" which is set to my wifi cards mac address.
Under Debian Stretch, it has a Random mac address button. Even if I key my wifi cards mac address in manually it still fails to detect any wifi points.

Is it possible that the "Random mac address" function is a problem for some wifi cards?

Michael B.

User avatar
bw123
Posts: 4015
Joined: 2011-05-09 06:02
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#16 Post by bw123 »

MichaelBlucher wrote: <snip>
The main difference I see between the two systems is in the Network Manager.

Under Knoppix, it has a field for "device" which is set to my wifi cards mac address.
Under Debian Stretch, it has a Random mac address button. Even if I key my wifi cards mac address in manually it still fails to detect any wifi points.

Is it possible that the "Random mac address" function is a problem for some wifi cards?

Michael B.
You are describing two different things. In KDE nm-applet, the "random" button you see in edit connection just assigns a random mac to the device when activating a specific connection, it doesn't tell nm what interface to use. The line above that "Restrict to device" will do that, but ONLY for that specific connection, or ap. NM will use any wifi interface it finds, unless it is an unmanaged device.

Random mac during scan does cause issues connecting with a lot of devices, but I haven't heard of it keeping all the access points from showing up. You can try it. It's easy to turn off, but not through the GUI. The random button in the gui is for cloned-mac, not scan-rand-mac setting. You don't have to set the cloned-mac to anything to get the device to scan.

Don't make it difficult trying to compare debian to knoppix and expecting it to work the same way.
resigned by AI ChatGPT

MichaelBlucher
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-04-09 02:06

Re: Issue with Wifi on New Install

#17 Post by MichaelBlucher »

Hi

That came back with a whole lot of failed message with error code 2.

Michael B.

Post Reply