How To Repair Wifi Connection Linux

1 of the big challenges that users tend to face with Linux is Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi drivers are oft not included in the kernel, and as a event, there are many issues getting not-Intel Wi-Fi modules to work well under Linux. Here we cover what happens when Wi-Fi isn't working on Linux and how to fix it.

Hardware vs. Software Wi-Fi Issues

A Wi-Fi connection event tin can be either a hardware or software issue. Hardware issues are relatively easy to diagnose – all you accept to exercise is to open up the terminal and enter the following control:

This is a simple way to check if your physical hardware is working. localhost works as an accost to check the circuitry for your NIC. If this isn't working, you may need to have some work done on the hardware, whether by yourself or from someone else.

If that ping comes back make clean or you don't fifty-fifty run across your Wi-Fi carte du jour, you likely have a software outcome.

Install Drivers from Ubuntu ISO

If your distro isn't detecting your Wi-Fi network at all, or if you're getting errors, and so you lot tin try installing or reinstalling the Wi-Fi drivers from the Ubuntu ISO file. Beginning, yous need to download the Ubuntu ISO corresponding to your Ubuntu version. (Presumably, you lot need to download information technology on a different device or download information technology using your Ethernet connection on Ubuntu.)

Place the Ubuntu ISO into the Abode directory on Ubuntu. And then in the Terminal, enter the following sequence of commands to mountain the Ubuntu ISO to a virtual drive:

            sudo            mkdir            /media/cdrom            sudo            mount            -o            loop ubuntu-*.iso            /media/cdrom

Get to "Software & Updates" from the dashboard, so in the new window, check the "CDrom with [your distro proper noun and version] box" and enter your password when requested.

Click the "Boosted Drivers" tab, then select the "Wireless Network Adapter" option and click "Utilise Changes."

Issue One: Device Not Detected

If the wireless device is not detected past Ubuntu (or any distro for that matter), so yous will need to access the Terminal and blazon the following command:

if y'all employ a plug-in USB wireless menu/dongle and

if you accept an internal wireless card.

If the response from these commands comes back with an output similar to the screenshot below, so you are in luck: Ubuntu tin can discover the card. Information technology is usually identified by "Network Controller" or "Ethernet Controller."

In the past, many Linux distributions have had difficulty finding the wireless card. Thankfully, support has gotten much ameliorate, so this is now a rare case.

Additional Commands

You can also apply the following command to examination if the machine tin can see the wireless device; users may need to install lshw on their machine start.

The output should resemble something similar to this:

            *-network description: Wireless interface product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG            [Golan]            Network Connection vendor: Intel Corporation

If this is the instance, and the system finds the wireless carte, you can go on to installing the driver/module as described below.

Issue Two: Commuter Module Missing

Following on from the successful lsusb and lspci commands, providing your Linux distro can see the wireless bill of fare, you can assume that the firmware is working, just that the system has no idea what to do with the card. This is where drivers or modules are needed.

Go back to the terminal and blazon the post-obit command:

You will see a listing of modules that are used. In order to actuate your module, blazon the following control where "modulename" is the name of your chipset.

For example, if your wireless chipset is "RT2870," it would exist as follows:

Afterwards this, run the lsmod command again to come across if information technology has loaded correctly.

Load Module Automatically at Kicking

It is a rare occasion, just sometimes the module will not persist from boot. In this case, you can forcefulness it to load permanently. Enter the control below into the Last:

The nano text editor will open up. Add together your module name at the bottom and relieve the file. You will demand to reboot and check to run into if the wireless menu can now encounter networks to enable y'all to connect equally normal.

If you get stuck, and then echo the procedure. Thankfully, Ubuntu has some useful help pages in its online documentation that y'all tin can also read through. Additionally, y'all can utilize the born assistance within the concluding by entering:

Upshot 3: DNS

It is rare that the DNS will be an effect; withal, information technology is worth investigating should you nonetheless have connectedness bug. From the Last, type the following control to assess where the DNS is coming from:

nmcli device show wlan1            |            grep            IP4.DNS

This will show you the LAN address of the router. If it doesn't piece of work, you lot may have to change "wlan1" to whatever your wireless uses. The post-obit command tin can too exist used to catch the designation:

Once yous have this data, your next method is to ping your router's LAN address. If this works, try to ping Google's DNS servers:

With these results, you can establish where the DNS upshot is. If all devices inside your dwelling house or role are giving page load errors, then change the router DNS to Google or Open DNS servers. Y'all'll have to consult your router manufacturer for how to do this, but information technology is more often than not done within the admin pages, well-nigh commonly past logging onto 192.168.0.one or similar.

If your DNS outcome is Ubuntu only, then follow these steps by using the Network Manager GUI:

Right click on Network Manager.
Edit Connections.
Select the Wi-Fi connexion in question.
Select IPv4 Settings.
Change Method to DHCP Addresses Only.
Add 8.8.eight.viii, 8.8.four.4 into the DNS server's box. Remember the comma separating the IPs and don't leave spaces.
Save, then Close.

As a final footstep, either restart your machine or restart the Network Manager from the Concluding:

            sudo            service network-director restart

Issue Four: No Network Director

Let's say you have removed the Network Manager or uninstalled it by accident. This is a actually troublesome state of affairs: you accept no Cyberspace and no Network Manager, but there are things you can do.

Assuming the package is still within your cache, you can go to the Terminal and enter:

            # Debian/Ubuntu            sudo            apt            install            network-director            # Fedora            sudo            dnf            install            network-managing director            # Arch Linux            sudo            pacman            -Syu            network-manager

If y'all accept removed this cache, then you lot can use an Ethernet cablevision to connect by plugging this into your Ethernet port and running the above command again.

As a concluding step, if none of the to a higher place works, you lot will need to edit your configuration file. I selected gedit as the text editor, just you can utilize your preferred selection and amend the command.

            sudo            gedit            /etc/network/interfaces

Amend it to read as follows:

motorcar lo iface lo inet loopback   auto wlan0 iface wlan0 inet dhcp wpa-essid myssid wpa-psk mypasscode

Then you can restart the interface by entering the below code:

            sudo            ifdown            wlan0            &&            sudo            ifup            -v            wlan0

Further reading of the Linux Wireless subsystem tin be found on the kernel.org wiki.

With your Wi-Fi now up and running, why not celebrate by looking at the best ways to play Windows games on Linux? Or, if you don't know all the ways y'all tin rename files in Linux, then check out our guide on information technology.

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John Perkins

John is a young technical professional with a passion for educating users on the all-time means to use their technology. He holds technical certifications covering topics ranging from figurer hardware to cybersecurity to Linux organisation administration.