Fresh-Installed 37 over 33; wifi is gone!

I was expecting the install procedure would ask me to activate wifi but it didn’t. So now I have a no-network laptop.

Until yesterday, wifi has never been a problem under Fedora 2x to 33, but upgrade to 35 was failing, and 35 was unsupported so advice was to do a clean install. I’ve now done so.

I’d like to just go over to Windows and check but my GRUB has also been wiped out and I can’t figure out if there’s a way to boot to the Windows partition from the Boot Manager on this Thinkpad T470p.

From googling around, I’m not seeing how to fix this but I will provide info that others seem to ask people with similar problems to provide.

Settings->Network only shows Wired and VPN, no Network Proxy.

ifconfig doesn’t see a wifi at all, not even one that’s down:

[myname@fedora ~]$ ifconfig -a
enp0s31f6: flags=4099<UP,BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
ether 54:e1:ad:ad:2b:83 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet)
RX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B)
RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0
TX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B)
TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0
device interrupt 16 memory 0xf2200000-f2220000

lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING> mtu 65536
inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 255.0.0.0
inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128 scopeid 0x10
loop txqueuelen 1000 (Local Loopback)
RX packets 29 bytes 3724 (3.6 KiB)
RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0
TX packets 29 bytes 3724 (3.6 KiB)
TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0

I don’t have a wired network.
[myname@fedora ~]$ nmcli connection show
NAME UUID TYPE DEVICE
Wired connection 1 3828eb43-af84-3077-981e-53c27c00b408 ethernet –

I see Intel wifi chip here:
[myname@fedora ~]$ lspci -n -n -k
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v6/7th Gen Core Processor Host Bridge/DRAM Registers [8086:5910] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: skl_uncore
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 6th-10th Gen Core Processor PCIe Controller (x16) [8086:1901] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:01.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v5/E3-1500 v5/6th Gen Core Processor PCIe Controller (x4) [8086:1909] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation HD Graphics 630 [8086:591b] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505e]
Kernel driver in use: i915
Kernel modules: i915
00:14.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family USB 3.0 xHCI Controller [8086:a12f] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
00:14.2 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family Thermal Subsystem [8086:a131] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: intel_pch_thermal
Kernel modules: intel_pch_thermal
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 [8086:a13a] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: mei_me
Kernel modules: mei_me
00:17.0 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation HM170/QM170 Chipset SATA Controller [AHCI Mode] [8086:a103] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #1 [8086:a110] (rev f1)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #5 [8086:a114] (rev f1)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation QM175 Chipset LPC/eSPI Controller [8086:a153] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
00:1f.2 Memory controller [0580]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family Power Management Controller [8086:a121] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
00:1f.3 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation CM238 HD Audio Controller [8086:a171] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel
00:1f.4 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family SMBus [8086:a123] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus
Kernel modules: i2c_i801
00:1f.6 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (5) I219-V [8086:15d6] (rev 31)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: e1000e
Kernel modules: e1000e
02:00.0 3D controller [0302]: NVIDIA Corporation GM108M [GeForce 940MX] [10de:134d] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505e]
Kernel driver in use: nouveau
Kernel modules: nouveau
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Wireless 8265 / 8275 [8086:24fd] (rev 78)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 [8086:1010]
Kernel modules: iwlwifi
04:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS522A PCI Express Card Reader [10ec:522a] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:505d]
Kernel driver in use: rtsx_pci
Kernel modules: rtsx_pci

Nothing here looks like wifi to me, though I do see bluetooth
[myname@fedora ~]$ lsusb -v -v -t
/: Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/8p, 5000M
ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
/sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2 /dev/bus/usb/002/001
/: Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/16p, 480M
ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
/sys/bus/usb/devices/usb1 /dev/bus/usb/001/001
|__ Port 6: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=, 12M
ID 138a:0097 Validity Sensors, Inc.
/sys/bus/usb/devices/1-6 /dev/bus/usb/001/002
|__ Port 7: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Wireless, Driver=btusb, 12M
ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp. Bluetooth wireless interface
/sys/bus/usb/devices/1-7 /dev/bus/usb/001/003
|__ Port 7: Dev 3, If 1, Class=Wireless, Driver=btusb, 12M
ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp. Bluetooth wireless interface
/sys/bus/usb/devices/1-7 /dev/bus/usb/001/003
|__ Port 8: Dev 4, If 1, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
ID 04f2:b5c0 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
/sys/bus/usb/devices/1-8 /dev/bus/usb/001/004
|__ Port 8: Dev 4, If 0, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
ID 04f2:b5c0 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
/sys/bus/usb/devices/1-8 /dev/bus/usb/001/004

Neither of these is wifi (and again, I don’t have a wired ethernet though I suppose I could wire one if necessary
[myname@fedora ~]$ nmcli d show
GENERAL.DEVICE: enp0s31f6
GENERAL.TYPE: ethernet
GENERAL.HWADDR: 54:E1:AD:AD:2B:83
GENERAL.MTU: 1500
GENERAL.STATE: 20 (unavailable)
GENERAL.CONNECTION: –
GENERAL.CON-PATH: –
WIRED-PROPERTIES.CARRIER: off
IP4.GATEWAY: –
IP6.GATEWAY: –

GENERAL.DEVICE: lo
GENERAL.TYPE: loopback
GENERAL.HWADDR: 00:00:00:00:00:00
GENERAL.MTU: 65536
GENERAL.STATE: 10 (unmanaged)
GENERAL.CONNECTION: –
GENERAL.CON-PATH: –
IP4.ADDRESS[1]: 127.0.0.1/8
IP4.GATEWAY: –
IP6.ADDRESS[1]: ::1/128
IP6.GATEWAY: –
IP6.ROUTE[1]: dst = ::1/128, nh = ::, mt = 256

I don’t know this command but it looks like I lack hardware?!!? It was working fine until just before the fresh install.
[myname@fedora ~]$ nmcli radio all
WIFI-HW WIFI WWAN-HW WWAN
missing enabled missing enabled

Whatever the problem is, it’s not blocking.
[myname@fedora ~]$ rfkill list all
0: tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
1: hci0: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

Check that you have iwl7260-firmware-1:25.30.13.0-148.fc37.noarch. This supports Intel 7000, 8000, and 9000 wifi.

Look for the section in dmesg where the kernel loads the wifi driver. Here, with Intel 9560, searching on “iwl”:

% dmesg | grep -F iwl
[    6.168537] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: enabling device (0100 -> 0102)
[    6.234497] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WRT: Overriding region id 0
... [many Overrides]
[    6.241563] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WRT: Overriding region id 28
[    6.242390] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: loaded firmware version 46.ea3728ee.0 9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-46.ucode op_mode iwlmvm
[    6.402754] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Detected Intel(R) Wireless-AC 9560 160MHz, REV=0x312
[    6.453086] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: base HW address: 04:ed:33:d9:16:d3, OTP minor version: 0x4
[    6.521132] ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-mvm-rs'
[    6.528625] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3 wlo1: renamed from wlan0

Thank you George!

I didn’t know dmesg. I grep it for iwl and see only two lines:

0000:03:00.0: enabling device (0000 → 0002)
probe of 0000:03:00.0 failed with error -110

Googling, I found this page: 214557 – mt7921e: probe of 0000:05:00.0 failed with error -110

It suggests a cold powerdown without AC. Sounds like the equivalent of “turn it off, and turn it on again, and see if it suddenly works.”

Sorry, dmesg has no more iwl info after the cold reboot…

The link you found is for a different wifi chipset. A cold start can be needed for some wifi
configurations when a previously loaded driver (for PXE boot or wifi) conflicts with the linux driver. That should not be an issue with Intel cards.

I think error-110 means initialization failed – usually due to lack of correct firmware, possibly due to incorrect parameters to modprobe. Did you check that you have the firmware package mentioned above?

You can check without rebooting after installing the driver package by manually loading the iwlwifi module:

First, use -nv for a “[n]othing-done [v]erbose” dry-run:

$ sudo modprobe -nv iwlwifi

Then if there are no errors run without the dry-run (n) option. You should see a normal wifi initilazation in dmesg.

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modprobe -nv iwlwifi

… no output?

If you installed the driver package then rerunning the command without the “n” should enable wifi.

Many thanks for your help with this so far George.

OK after running that without the n (just -v, right?) (which produces no output) I do nmcli d show and still no wifi. nmcli radio all still shows wifi hardware missing. dmesg doesn’t show anything new, and specifically doesn’t show a new driver, just the two lines "enablinng device 0000->0002, followed by probe failed -110. lsusb -v -v -t doesn’t show anything new.

Perhaps I misunderstood what you meant to do? Sorry I’m not experienced on the current-day sysadm and probably don’t understand things that would be obvious to many…

You still haven’t told us whether the current 'iwl7260-firmware.noarch : Firmware for Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 726x/8000/9000 Series Adapters` (recently updated) is installed on your system. The 110 error usually means you don’t have the right firmware for your device.
[edit name and description of firmware package]

OK, I’m not sure how to verify if it’s on my system. I tried the command you gave and no output, and no apparent other effect.

So how would I go about getting it onto my system?

Also odd that it wouldn’t be available: T470p was I would have thought a pretty popular machine.

sudo dnf list installed \*firmware\*
sudo dnf install iwl7260-firmware

Edit, added installation.

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I’m finding this page: iwl7260-firmware - Fedora Packages

I don’t know exactly how to install it. I think I can shuffle some gear and put the laptop on an ethernet cable, which would let me access the net, but I don’t know how to actually download this thing. Is it dnf? rpm? yum? Or something else? Or is it easy to download from Windows then carry a memory stick to the laptop?

The package info you can check like:

sudo dnf info iwl7260-firmware
If you want to read before install.

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sudo dnf install iwl7260-firmware

Thanks, I could run that if I had a network, but the problem is: without wifi, I don’t have the laptop on the LAN. To hook a LAN to the router I would need some help to move furniture to get to the router, and to disconnect my Synology disk array which is my only LAN cable…

Is there a way I can download the needed files on my PC? Then copy on a memory stick?

https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/buildinfo?buildID=2169294

You’ll also want to download, iwlax2xx-firmware (weak dependency)

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Hey, that’s a good command to know, thanks.

sudo dnf list installed \*firmware\* shows (along with 25 other things)

iwl7260-firmware.noarch 1:25.30.13.0-140.fc37 @anaconda

So I guess the problem isn’t that I’m missing the driver, but something else…

That shows the original installed version when installing F37. (reflected by the @anaconda there)
The current version is

# dnf list installed iwl7*firmware
Installed Packages
iwl7260-firmware.noarch                                            1:25.30.13.0-147.fc37                                            @updates

It seems the best fix is to somehow connect the laptop to the internet and do a full update.
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh then see if there is a change.

The issue may not be the driver not installed, but that the driver (and kernel) are not fully updated.

I’ve been in similar situations, so now have a USB wifi adapter that can provide wifi when cables and built-in wifi fail. Such adapters are not expensive, but due diligence is needed to ensure there is robust linux support. Plugable is one vendor that often supports linux.

The problem is that multiple packages may need updating together. It would be useful to know if you have a way to boot the PC with working wifi, e.g., the F37 Live Image.

  • Which installer did you use: Live Image, Standard Image, or Netinstaller?

  • If you have the Live Image, does wifi work there?

  • Did you install any updates, or are you using what you got from the initial install?

I used the most obvious ISO, but can’t remember if it was called “standard” or what. I see I should have recorded that.

Your advice sounds good and practical but in fact I have a ethernet cable for my disk array. The router’s pretty inaccessible but I can just power down all the other computers in the house, power down the disk array, and do the upgrade under my desk using its cable.

If you used the ISO to create a bootable USB key, you should be able to mount the key to see what it contains. Please let us know how the update goes. Any added details could help us understand where things went wrong.

The take-home from your experience is 1) if available, use ethernet for OS installs (and it is preferred for upgrades), and 2) upgrading should be done right away to protect you from already fixed issues.

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