Can't connect wifi with Ralink RT5390 or LAN with Realtek RTL8111

Hardware Support
1

Hello!

I'm using Zorin Core 16.2 - I have this OS on several laptops all running smoothly. I'm a functioning linux user but essentially still a newbie.

I recently bought a secondhand HP Pavilion and installed the same OS but am having trouble with wifi and ethernet.

I have a TP Link mobile internet thing, and a Huawei 5G router, both tested and working.

My HP Pavilion desktop won't find either of them through wifi. When I plug in the ethernet cable to the Huawei, my Settings say "cable unplugged". However, when I connect to the TP Link via USB cable, it works, which is how I'm typing this now.

Here is the output of lshw -C network

*-network                 
       description: Wireless interface
       product: RT5390 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
       vendor: Ralink corp.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
       logical name: wlp5s0
       version: 00
       serial: d0:df:9a:96:8f:b6
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=rt2800pci driverversion=5.15.0-46-generic firmware=0.40 latency=0 link=no multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11
       resources: irq:19 memory:fe400000-fe40ffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
       vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:06:00.0
       logical name: enp6s0
       version: 06
       serial: e0:69:95:d1:42:d6
       capacity: 1Gbit/s
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=5.15.0-46-generic firmware=rtl_nic/rtl8168e-2.fw latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
       resources: irq:16 ioport:e000(size=256) memory:d0004000-d0004fff memory:d0000000-d0003fff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       physical id: 2
       bus info: usb@2:1.4
       logical name: usb0
       serial: ba:12:46:73:60:5e
       capabilities: ethernet physical
       configuration: autonegotiation=off broadcast=yes driver=rndis_host driverversion=5.15.0-46-generic duplex=half firmware=RNDIS device ip=192.168.0.103 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair

and

nmcli

usb0: connected to Wired connection 2
        "TP-Link M7350"
        ethernet (rndis_host), BA:12:46:73:60:5E, hw, mtu 1500
        ip4 default
        inet4 192.168.0.103/24
        route4 0.0.0.0/0
        route4 192.168.0.0/24
        route4 169.254.0.0/16
        inet6 fe80::946a:a849:8148:bcb6/64
        route6 fe80::/64

wlp5s0: disconnected
        "Ralink RT5390 1T/1R"
        wifi (rt2800pci), D0:DF:9A:96:8F:B6, hw, mtu 1500

enp6s0: unavailable
        "Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411"
        ethernet (r8169), E0:69:95:D1:42:D6, hw, mtu 1500

and

ip a

 1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: enp6s0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state DOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/ether e0:69:95:d1:42:d6 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: wlp5s0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state DOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/ether d0:df:9a:96:8f:b6 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
5: usb0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/ether ba:12:46:73:60:5e brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 192.168.0.103/24 brd 192.168.0.255 scope global dynamic noprefixroute usb0
       valid_lft 6523sec preferred_lft 6523sec
    inet6 fe80::946a:a849:8148:bcb6/64 scope link noprefixroute 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

Thank you so much for your help.

2

Hi, and welcome!

Not sure if this applies to your case but there was a recent thread that you can follow and see if some of the recommendations there help.

3

Thanks, but I don't think TP Link is the problem here. The computer can't "see" any wireless at all. I have 2 wireless routers sitting next to the computer, a TP Link one and a Huawei one, it can't see either of them.

When I click on "select network" the little circle just spins nand it says "no networks". The laptop (running the same version of Zorin) I have sat next to my desktop computer can see both the Huawei and TP Link routers.

4

As I say, I'm not hugely knowledgeable, but I suspect the problem is to do with this:

wlp5s0: disconnected
        "Ralink RT5390 1T/1R"
        wifi (rt2800pci), D0:DF:9A:96:8F:B6, hw, mtu 1500
5

That makes two of us... Sorry I misunderstood the issue here, I thought that other thread might have helped.

Just one last guess from my part, can you try to use the connect to a hidden network and enter the details manually? You can find that under Settings -> Wi-Fi on the three dots at the top.

6

It's using the r8169 driver. If you blacklist r8169 and install/use the r8168 it should resolve your issue.

The 8169 may be for another model, and includes yours, but not as well. This will have a big impact on whether the device works as it's supposed to or not.

7

Thank you so much! I will give it a try next chance I get. :+1: :+1: :+1:

8

I've blacklisted r8169 and installed r8168 but styill no joy with the ethernet. Settings -> network still says "cable unplugged".

I also tried blacklisting rt2800pci, but that has made the wifi menu entry in Settings disappear completely! Output of

lshw -c network

is now:

  *-network UNCLAIMED       
       description: Network controller
       product: RT5390 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
       vendor: Ralink corp.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
       version: 00
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:fe400000-fe40ffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
       vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:06:00.0
       logical name: enp6s0
       version: 06
       serial: e0:69:95:d1:42:d6
       capacity: 1Gbit/s
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8168 driverversion=8.048.00-NAPI latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
       resources: irq:25 ioport:e000(size=256) memory:d0004000-d0004fff memory:d0000000-d0003fff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       physical id: 3
       bus info: usb@2:1.4
       logical name: usb0
       serial: 4a:e3:36:ac:fb:41
       capabilities: ethernet physical
       configuration: autonegotiation=off broadcast=yes driver=rndis_host driverversion=5.15.0-75-generic duplex=half firmware=RNDIS device ip=192.168.0.121 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair
WARNING: output may be incomplete or inaccurate, you should run this program as super-user.

So my wifi network is now UNCLAIMED, any help on how I can reclaim it? Thank you.

9

The latest: I removed rt2800pci from the blacklist, which made Wifi reappear in settings. Now, when I boot up, the Huawei router briefly appears as a listed network, then when I try and connect to it, it disappears after a few seconds, and doesn't come back.

I would hugely appreciate any pointers on this as i am entirely stuck!

Output of sudo lshw -c network is currently:

       description: Wireless interface
       product: RT5390 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
       vendor: Ralink corp.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
       logical name: wlp5s0
       version: 00
       serial: d0:df:9a:96:8f:b6
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=rt2800pci driverversion=5.15.0-75-generic firmware=0.40 latency=0 link=no multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11
       resources: irq:19 memory:fe400000-fe40ffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
       vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:06:00.0
       logical name: enp6s0
       version: 06
       serial: e0:69:95:d1:42:d6
       capacity: 1Gbit/s
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8168 driverversion=8.048.00-NAPI latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
       resources: irq:25 ioport:e000(size=256) memory:d0004000-d0004fff memory:d0000000-d0003fff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       physical id: 2
       bus info: usb@2:1.4
       logical name: usb0
       serial: ce:c5:76:2c:40:f8
       capabilities: ethernet physical
       configuration: autonegotiation=off broadcast=yes driver=rndis_host driverversion=5.15.0-75-generic duplex=half firmware=RNDIS device ip=192.168.0.169 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair
10

Is that a Wifi Adapater?

11 
TP-Link M7350

is mentioned in OP. Assume it is this:

12

Then why not just leave the adapter plugged in by the USB in order to access Wifi?

13

Correct @zabadabadoo it's precisely that one.

14

@Aravisian There are various reasons why I would like to fix this, some of which are very mundane and to do with the arrangements of this workstation which I won't bore you with.

One reason however is that I would rather be using the faster 5G Huawei router than the slower 4G TP Link one. However the Huawei one doesn't seem to have the socket to connect by USB, only wifi or ethernet. Although that raises a point: although it isn't working when I connect the Huawei with an ethernet cable directly into the computer, could it make a difference if I used an ethernet -> USB adapter such as this one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Ethernet-Ultrabook-Chromebook-UE306/dp/B09MFY8799

1 Like
15

Some hardware is not compatible with Linux. No matter how much you try to connect it, it will not work. Not saying this is a solution, but reality.

Any adapter you consider, search the web for its compatibility with Linux, or you may be in the same boat again.

Is the huawei router a dual band router? Is it wifi 6 capable? The right drivers are running in your card. You may want to try the ath9k driver, but I'm thinking it's more to do with your router.

Try disabling ipv6 on the router as well as network isolation (if it has that setting). Also turn off wifi 6, it will revert to wifi 5 (you'll never need or reach the wifi 6 speeds except maybe in local network file transfers, if you do such things. Also ensure it's operating in dual band (2.5GHz and 5GHz). Maybe isolate to 5GHz for testing.

1 Like
16

Thanks for these tips, a few things to try there.

but I'm thinking it's more to do with your router.

To me that doesn't sound likely, because my other router - the TP Link one - also doesn't work through wifi; it only when it is connected through USB - which to me implies the problem is with the computer's wifi hardware setup. As mentioned previously, I the same model of TP Link wifi adapter supplying wifi to 2 laptops both running on Zorin at home (with different hardware of course).

I've never thought of it in hose terms, but it's useful to hear, as it will stop me pursuing this problem down an endless rabbit hole!

17

The driver, what bands the network card is capable of utilizing and what bands the router is transmitting on are what you can check.

The routers, depending on their configuration and age, may transmit on only one frequency.

The network card, depending on age and manufacturer may only utilize one frequency as well.

I believe it's a combination of driver and frequency.

Are the cards a,c,g...b,n?

The output of the above stated an 802.11n, which is capable of both frequencies.

What is the router capable of? Have you attempted to change the router channel of operation and whether it utilizes both or one frequency?

18

Update: I finally have the computer connecting to internet via the Huawei router, by connecting it with Ethernet cable to a USB - Ethernet Adapter. Still no wifi, still haven't resolved getting the thernet cable working directly, but this is certainly a step forward.

@337harvey I still intend to work through your suggestions to get the wifi working (though of course... you know what it's like... once a workaround functions the incentive to fully fix the problem is reduced...) Thanks for your help.

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19

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