I haven't used my laptop in a week, and when I open it up again, my wifi and bluetooth are completely unavailable. I've tried multiple wired connections and nothing worked. please help me fix this.
Static electricity or a "stuck" power state in the Wi-Fi card can prevent the driver from claiming it, which could happen after sitting for a week.
Shut down the laptop completely. Unplug the power adapter.
With the laptop powered down, press and hold down the power button for 30 to 60 seconds.
Plug it back in and turn it on normally.
This forces the motherboard to discharge completely, resetting the hardware's internal state, so it can be "claimed" fresh by the kernel.
Don't worry—this is a fairly common issue with the Realtek RTL8852BE card in Linux, and it can usually be resolved.
Unplug the power cable from your computer.
If you can easily remove the internal battery, do so. If not, don't worry.
Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds straight (without connecting the device to the charger). This step discharges any remaining charge.
Reconnect the charger and turn on the device as usual.
heyup, I've tried it multiple times and it didn't work.
I've tried to physically connect and reconnet the battery- to no avail.
Step 1: Prepare the files on another device (connected to the internet)
On another computer or even a phone connected to the internet, do the following:
Open a web browser and go to the project page on GitHub: GitHub - lwfinger/rtw8852be: Linux driver for RTW8852BE PCIe card · GitHub
Download the project as a ZIP file by clicking the green «<> Code» button, then «Download ZIP».
Copy this ZIP file (rtw8852be-main.zip) to a USB drive.
Step 2: Install the prerequisites on your Zorin device
Now on your Zorin device (which does not have Wi-Fi).
Plug in the USB drive and copy the ZIP file to the “Downloads” folder or the desktop.
Open the “Terminal” app (Termulator) from the Zorin menu.
Install the essential build packages (you’ll need a wired (Ethernet) internet connection for this step, or you can download them in advance to the USB drive. If you don’t have a wired connection, proceed to the alternative step below). Type the following command and press Enter:
bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install dkms git build-essential -y
Navigate to the location of the compressed file (for example, if it's on the Desktop):
bash
cd ~/Desktop
Extract the file:
bash
unzip rtw8852be-main.zip
Move into the new folder:
bash
cd rtw8852be-main
Build and install the driver. The system will restart automatically after completion:
bash
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install
sudo reboot
I spent a full hour trying this solution.
I tried installing the older driver (rtw8852be), but it didn’t work. Now we’ll try the newer and better driver that works with the latest version of the Linux kernel, which is rtw89.
To succeed, you must follow these steps carefully and in order:
Step 1: Clean the system of any previous attempts (very important)
Open Terminal and enter these commands one by one. This will remove any leftover files from previous attempts that might cause conflicts.
bash
sudo apt purge rtw88* rtw89* rtl8852* -y
sudo rm -rf ~/rtw89 ~/rtw8852be ~/rtl8852be
sudo modprobe -r rtw89_8852be
Note: You may see errors stating that the “package does not exist” or the “module does not exist.” This is normal and okay; it means there is nothing to remove.
Step 2: Install essential build tools
You need an internet connection for this step. Use an Ethernet cable or a USB connection from your phone.
bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential git dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r) -y
Step 3: Install the Correct Driver
We will now download and automatically install the latest driver using DKMS, which means it will remain installed even after future system updates.
bash
git clone GitHub - lwfinger/rtw89: Driver for Realtek 8852AE, an 802.11ax device · GitHub
cd rtw89
sudo make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install
Step 4: Activate the driver and reboot
bash
sudo modprobe rtw89_8852be
sudo reboot
After rebooting
step 2 is completely undoable. I don't have any way to access the internet from my laptop.
Sharing an Internet connection via USB from your phone
This is the best method. You can use your phone (Android or iPhone) to share its Internet connection with your laptop via a USB cable.
For Android phones:
Connect your phone to your laptop via a USB cable
Go to your phone’s Settings
Look for “Hotspot & Tethering” or “Wireless Networks”
Turn on the “USB Tethering” option
An internet connection will appear on your laptop automatically within seconds
For iOS phones (iPhone):
Connect your iPhone to your laptop via a USB cable
Go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot
Turn on “Allow Others to Join”
You may be asked to trust the computer; tap “Trust”
I've tried everything to get it to have wifi, it doesn't work
Try reinstalling the Zorin OS
If you ever run into any trouble, I'll always be there for you
