Networking / Wi-Fi FAQs
Revision for “Networking / Wi-Fi FAQs” created on May 1, 2023 @ 17:45:42
| Title | Networking / Wi-Fi FAQs |
|---|---|
| Content | <h1>Networking / Wi-Fi</h1>
Many new Bodhi Linux users seem to have the same questions relating to Networking / Wi-Fi, so here are the answers to a few of them:
<h2>Gather Information: How do I Identify My Networking Hardware?</h2>
The <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/terminology/">Terminology</a> (<em>Main Menu > Applications > System Tools > Terminology</em>) commands below will output details that when posted on the [library term="forum"] will help fast track any support related conversions:
<h3>Generic command (all hardware types)</h3>
The following command will gather all networking hardware regardless of hardware type (<code>PCI</code>, <code>USB</code>):
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">inxi -Fxz | grep -iE "card|driver|if"</pre>
<h3>PCI Specific Hardware</h3>
Gathers PCI networking hardware information:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">lspci | grep -iE "ethernet|network|wireless|lan"</pre>
<h3>USB Specific Hardware</h3>
Gathers USB networking hardware information:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">lsusb | grep -iE "ethernet|network|wireless|lan"</pre>
<h2>I Cannot Connect to the Internet</h2>
Try the advice outlined in the Wiki: <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/connecting-to-the-internet/">Connecting to the Internet</a>. If you continue to experience issues, keep reading the other FAQs in this article.
<h2>Check for Software and Hardware Blocks</h2>
It may be necessary to <em>check</em> your network devices for <strong>Soft</strong> (software) or <strong>Hard</strong> (hardware) <strong>blocks</strong>. This is easily accomplished using <strong>rfkill</strong>.
To install <strong>rfkill</strong>, open <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/terminology/">Terminology </a>and <em>type</em>:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">sudo apt install rfkill</pre>
<em>Note: you will be prompted for a password - in Bodhi Linux, this is your login password by default</em>
While still in <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/terminology/">Terminology</a>, type:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">rfkill list all</pre>
This should display your network Soft and Hard blocked/unblocked statuses:
<img class="size-full wp-image-4812 aligncenter" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/rfkill_1.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="806" height="155" />
<strong>Soft blocked </strong>indicates that you can <em>unblock</em> the device from <strong>software</strong>.
<strong>Hard blocked </strong>represents a <strong>physical switch</strong> or <strong>toggle </strong>on your system that turns off your <strong>Wi-Fi</strong>, <strong>Bluetooth</strong> or other network device.
In the example above, notice that our <strong>Wireless LAN</strong> is device <strong>0</strong>; it is currently showing <strong>Soft blocked: yes</strong>. To use our <strong>Wireless LAN</strong>, we want device <strong>0</strong> <em>unblocked</em>. In other words, <strong>Soft blocked</strong> should say <strong>no</strong>.
The easiest way to accomplish is to unblock all devices<strong>.</strong> In Terminology type:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">sudo rfkill unblock all</pre>
This will unblock any and all <strong>Soft</strong> <strong>blocked </strong>devices. This command may be followed by:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">rfkill list all</pre>
To verify that we have unblocked our Wireless LAN successfully, which we have, as <strong>Wireless LAN</strong> is reporting <strong>Soft blocked: no </strong>(shown below):
<img class="size-full wp-image-4862 aligncenter" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/rfkill_all.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783" alt="" width="806" height="163" />
Alternatively, you may unblock by <strong>device</strong>.
In the example below, the device <strong>wlan</strong> is <em>unblocked</em>:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">sudo rfkill unblock wlan</pre>
<img class="size-full wp-image-4813 aligncenter" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/rfkill_2b.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="806" height="166" />
We can then <em>type</em> <code>rfkill list all</code>. This also shows that we have <em>unblocked</em> our <strong>Wireless LAN</strong> successfully.
<h2>My Network Icon is Missing</h2>
A common question posted on our [library term="forum"] or [library term="live-chat"] is, "where did my <strong>network icon</strong> go - it <em>disappeared</em>?"
Technically, this is the <strong>Network Manager Applet </strong>displayed in a <strong>Systray gadget</strong>. It is basically a button with a picture which changes according to the <strong>network status</strong>. Clicking the button has the same affect as running the following command in <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/terminology/">Terminology</a>:
<code>sudo ifconfig <eth> up</code>
or
<code>sudo ifconfig <eth> down</code>
Should this <strong>gadget</strong> go missing, you can check in <strong>Shelf</strong> content to see if the <strong>Systray module</strong> is <em>enabled</em>.
To <em>r</em>eactivate, make sure the <strong>Systray </strong>module is loaded: <em>Main Menu > Settings > Modules</em>. If not, click the Systray button, then Load.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/modsystray.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4990" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/modsystray.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783" alt="" width="375" height="520" /></a>
Make sure the <strong>Systray gadget</strong> is on a <strong>non-transparent shelf</strong>: <em>Main Menu > Settings > Shelves > shelf</em> then click Contents. If it is not, select the Systray, Add Gadget, then close.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shlvcntntsNetApp-1.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783"><img class="alignnone wp-image-4989" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shlvcntntsNetApp-1.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783" alt="" width="670" height="307" /></a>
Make sure <strong>Network</strong> is in <strong>Startup Apps</strong>: <em>Main Menu > Settings > Settings Panel > Apps > Startup Apps</em>. If not, under the System tab, select Network, Add, Apply, then Close.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/StrtupAppNtwrk.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783"><img class="alignnone wp-image-4987" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/StrtupAppNtwrk.png?x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783&x77783" alt="" width="765" height="427" /></a>
Following the above steps should restore your <strong>Networking Manager Applet Systray Gadget</strong>.
<h2>I Need to Download Drivers (but Don't Have Internet)</h2>
This "catch 22" situation is not uncommon. Below are some methods to <em>mitigate</em> (in cascading order of preference):
<h3>Ethernet Cable</h3>
If your device has an <strong>Ethernet</strong> connection, the easiest method is to use an Ethernet cable and physically connect your PC to your router. Most (but not all) Ethernet adapters will be automatically detected. Once connected, you can download <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/keeping-bodhi-linux-up-to-date/">Bodhi Linux updates</a> and/or specific drivers as needed.
If you do not have an <strong>Ethernet</strong> port, some alternative options are listed below...
<h3>Tethered Connection</h3>
If you have a smart device (phone/tablet) that supports tethered internet connection sharing (via USB), then give this a go. You only need this for the duration of your download (to install drivers) to get your networking hardware detected/working. If you don't have one yourself, perhaps lean on a willing friend/family member who does.
<h3>Off-line</h3>
As a last resort, you will have to download the requisite drivers from another device (laptop/PC/Smartphone) and then transfer the files onto the impacted Bodhi Linux device. Be mindful that your driver may need additional dependencies; ensure you have these on hand to facilitate a "clean" installation.
<h2>Can the community help me?</h2>
Yes! If you have not been successful in establishing a connection, please <em>visit</em> the [library term="forum"] or <a href="https://discordapp.com/invite/pvB7MSf">Live Chat (Discord)</a> to check whether someone else has <code>[SOLVED]</code>a similar issue. If not, feel free to create a <strong>new thread</strong> detailing your specific hardware, the issue relating to it, and what steps you've taken to <em>resolve</em>.
The best approach to gain support on the forums is to publish your devices networking hardware (<em>see the section titled: <a href="#How_do_I_identify_my_Networking_Hardware">How do I identify my</a><a href="#How_do_I_identify_my_Networking_Hardware"> Networking Hardware</a> for details). </em>If you are unsure which method to use/what information to publish, opt for the "generic" method. This additional information will help fast track any support related conversions and ultimately get you connected to the internet.
<h2>My Broadcom BCM43XX Wireless Card is not working.</h2>
<strong>Broadcom</strong> wireless networking hardware has its <em>quirks</em> with <strong>Linux</strong>. This guide will help you mitigate the issue and get your <strong>Broadcom Wi-Fi</strong> working.
<h4><em><strong>Step 1</strong>. Establish hardware </em></h4>
First, establish which Broadcom wireless networking device you have. To do this, run the following command in <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/terminology/">Terminology</a>.
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">lspci -nn -d 14e4:</pre>
The suffix <em>"-d 14e4:"</em> <em>filters</em> the results to the Broadcom (vendor id) devices only. If you do not see any <em>output</em> from the command, your device is likely either not detected or not a Broadcom device. This command may return Ethernet and Wi-Fi devices. In this exercise we're only interested in the wireless device, it should look something along the lines of:
<pre>02.03.0 Network Controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4318] (rev 02)</pre>
The <strong>PCI ID</strong> in this instance is: <strong>14e4:4318</strong> (<strong>vendor:device</strong>)
<h4><em><strong>Step </strong><strong>2</strong>: Establish requisite hardware driver</em></h4>
(<strong>read very carefully</strong>)
Using the Product Name / PCI ID, established in Step #1, follow either of the two links below to establish the name of the driver needed for your specific WiFi hardware.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Note #1: Failure to identify the correct driver here will result in a failed installation attempt and having to restart from Step #1:</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Note #2: If you cannot find a reference to your hardware in Link #1, try Link #2. It appears that Link #2 has references to some older "legacy" Broadcom hardware. If you have questions or are unsure which driver you need, post a question to the [library term="forum"] / <a href="https://discordapp.com/invite/pvB7MSf">Live Chat (discord)</a> c/w the information gathered in step #1. Help won't be long coming.</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Link #1: <a href="https://askubuntu.com/questions/55868/installing-broadcom-wireless-drivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installing Broadcom Wireless Driver</a>
Includes a <em>maintained</em> <strong>list</strong> of <strong>Broadcom</strong> hardware (<strong>PCI.ID</strong>s) and the requisite hardware driver name, see <strong>Section #3</strong> in the link<strong>. </strong>
<em>Note: Bodhi Linux [library term="version"] is based upon Ubuntu [library term="ubuntu-version"].</em></li>
<li>Link #2: <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx</a>
Includes a <em>maintained</em> <strong>list</strong> of <strong>Broadcom</strong> hardware (<strong>Product Name</strong> plus <strong>PCI ID</strong>s - Vendor + Hardware ) and their requisite hardware driver name. Details can be found under the section labeled <strong>"</strong><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx#Drivers_available_in_Ubuntu">Drivers available Ubuntu</a>"</li>
</ul>
As you can see from the list below, there are a number of <strong>Wi-Fi drivers</strong> that could be used; the specific one must be established before proceeding (using the web links above):
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">firmware-b43legacy-installer
firmware-b43-installer
bcmwl-kernel-source
broadcom-sta
firmware-b43-installer & linux-firmware
various "Special Cases"</pre>
In this <strong>example</strong>, based on the PCI ID [14e4:4318], we will be using the driver:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">firmware-b43-installer</pre>
<h4><em><strong>Step 3: </strong></em><em>Install Driver</em></h4>
As a prerequisite to driver installation, the following commands will purge any previous failed attempts to install wireless card drivers. Run these using <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/terminology/">Terminology</a>:
<pre style="padding-left: 30px;">sudo apt purge broadcom-sta-dkms
sudo apt purge bcmwl-kernel-source</pre>
By far the easiest method to install drivers while connected to the internet, i.e. online. If your laptop/PC has Ethernet capabilities and you can also connect directly to your router using an Ethernet cable, then the strong recommendation is to take the online approach. If you have no alternative, then use another laptop/PC/phone to download the files and transfer them USB Cable/USB Drive to the laptop.
<em>Note: It may be possible to use your smartphone as a USB ("tethered")/Bluetooth modem to mitigate the need for offline installation</em>
<h5 style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Online</em></h5>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">Run the following commands (<em>the first updates the database of PCI-ID's</em>) the second updates package information:</p>
<pre style="padding-left: 60px;">sudo update-pciids
sudo apt update</pre>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">Substituting the driver name established in <em>Step 2</em> (above), <em>run</em> this command to install the driver. This example installs a driver named <strong>firmware-b43-installer</strong></p>
<pre style="padding-left: 60px;">sudo apt install firmware-b43-installer</pre>
<h5 style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Offline</em></h5>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">You will need to download two files. The first file being:</p>
<pre style="padding-left: 60px;">wget http://www.lwfinger.com/b43-firmware/broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2</pre>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">Depending on whether you're using <strong>Bodhi Linux Legacy</strong> or <strong>Bodhi Linux Standard/HWE/App Pack</strong>, download:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><strong>Bodhi Linux Legacy (32 Bit)</strong></p>
<pre style="padding-left: 60px;">wget http://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/b/b43-fwcutter/b43-fwcutter_019-3_i386.deb</pre>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><strong>Bodhi Linux Standard/HEW/App Pack (64 Bit)</strong></p>
<pre style="padding-left: 60px;">wget http://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/b/b43-fwcutter/b43-fwcutter_019-3_amd64.deb</pre>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">If you’re not using Linux to download the drivers, copy and paste the url into a browser and download them from there.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">Once downloaded, run the following commands in <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/terminology/">Terminology</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><em>Note: substitute the i386 file for the amd64 variant for your specific use case</em></p>
<pre style="padding-left: 60px;">sudo dpkg -i b43-fwcutter_019-3_i386.deb && tar xfvj broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2
sudo b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware broadcom-wl-5.100.138/linux/wl_apsta.o</pre>
<h4><em><strong>Step 4</strong>: Reboot</em></h4>
<pre>sudo reboot</pre>
<h3>Additional Broadcom Resources:</h3>
These excellent resources are a great asset for the wider Linux community, all credits go to the original content creators.
NOTE: Both resources listed, contain additional details on some specific <em>edge cases (hardware dependent). </em>Check (search) to see whether your hardware has any special circumstances you need to be mindful of during driver installation.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://askubuntu.com/questions/55868/installing-broadcom-wireless-drivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Installing Broadcom Wireless Driver</a>
Includes a maintained list of Broadcom hardware (PCI.ID's) and their requisite hardware drivers.
Note: Bodhi Linux [library term="version"] is based upon Ubuntu [library term="ubuntu-version"]</li>
<li><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx</a>
Including a maintained list of Broadcom hardware (Product Name plus PCI IDs - Vendor + Hardware ) and their requisite hardware drivers.</li>
</ul>
<em>Further exploration:</em>
Back to <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/moksha-guide/">Moksha Guide</a>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/">Bodhi Linux Home</a>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/">Bodhi Linux – Wiki Home Page</a>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/bodhi-linux-how-to/">Bodhi Linux – Wiki Table of Contents</a> |
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