Realtek RTL8188EE Dead in Linux, Works in Windows
by lugnuts from LinuxQuestions.org on (#6KQMQ)
My internal Realtek RTL8188EE wireless card is hard blocked, regardless of the state of my "airplane mode" key. My laptop does not have a dedicated RF kill switch.
Background: I made the switch to Debian 11 a year and a half ago. After a few months, my wireless connection became increasingly intermittent until the wifi would go down as soon as I started the laptop. No CLI commands would bring the connection back up; the only solution was to restart the machine. In the wireless menu in my KDE Plasma system tray, the message idevice wl01 cannot be foundi would appear.
Recently, I upgraded to Debian 12, and the exact same symptoms began about 6 weeks after the upgrade.
This problem still occurs if I boot up from a Debian 12 live install disc, however the wireless works like a charm when I boot from a Windows 12 PE disc.
Finally, I gave up and bought a new USB wireless adapter. Same behavior.
Advice is greatly appreciated!
$ sudo rfkill list all
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes
$ inxi -MJN
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP Pavilion 17 Notebook PC
v: 0975100000405F10000620180 serial: <superuser required>
Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 227F v: 77.26 serial: <superuser required>
UEFI: Insyde v: F.12 date: 08/18/2014
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter driver: rtl8188ee
Device-2: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet driver: r8169
Device-3: Realtek 802.11ac NIC type: USB driver: btusb
USB:
Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Full speed or root hub ports: 2 rev: 2.0
Hub-2: 1-1:2 info: Intel Integrated Rate Matching Hub ports: 8 rev: 2.0
Device-1: 1-1.3:3 info: Chicony HP Truevision HD camera type: Video
rev: 2.0
Hub-3: 2-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 9 rev: 2.0
Device-1: 2-6:3 info: Realtek 802.11ac NIC type: Bluetooth rev: 2.0
Device-2: 2-8:2 info: Elan Micro Touchscreen type: HID rev: 2.0
Hub-4: 3-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 4 rev: 3.0
$ lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 net:
08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8179] (rev 01)
DeviceName: Realtek RTL8188EE 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company RTL8188EE mini-PCIe card [103c:197d]
--
09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [10ec:8136] (rev 08)
DeviceName: Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [103c:227f]
Kernel driver in use: r8169
Kernel modules: r8169
$ dmsg:
[ 6.030236] rtl8188ee: rtl8188ee: FW Power Save off (module option)
[ 6.030685] rtl8188ee: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188efw.bin
[ 6.033159] rtl8188ee 0000:08:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188efw.bin
[ 6.040635] rtlwifi: rtlwifi: wireless switch is on
[ 6.064275] rtl8188ee 0000:08:00.0 wlo1: renamed from wlan0
[ 43.612759] wlo1: authenticate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 43.612782] wlo1: 80 MHz not supported, disabling VHT
[ 43.628997] wlo1: send auth to dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 43.630619] wlo1: authenticated
[ 43.636587] wlo1: associate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 43.640111] wlo1: RX AssocResp from dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=22)
[ 43.640353] wlo1: associated
[ 43.780905] wlo1: Limiting TX power to 30 (30 - 0) dBm as advertised by dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 43.848785] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlo1: link becomes ready
[ 974.227494] rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now
[ 974.227579] wlo1: Connection to AP dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 lost
[ 981.800650] wlo1: authenticate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 981.800666] wlo1: 80 MHz not supported, disabling VHT
[ 981.810691] wlo1: send auth to dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 981.812525] wlo1: authenticated
[ 981.815238] wlo1: associate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 981.818874] wlo1: RX AssocResp from dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=17)
[ 981.819111] wlo1: associated
[ 981.863213] wlo1: Limiting TX power to 30 (30 - 0) dBm as advertised by dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 994.931276] rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now
[ 994.931313] wlo1: Connection to AP dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 lost
[ 1039.040230] rtl8188ee: Failed to polling write LLT done at address 73!
[ 1039.040241] rtl8188ee: Init MAC failed
$ nmcli radio wifi:
enabled
$ sudo iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
eno1 no wireless extensions.
wlo1 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=off
Retry short limit:7 RTS thr=2347 B Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Background: I made the switch to Debian 11 a year and a half ago. After a few months, my wireless connection became increasingly intermittent until the wifi would go down as soon as I started the laptop. No CLI commands would bring the connection back up; the only solution was to restart the machine. In the wireless menu in my KDE Plasma system tray, the message idevice wl01 cannot be foundi would appear.
Recently, I upgraded to Debian 12, and the exact same symptoms began about 6 weeks after the upgrade.
This problem still occurs if I boot up from a Debian 12 live install disc, however the wireless works like a charm when I boot from a Windows 12 PE disc.
Finally, I gave up and bought a new USB wireless adapter. Same behavior.
Advice is greatly appreciated!
$ sudo rfkill list all
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes
$ inxi -MJN
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP Pavilion 17 Notebook PC
v: 0975100000405F10000620180 serial: <superuser required>
Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 227F v: 77.26 serial: <superuser required>
UEFI: Insyde v: F.12 date: 08/18/2014
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter driver: rtl8188ee
Device-2: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet driver: r8169
Device-3: Realtek 802.11ac NIC type: USB driver: btusb
USB:
Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Full speed or root hub ports: 2 rev: 2.0
Hub-2: 1-1:2 info: Intel Integrated Rate Matching Hub ports: 8 rev: 2.0
Device-1: 1-1.3:3 info: Chicony HP Truevision HD camera type: Video
rev: 2.0
Hub-3: 2-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 9 rev: 2.0
Device-1: 2-6:3 info: Realtek 802.11ac NIC type: Bluetooth rev: 2.0
Device-2: 2-8:2 info: Elan Micro Touchscreen type: HID rev: 2.0
Hub-4: 3-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 4 rev: 3.0
$ lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 net:
08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8179] (rev 01)
DeviceName: Realtek RTL8188EE 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company RTL8188EE mini-PCIe card [103c:197d]
--
09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [10ec:8136] (rev 08)
DeviceName: Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [103c:227f]
Kernel driver in use: r8169
Kernel modules: r8169
$ dmsg:
[ 6.030236] rtl8188ee: rtl8188ee: FW Power Save off (module option)
[ 6.030685] rtl8188ee: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188efw.bin
[ 6.033159] rtl8188ee 0000:08:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188efw.bin
[ 6.040635] rtlwifi: rtlwifi: wireless switch is on
[ 6.064275] rtl8188ee 0000:08:00.0 wlo1: renamed from wlan0
[ 43.612759] wlo1: authenticate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 43.612782] wlo1: 80 MHz not supported, disabling VHT
[ 43.628997] wlo1: send auth to dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 43.630619] wlo1: authenticated
[ 43.636587] wlo1: associate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 43.640111] wlo1: RX AssocResp from dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=22)
[ 43.640353] wlo1: associated
[ 43.780905] wlo1: Limiting TX power to 30 (30 - 0) dBm as advertised by dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 43.848785] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlo1: link becomes ready
[ 974.227494] rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now
[ 974.227579] wlo1: Connection to AP dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 lost
[ 981.800650] wlo1: authenticate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 981.800666] wlo1: 80 MHz not supported, disabling VHT
[ 981.810691] wlo1: send auth to dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 981.812525] wlo1: authenticated
[ 981.815238] wlo1: associate with dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (try 1/3)
[ 981.818874] wlo1: RX AssocResp from dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=17)
[ 981.819111] wlo1: associated
[ 981.863213] wlo1: Limiting TX power to 30 (30 - 0) dBm as advertised by dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84
[ 994.931276] rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now
[ 994.931313] wlo1: Connection to AP dc:8d:8a:11:2b:84 lost
[ 1039.040230] rtl8188ee: Failed to polling write LLT done at address 73!
[ 1039.040241] rtl8188ee: Init MAC failed
$ nmcli radio wifi:
enabled
$ sudo iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
eno1 no wireless extensions.
wlo1 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=off
Retry short limit:7 RTS thr=2347 B Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off