wifi quit after update [Solved]

[jfloydb]

I have two laptops running MX linux. One is an HP running MX-19; the other is a Dell running MX-21. I updated/upgraded both machines today, and now neither of them can access the internet via wifi. Could it be that the updates knocked out my ability to connect. My network is still visible, but, when I try to connect, all I get is a spinning circle and a failure. One machine asks for a password, but, when it is entered, it still fails to connect. Is there any way to fix this?

(BTW, I am using Lubuntu on a different machine, via wifi, to write this post, so I'm sure that my network is fine)

Thanks...

[j2mcgreg]

We are going to need the Quick System Info (in MX Tools) for both problem machines. An Ethernet connection would be the easiest way to post the info here, but if that's not possible, it'll have to be sneakernet to the Lubuntu machine.

[thinkpadx]

your problem may be more serious than this - but in the past the couple of times that happened - i deleted the wifi connection profile/account and then readded it back in and it seemed to work. also restarting the wifie router too might help - i realize basic stuff but i have been able in my cases to reconnect with these 2 basic approaches. give John your QSI as he asks. others will help in more detail.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Yes, the first thing to try (and will probably work) is right-click on Network icon: "Edit Connections" and delete them.

Then try to reconnect (they'll be re-created).

While you're at it: "Edit Connections" again (this time just edit it) and check "All Users may connect ..." also set priority to a higher number than zero.

[thinkpadx]

Good point on the all users - i forgot that aspect.

:-)

[jfloydb]

Code: Select all

System:    Kernel: 4.19.0-23-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 8.3.0 
           parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.19.0-23-amd64 
           root=UUID=<filter> ro 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.14.2 tk: Gtk 3.24.5 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm 4.14.0 vt: 7 
           dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: MX-19.4_x64 patito feo May 31  2020 
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) 
Machine:   Type: Portable System: Dell product: XPS L501X v: A03 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Dell model: 00YWG2 v: A03 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A03 date: 10/15/2010 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 0.2 Wh (100.0%) condition: 0.2/6.6 Wh (2.6%) volts: 12.5 min: 11.1 
           model: PANASONIC Dell type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Full 
CPU:       Info: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7 Q 740 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Nehalem 
           family: 6 model-id: 1E (30) stepping: 5 microcode: A cache: L2: 6 MiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 27664 
           Speed: 931 MHz min/max: 933/1734 MHz boost: enabled Core speeds (MHz): 1: 931 2: 931 
           3: 931 4: 931 5: 931 6: 931 7: 931 8: 931 
           Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: Split huge pages 
           Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable 
           Type: mds 
           status: Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode; SMT vulnerable 
           Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
           Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations 
           Type: retbleed status: Not affected 
           Type: spec_store_bypass 
           mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp 
           Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
           Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, IBPB: conditional, IBRS_FW, STIBP: 
           conditional, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected 
           Type: srbds status: Not affected 
           Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:  Device-1: NVIDIA GF108M [GeForce GT 435M] vendor: Dell driver: nouveau v: kernel 
           bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:0df2 class-ID: 0300 
           Device-2: Quanta type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-1.4:4 chip-ID: 0408:2fb1 
           class-ID: 0e02 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.14.0 driver: 
           loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1 
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.0x11.2") 
           s-diag: 582mm (22.9") 
           Monitor-1: LVDS-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 142 size: 344x193mm (13.5x7.6") 
           diag: 394mm (15.5") 
           OpenGL: renderer: NVC1 v: 4.3 Mesa 18.3.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Dell 
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:3b56 class-ID: 0403 
           Device-2: NVIDIA GF108 High Definition Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel 
           v: kernel bus-ID: 02:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:0bea class-ID: 0403 
           Device-3: Philips s SAA7231 vendor: Avermedia driver: N/A bus-ID: 03:00.0 
           chip-ID: 1131:7231 class-ID: 0480 
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k4.19.0-23-amd64 running: yes 
           Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 12.2 running: yes 
Network:   Device-1: Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 [Kilmer Peak] driver: iwlwifi 
           v: kernel modules: wl port: 2000 bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:0087 class-ID: 0280 
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Dell 
           driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 5000 bus-ID: 09:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
           Device-3: Intel WiMAX Connection 2400m type: USB driver: i2400m_usb bus-ID: 3-1.5:3 
           chip-ID: 8086:0188 class-ID: 0000 
           IF: wmx0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Bluetooth: Device-1: Broadcom type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-1.1:3 chip-ID: 0a5c:21b2 
           class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter> 
           Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 2.0 lmp-v: 3.0 
           sub-v: 4203 hci-v: 3.0 rev: 21b 
           Info: acl-mtu: 1021:8 sco-mtu: 64:1 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff park 
           link-mode: slave accept service-classes: rendering, capturing 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 38.07 GiB (8.2%) 
           SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required. 
           ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 500GB size: 465.76 GiB 
           block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> 
           rev: 4B6Q scheme: MBR 
Partition: ID-1: / raw-size: 463.73 GiB size: 455.38 GiB (98.20%) used: 38.07 GiB (8.4%) 
           fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1 
Swap:      Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) 
           ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 
           dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0 C mobo: 0.0 C gpu: nouveau temp: 45.0 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     Packages: note: see --pkg apt: 2230 lib: 1135 flatpak: 0 
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list 
           1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg arch=amd64] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian buster-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian buster main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security buster/updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo/ buster main non-free
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list 
Info:      Processes: 246 Uptime: 1m wakeups: 2 Memory: 7.73 GiB used: 824 MiB (10.4%) 
           Init: SysVinit v: 2.93 runlevel: 5 default: 5 tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 8.3.0 
           alt: 8 Shell: quick-system-in default: Bash v: 5.0.3 running-in: quick-system-in 
           inxi: 3.3.06 

[jfloydb]

I hope the above info is helpful ^; let us look at one machine at a time...

Again, Thanks...

[Huckleberry Finn]

At least your driver looks loaded:

Network: Device-1: Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 [Kilmer Peak] driver: iwlwifi

(try the above).

[j2mcgreg]

The first thing I would do is access your router and configure it to broadcast in "G" only. In 2010 when this machine was made, Wireless N was supposed to be the new great thing offering greater throughput and much greater range. But in practice, it was so susceptible to interference as to render it useless. By restricting the router to "G" only, you eliminate Wireless "N" as the point of failure. Now try the Wi-Fi connection on this machine again. Note that switching the router to "G" only will have no harmful effect on your other devices.

[jfloydb]

The most obvious question is: how do I access my router?.. I have been Googleing this, but I have not figured this out yet...

My wifi is part of my Xfinity service that also runs my house phones and cable TV. Also (and this may be significant, but I didn't think about it until just now) an Xfinity technician changed/replaced my router/cable box the day before my problem started. The laptops were accessing the new router before I did the updates/upgrades, but lost wifi afterwards...

I don't know if any of this means anything, since I have two other laptops that still access wifi just fine. Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated...