Loss of WIFI after firmware update [SOLVED]

[rrmerkov]

Hi, New here to the forums, so if I am doing something wrong please excuse me. I updated the linux firmware for my Cinnamon 18.3. Now my Lenovo L420 cannot detect any wifi connections. When clicking on the icon on the bottom right of the screen, the switch for wireless is off, and I can't turn it on. I tried reinstalling Mint, didn't help. I tired installing Ubuntu, wifi still did not work. I got the message that Airplane mode was on by a hardware switch. This lead me to look in the BIOS. Under wireless radio it said tat REALTEK BC9 D00 was turned on. The last thing that I tried after searching the forums was nmcli radio wifi on . Didn't help, when I typed nmcli radio wifi it indicated that wifi was disabled.

Thanks,
merk

[Pierre]

can you be more specific about how you updated the Linux firmware,
- what you actually did
- what Tutorial / Guide that you found & followed.

then we may be more, in a position, to assist you, with this issue.

[thx-1138]

...what Pierre said...and also post the output from those 2 commands, so that people know the configuration that they're dealing with:
inxi -Fxz
&
rfkill list all

[rrmerkov]

Thanks for your reply.
First, I used the Update Manager to update the firmware: I checked the box for the firmware update, then I hit the "Install Updates" button.

Below are the results from the two commands.

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: merk-ThinkPad-L420 Kernel: 4.13.0-43-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 7829AU6 v: ThinkPad L420
           Mobo: LENOVO model: 7829AU6
           Bios: LENOVO v: 8GET46WW (1.23 ) date: 09/16/2013
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-2520M (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9977
           clock speeds: max: 3200 MHz 1: 798 MHz 2: 798 MHz 3: 798 MHz
           4: 798 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.10hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-43-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8188CE 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter
           driver: rtl8192ce port: 2000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 4000 bus-ID: 09:00.0
           IF: enp9s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 126.0GB (8.5% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: SanDisk_SDSSDP12 size: 126.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 112G used: 6.4G (6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 4.13GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0C mobo: 0.0C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 738
Info:      Processes: 191 Uptime: 17 min Memory: 532.0/3787.7MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35

Code: Select all

rfkill list all
0: tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: yes
	Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: yes

[thx-1138]

...i'm not a networking guru by a far mile, so i can only offer some pre-eliminary thoughts:
1) Try sudo rfkill unblock all
2) It's also blocked on hardware level, aka there has to be a switch somewhere for it.
Is there any Fn+F* key combination that supposedly turns it on / off?
It might worth going back in your BIOS & resetting it to defaults, also by enabling / disabling WiFi back & forth...

Let's wait to see what gurus have to say (googling RTL8188CE "Hard blocked: yes" returns lots of results, so you wouldn't be the first to encounter such behavior on that model / firmware...)

[karlchen]

Hello, rrmerkov.

2 times "hard blocked YES" suggests that you have, unwillingly, pressed the <Fn> keyboard shortcut which toggles your wifi on and off and on and off and so on.
Here on my Dell notebook this <FN> keyboard shortcut is <FN><Print>. The blue icon below the word "Print" is a little antennae icon. Therefore <fn><antennae> is what toggles wifi on and off here.
Please, look out for the same or a similar keyboard shortcut on your notebook.

Could this be the right approach?

Best regards,
Karl

[rrmerkov]

Many Thanks. After trying every function key combination to no avail, I found a tiny recessed slide switch on the side of my laptop. That worked!