[Solved] Weak wireless signal, tp-link usb network adapter (RTL8192EU chipset)

[tecienfisu]

Hello,

I just installed Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon with a Gnome Desktop. I have a tp-link usb wifi adapter such as this one: https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/det ... N823N.html. The wifi connection works fine under Windows 7. I booted mint from a usb pen and the signal was not terribly strong, maybe 60%, but the connection was reasonable (Maybe I was lucky at the time as I am sometimes able to connect). After installing linux mint the signal is typically very low, and I am unable to connect most of the time.

inxi -Fxzd gives this:

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System:    Host: - Kernel: 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.8.8 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1) Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: desktop System: ASUS product: All Series serial: N/A
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: Z97-P v: Rev X.0x serial: N/A
           UEFI [Legacy]: American Megatrends v: 2803 date: 05/21/2015
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-4790 (-MT-MCP-) arch: Haswell rev.3 cache: 8192 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 28784
           clock speeds: max: 4000 MHz 1: 1530 MHz 2: 1468 MHz 3: 1478 MHz 4: 1507 MHz 5: 1558 MHz 6: 1503 MHz
           7: 1715 MHz 8: 1469 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 ) drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop version: 4.5 Mesa 18.0.0-rc5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Card-2 Intel 9 Series Family HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-20-generic
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 2120.4GB (0.7% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: KINGSTON_SV300S3 size: 120.0GB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD20EURX size: 2000.4GB
           Optical-1: /dev/sr0 model: ASUS DRW-24F1MT rev: 1.00 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw
           Features: speed: 48x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 1.4T used: 14G (2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb5
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 0
Info:      Processes: 224 Uptime: 1:29 Memory: 2669.2/32044.6MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56 

iwconfig currently produces (I am now able to connect which is not usual):

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enp3s0    no wireless extensions.

wlx7c8bca0bb083  IEEE 802.11  ESSID:--
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: --
          Bit Rate=1 Mb/s   Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr=2347 B   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=30/70  Signal level=-80 dBm  
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:1   Missed beacon:0

lo        no wireless extensions.

Thanks a lot

[Pjotr]

What does this terminal command say:

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lsusb

[tecienfisu]

Thank you Pjotr

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Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:8001 Intel Corp. 
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:8009 Intel Corp. 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 046d:c31c Logitech, Inc. Keyboard K120
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 0458:003a KYE Systems Corp. (Mouse Systems) NetScroll+ Mini Traveler / Genius NetScroll 120
Bus 003 Device 006: ID 2357:0109  
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

The usb wifi adapter seems to correspond to "Bus 003 Device 006: ID 2357:0109" since after removing it that line does not show

[Pjotr]

Probably the RTL8192EU chipset. Strange, because I was under the impression that that particular chipset was well supported in the 4.15 kernel series.

Try if it helps when you update your kernel to the latest one of the 4.15 series. You're now on -20, the latest is -38. This should be a regular level 4 update.

Reboot after installing it.

No avail? Then try the latest kernel of the 4.18 series, by means of the reliable canonical-kernel-team PPA:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... ted-kernel
(item 8, right column)

[tecienfisu]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I upgraded the kernel but the adapter still misbehaves.

[Joe2Shoe]

If that is the Realtek RTL8192EU chipset, this may work (Good luck).

You may need to install some packages (linux-headers-generic build-essential dkms):
sudo apt-get install git linux-headers-generic build-essential dkms

1. Download the .zip folder from https://github.com/Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver.git
2. Extract the .zip file
3. cd /path_to_the_driver_folder/rtl8192eu-linux-driver-master/
4. make
5. sudo make install
6. sudo depmod -a
7. sudo modprobe 8182eu
8. Reboot

[Pjotr]

As Joe2Shoe says. Note that this may only work for the 4.15 kernel series, so first make sure that you boot from the latest 4.15 kernel, then remove the 4.18 kernel, and then apply Joe2Shoe's tip.

[tecienfisu]

Good stuff!
These steps fell a bit short but the expanded instructions https://github.com/Mange/rtl8192eu-linu ... using-dkms finally persuaded the wifi adapter to step up. Joe2Shoe + Pjotr combined wisdom means I am no longer chained to the kitchen where the router lives.

[Pjotr]

Good to hear! For future reference, this should be a cleaned-up list of the required commands:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... 2357:0109-
(item 9, right column)

I've tested it in a virtual machine with Mint 19 MATE (kernel 4.15.0-20) and it builds and installs fine. I can't test it any further though, because I don't have this chipset. But it should work.

[TheSkye]

Good to hear! For future reference, this should be a cleaned-up list of the required commands:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... 2357:0109-
(item 9, right column)

Solution page has moved to a new location. Here is the updated address.
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... altek.html

Thanks to all of the original posters for helping me along the path!