I'm sure the router and the ISP/internet service are fine. My wife's Windows computer, and our Android phones and tablet, have solid wifi connections.
But on this Mint laptop, when I connect without using the ethernet cable, the wifi connection is flaky. Until a few months ago, it was solid and reliable: I'm wondering if a recent update has messed with the wifi. Now, I get repeated popups asking for the WPA password to be re-input. When the wifi connection is made, it drops out frequently. Many websites simply don't load, or are very slow. Sometimes Mint's Update Manager and Driver Manager say they cannot connect or refresh. It is becoming a really tedious experience.
Here is (I think) the essential info needed for troubleshooting:
first, the inxi-Fxzd report
Code: Select all
brian@brian-samsungRF511:~$ inxi -Fxzd
System:
Host: brian-samsungRF511 Kernel: 4.15.0-58-generic x86_64 bits: 64
compiler: gcc v: 7.4.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 Distro: Linux Mint 19.1 Tessa
base: Ubuntu 18.04 bionic
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: SAMSUNG product: RF511/RF411/RF711 v: 14HX
serial: <filter>
Mobo: SAMSUNG model: RF511/RF411/RF711 v: 14HX serial: <filter>
BIOS: American Megatrends v: 14HX.M040.20111020.SSH date: 10/20/2011
Battery:
ID-1: BAT1 charge: 41.9 Wh condition: 54.4/57.7 Wh (94%)
model: SAMSUNG Electronics status: Unknown
CPU:
Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i5-2450M bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Sandy Bridge rev: 7 L2 cache: 3072 KiB
flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 19954
Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 800/3100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 798
3: 798 4: 798
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
vendor: Samsung Co driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile v: 3.3 Mesa 19.0.2
direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
vendor: Samsung Co driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.15.0-58-generic
Network:
Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network
Adapter
vendor: Wistron NeWeb driver: bcma-pci-bridge v: N/A port: e040
bus ID: 01:00.0
Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
vendor: Samsung Co driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: c000 bus ID: 02:00.0
IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
IF-ID-1: wlp1s0b1 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 2.05 TiB used: 249.85 GiB (11.9%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Hitachi model: HTS547575A9E384 size: 698.64 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB model: TO Exter nal USB 3.0 size: 465.76 GiB
ID-3: /dev/sdc type: USB vendor: Seagate model: Expansion size: 931.51 GiB
Optical-1: /dev/sr0 vendor: Slimtype model: DVD A DS8A8SH rev: KS21
dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw
Features: speed: 24 multisession: yes audio: yes dvd: yes
rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram state: running "Do not use this device"
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 53.89 GiB used: 16.64 GiB (30.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda8
ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 45.0 C mobo: 45.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
Processes: 201 Uptime: 44m Memory: 7.70 GiB used: 1.69 GiB (21.9%)
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 7.4.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.20
inxi: 3.0.27
and next, rfkill
Code: Select all
brian@brian-samsungRF511:~$ rfkill list all
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
1: samsung-wlan: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
2: samsung-bluetooth: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
3: hci0: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
Code: Select all
brian@brian-samsungRF511:~$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
wlp1s0b1 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:"HOLMSIDE"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: 00:1B:2F:97:CD:F2
Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=30 dBm
Retry short limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality=70/70 Signal level=-22 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:32 Invalid misc:63 Missed beacon:0
enp2s0 no wireless extensions.
Code: Select all
brian@brian-samsungRF511:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0a5c:219c Broadcom Corp.
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 003: ID 0bc2:231a Seagate RSS LLC
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0080:a001
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 2232:1008 Silicon Motion
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Code: Select all
brian@brian-samsungRF511:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev b4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev b4)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 5 (rev b4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM65 Express Chipset LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family 6 port Mobile SATA AHCI Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 06)
03:00.0 USB controller: NEC Corporation uPD720200 USB 3.0 Host Controller (rev 04)
What should I do to re-establish a good wifi connection?