Wifi cuts out intermittently - Realtek RTL8821AE

[jumpy89]

I purchased an ASUS F555LA laptop several months ago, and I have been consistently having issues with the wifi (Realtek RTL8821AE). Typically, I can get maybe 20 minutes or so out of it and it will cut out. It lists itself as still connected in the network manager applet but I cannot send or receive data. When loading a web page in Chrome, I always get the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET error. It will usually start working again of its own accord after 5-10 minutes or so.

Originally when I tried to fix this by toggling the wifi on and off I experienced a complete system crash each time. I made a post about it here: https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=211915. Someone suggested that this was due to bad Realtek drivers and to install some alternate ones from this github repo: https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new. This worked for the crashes but I am still losing connectivity intermittently.

I tried installing Wicd thinking it may be an issue with the built-in network manager but the problem persists. Wicd also still shows me as connected to my router when I lose connectivity.

This happens equally on either of the two wireless routers in my apartment. It seems to generally do better when tethering to my phone but still has issues. I don't have a lot of data on other networks, I definitely have problems with them too but I can't say how consistent it is.

I'm relatively new to Linux so I'm not too sure what the best tools are to diagnose connectivity problems. It would be good if I could get some commands to run to find out more info the next time this happens.

My system info is as follows:

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$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: jared-laptop-mint Kernel: 4.2.0-22-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.6 (Gtk 3.10.8~8+qiana) Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: X555LAB v: 1.0 Bios: American Megatrends v: X555LAB.503 date: 08/04/2015
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3-5010U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 8387
           clock speeds: max: 2100 MHz 1: 2100 MHz 2: 2100 MHz 3: 2100 MHz 4: 2100 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.17.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1920x1080@60.1hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 5500 (Broadwell GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.5.9 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2 Intel Broadwell-U Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.2.0-22-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 4000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8821AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: rtl8821ae port: 3000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (8.3% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: HGST_HTS545050A7 size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 23G used: 9.8G (46%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
           ID-2: /home size: 184G used: 15G (9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda4
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 16.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 2500
Info:      Processes: 234 Uptime: 1 day Memory: 3844.7/7884.3MB Init: Upstart runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.9.3
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.111) inxi: 2.2.28


[JeremyB]

Post

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grep [[:alnum:]] /sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/*

[jumpy89]

Post

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grep [[:alnum:]] /sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/*

Here it is:

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/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/debug:1
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/disable_watchdog:N
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/fwlps:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/int_clear:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/ips:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/msi:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/swenc:N
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/swlps:N


[JeremyB]

Try

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echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf

Reboot

[jumpy89]

Try

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echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf

Reboot

Thanks JeremyB, it now seems to be working perfectly. After googling "fwlps" it seems this solution works with many realtek wireless cards.

[oldpilsbury]

I'm having the same problem with my Lenovo G51-35 laptop. When I first bought it, I installed Linux Mint 17.2, I believe, and my connection dropped out after fifteen minutes with both wireless and wired connections. This was three months ago. After a fresh install of Linux Mint 17.3, the wired connection works, but my router was not appearing in the list of available networks (of which there were many). I installed the Linux 4.4 kernel and then I could connect wirelessly right away. I maintained a connection for several hours last night. Today the connection dropped out after thirty minutes or so, and several things are happening. Sometimes my network is not visible, but others are. Sometimes no networks are visible. Other times it tries to connect to my network but cannot. The wired connection works fine. I tried adding the above line,

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echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf

to no avail.

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$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: puter Kernel: 4.4.4-040404-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.2.1)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.7 (Gtk 3.10.8~8+qiana) Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 80M8 v: Lenovo G51-35
           Mobo: LENOVO model: Lenovo G51-35 v: SDK0J40700WIN Bios: Lenovo v: C3CN53WW date: 07/31/2015
CPU:       Quad core AMD A8-7410 APU with AMD Radeon R5 Graphics (-MCP-) cache: 8192 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm) bmips: 17565
           clock speeds: max: 2200 MHz 1: 1300 MHz 2: 1000 MHz 3: 1000 MHz 4: 1000 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Mullins [Radeon R4/R5 Graphics] bus-ID: 00:01.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.17.1 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD MULLINS GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.5.9 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] FCH Azalia Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:14.2
           Card-2 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Kabini HDMI/DP Audio driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:01.1
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.4-040404-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8821AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: rtl8821ae port: 2000 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 1000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (66.3% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD10JPCX size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 910G used: 612G (71%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 7.42GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 39.2C mobo: N/A gpu: 39.0
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 203 Uptime: 15 min Memory: 573.7/6882.8MB Init: Upstart runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.4
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.111) inxi: 2.2.28


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$ grep [[:alnum:]] /sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/*

/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/debug:0
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/disable_watchdog:N
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/fwlps:N
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/int_clear:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/ips:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/msi:Y
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/swenc:N
/sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/swlps:N


[Pjotr]

I tried adding the above line,

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echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf

to no avail.

Don't add it, but execute it. In a terminal.

[oldpilsbury]

Pjotr wrote:

oldpilsbury wrote:
I tried adding the above line,

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echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf


to no avail.

Don't add it, but execute it. In a terminal.

I did. Sorry, I meant to say I added that options line to /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf
I executed it in the terminal:

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$ echo "options rtl8821ae fwlps=N" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ae.conf

Success of that command is already visible from the above output of

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$ grep [[:alnum:]] /sys/module/rtl8821ae/parameters/*