Hi folks,
Hoping someone cam help with this. I recently moved from Fedora to Mint 19 and the wifi adapter is hard blocked. I think it’s a driver issue but can’t resolve it. I can see similar problems have been raised on here and I’ve tried to follow those solutions but no luck yet.
Any help greatly appreciated!
duncan@DuncanPC:~$ rfkill list
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes
1: hci0: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
System: Host: DuncanPC Kernel: 4.15.0-38-generic x86_64
bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 3.8.9 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1)
Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine: Device: laptop System: Intel product: X300 serial: N/A
Mobo: INTEL model: HURONRIVER serial: N/A
UEFI: American Megatrends v: 4.6.5 date: 03/23/2012
CPU: Dual core Intel Core i5-2467M (-MT-MCP-)
arch: Sandy Bridge rev.7 cache: 3072 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 6384
clock speeds: max: 2300 MHz 1: 854 MHz 2: 798 MHz 3: 844 MHz
4: 841 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel 2nd Generation Core Integrated Graphics Controller
bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1366x768@59.92hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile
version: 3.3 Mesa 18.0.5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio: Card Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Def. Audio Controller
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-38-generic
Network: Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
driver: ath9k bus-ID: 01:00.0
IF: wlp1s0 state: down mac:
Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCIE Gigabit Ethernet Controller
driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac:
Drives: HDD Total Size: 128.0GB (19.8% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: M4 size: 128.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 117G used: 24G (22%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
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: N/A
Info: Processes: 192 Uptime: 8 min Memory: 837.4/3849.1MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56
Are you sure there isn’t a hardware switch on the laptop somewhere … or a key combo that disables/enables wireless ?
Yeah, sure about that.
Fn+F2 should enable it, but doesn’t…
I doubt if this will work with a hard block, but have you tried
sudo rfkill unblock all
Yeah, tried that too, but no luck
It worked fine with Fedora previously, so really not sure whats going on
Has the laptop got a battery ?
If so, try shutting down the laptop
remove the power supply
remove the battery
press the power ON button (to discharge any capacitors on the motherboard)
replace the battery
replace the power supply
power ON
did that sequence make any difference ?
The battery isn’t accessible without unscrewing the back and taking the whole thing apart.
I saw you’d solved a similar problem with a Novatech laptop by doing a firmware upgrade. I tried that too, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.
Thanks for trying to help with this, much appreciated…
What happens if you run:
sudo modprobe -r ath9k
then
sudo rfkill unblock all
then
sudo modprobe ath9k nohwcrypt=1
is it still hard blocked ?
I’m afraid so, still hard blocked
Can you post the output from
lsmod
and then run:
dmesg > ~/Desktop/dmesg.txt
you’ll then find a file called dmesg.txt on your desktop … can you host that somewhere like
http://www.tinyupload.com/
and provide a link to it.
lsmod:
Module Size Used by
rfcomm 77824 16
bnep 20480 2
intel_rapl 20480 0
ip6t_REJECT 16384 1
x86_pkg_temp_thermal 16384 0
nf_reject_ipv6 16384 1 ip6t_REJECT
intel_powerclamp 16384 0
nf_log_ipv6 16384 5
coretemp 16384 0
xt_hl 16384 22
kvm_intel 212992 0
ip6t_rt 16384 3
nls_iso8859_1 16384 1
kvm 598016 1 kvm_intel
irqbypass 16384 1 kvm
crct10dif_pclmul 16384 0
crc32_pclmul 16384 0
ghash_clmulni_intel 16384 0
pcbc 16384 0
snd_hda_codec_hdmi 49152 1
aesni_intel 188416 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 106496 1
snd_hda_codec_generic 73728 1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
arc4 16384 2
aes_x86_64 20480 1 aesni_intel
crypto_simd 16384 1 aesni_intel
glue_helper 16384 1 aesni_intel
cryptd 24576 3 crypto_simd,ghash_clmulni_intel,aesni_intel
intel_cstate 20480 0
intel_rapl_perf 16384 0
snd_hda_intel 40960 3
snd_hda_codec 126976 4 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_hda_core 81920 5 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_hwdep 20480 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 98304 4 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_core
ath9k 151552 0
input_leds 16384 0
ath9k_common 36864 1 ath9k
serio_raw 16384 0
snd_seq_midi 16384 0
ath9k_hw 471040 2 ath9k_common,ath9k
snd_seq_midi_event 16384 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_rawmidi 32768 1 snd_seq_midi
btusb 45056 0
ath 28672 3 ath9k_common,ath9k,ath9k_hw
btrtl 16384 1 btusb
btbcm 16384 1 btusb
btintel 16384 1 btusb
mac80211 778240 1 ath9k
bluetooth 548864 41 btrtl,btintel,btbcm,bnep,btusb,rfcomm
nf_conntrack_ipv6 20480 8
nf_defrag_ipv6 36864 1 nf_conntrack_ipv6
snd_seq 65536 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
ecdh_generic 24576 1 bluetooth
ipt_REJECT 16384 1
nf_reject_ipv4 16384 1 ipt_REJECT
nf_log_ipv4 16384 5
nf_log_common 16384 2 nf_log_ipv4,nf_log_ipv6
xt_LOG 16384 10
snd_seq_device 16384 3 snd_seq,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi
cfg80211 622592 4 ath9k_common,ath9k,ath,mac80211
snd_timer 32768 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd 81920 17 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi
xt_limit 16384 13
xt_tcpudp 16384 18
lpc_ich 24576 0
shpchp 36864 0
xt_addrtype 16384 4
soundcore 16384 1 snd
mei_me 40960 0
mei 90112 1 mei_me
mac_hid 16384 0
nf_conntrack_ipv4 16384 8
nf_defrag_ipv4 16384 1 nf_conntrack_ipv4
xt_conntrack 16384 16
ip6table_filter 16384 1
ip6_tables 28672 1 ip6table_filter
nf_conntrack_netbios_ns 16384 0
nf_conntrack_broadcast 16384 1 nf_conntrack_netbios_ns
nf_nat_ftp 16384 0
nf_nat 32768 1 nf_nat_ftp
nf_conntrack_ftp 20480 1 nf_nat_ftp
sch_fq_codel 20480 2
nf_conntrack 131072 8 xt_conntrack,nf_conntrack_ipv6,nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_nat,nf_nat_ftp,nf_conntrack_netbios_ns,nf_conntrack_broadcast,nf_conntrack_ftp
libcrc32c 16384 2 nf_conntrack,nf_nat
parport_pc 36864 0
ppdev 20480 0
iptable_filter 16384 1
lp 20480 0
parport 49152 3 parport_pc,lp,ppdev
ip_tables 28672 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 40960 13 ip6table_filter,xt_conntrack,iptable_filter,xt_LOG,xt_tcpudp,xt_addrtype,ip6t_rt,ip6_tables,ipt_REJECT,ip_tables,xt_limit,xt_hl,ip6t_REJECT
autofs4 40960 2
btrfs 1130496 0
xor 24576 1 btrfs
zstd_compress 163840 1 btrfs
raid6_pq 114688 1 btrfs
hid_generic 16384 0
usbhid 49152 0
hid 118784 2 usbhid,hid_generic
dm_mirror 24576 0
dm_region_hash 20480 1 dm_mirror
dm_log 20480 2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
i915 1617920 16
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 i915
drm_kms_helper 172032 1 i915
syscopyarea 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
ahci 36864 2
sysfillrect 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
sysimgblt 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
libahci 32768 1 ahci
fb_sys_fops 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
r8169 86016 0
mii 16384 1 r8169
drm 401408 5 drm_kms_helper,i915
psmouse 147456 0
video 45056 1 i915
Output from dmesg:
try
sudo modprobe -r ath9k
then
sudo modprobe ath9k btcoex_enable=1
still hardblocked ?
Still hardblocked 
What happens if you run:
sudo rfkill block bluetooth
then
sudo rfkill unblock wlan
now what’s the output from
rfkill list
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes
1: hci0: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no
Damn … have you tried a BIOS reset ?
Yep, I did that (I think - it was something like ‘restore default settings’ or something)
I tried other linux distros too and the problem was the same there (eg Ubuntu) but it worked fine in Fedora previously. Wondering if I need to reinstall Fedora or buy a dongle instead…