Fix WiFi Not Working on Linux

Symptoms Checklist

Which describes your situation?

Step 1: Diagnose Your WiFi Adapter

First, identify your WiFi hardware and check if Linux detects it.

Check Hardware Detection

lspci | grep -i wireless

Example output:

02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (rev 1a)
03:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor RTL8821CE 802.11ac

If you see output, your WiFi hardware is detected. Note the manufacturer (Intel, Realtek, Broadcom, etc.).

lsusb | grep -i wireless

Check if Driver is Loaded

ip link show

Look for wlan0, wlp2s0, or similar wireless interface. If present, driver is loaded but may need configuration.

Check NetworkManager Status

systemctl status NetworkManager

Should show active (running). If not:

sudo systemctl start NetworkManager
sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager

Step 2: Check Hardware Switch & rfkill

Many laptops have physical or software switches that disable WiFi.

Check Physical Switch

Look for:

• Dedicated WiFi toggle button/switch
• Fn + F2/F3/F12 key combination (varies by manufacturer)
• Airplane mode button

Check Software Block (rfkill)

rfkill list

Example output:

0: phy0: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: yes
    Hard blocked: no

Soft blocked: Software disabled (fixable)

Hard blocked: Hardware switch disabled (flip physical switch)

Unblock WiFi

sudo rfkill unblock wifi
sudo rfkill unblock all

Step 3: Install WiFi Drivers

Driver installation varies by WiFi chipset and distribution.

Ubuntu / Debian

Method 1: Additional Drivers (GUI)

1. Open Software & Updates
2. Go to Additional Drivers tab
3. Select recommended WiFi driver
4. Click Apply Changes
5. Reboot

Method 2: Command Line

For Broadcom Chips (common issue):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install broadcom-sta-dkms
sudo modprobe -r b43 b43legacy bcma ssb wl
sudo modprobe wl

For Realtek Chips:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install rtl8821ce-dkms

For Intel Chips (usually work out-of-box):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firmware-iwlwifi
sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi
sudo modprobe iwlwifi

Fedora

Enable RPM Fusion (for proprietary drivers):

sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

For Broadcom:

sudo dnf install broadcom-wl

For Realtek:

sudo dnf install kmod-wl

Arch Linux

For Broadcom:

yay -S broadcom-wl-dkms

For Realtek:

yay -S rtl8821ce-dkms-git

For Intel:

sudo pacman -S linux-firmware

Step 4: Advanced Fixes

Restart NetworkManager

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Reset Network Configuration

sudo rm -rf /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/*
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Manually Bring Up Interface

sudo ip link set wlan0 up
sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | grep SSID

Check for Kernel Module Issues

dmesg | grep -i wifi
dmesg | grep -i wireless
dmesg | grep -i firmware

Look for errors like "firmware failed to load" - indicates missing firmware files.

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue: "Device not ready (firmware missing)"

Solution: Install firmware package for your WiFi chip.

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install linux-firmware

Fedora:

sudo dnf install linux-firmware

Arch:

sudo pacman -S linux-firmware

Issue: WiFi Works But Drops Frequently

Solution: Disable power management for WiFi.

sudo iwconfig wlan0 power off

Make permanent:

echo 'options iwlwifi power_save=0' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf

Issue: Slow WiFi Speeds

Diagnosis:

iwconfig wlan0

Check "Bit Rate" - should match your router's capabilities (e.g., 300 Mbps for 802.11n).

Solution: Update drivers or force 5GHz band if supported.

Issue: Can't Connect to 5GHz Networks

Solution: Install regulatory database.

sudo apt install wireless-regdb
sudo iw reg set US  # Replace US with your country code

Verification

After fixes, verify WiFi works:

# Check interface is up
ip link show wlan0

# Scan for networks
sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | grep SSID

# Check connection
ping -c 4 google.com

Preventive Tips

• Keep kernel and firmware updated: sudo apt upgrade
• Check WiFi compatibility before buying new hardware
• Intel WiFi cards generally have best Linux support
• Avoid Broadcom if possible (requires proprietary drivers)
• Consider USB WiFi dongles with good Linux support (Atheros, Intel)

Still Not Working?

If WiFi still doesn't work after trying all fixes:

1. Check hardware: Test WiFi adapter in Windows or another Linux device
2. Try USB WiFi dongle: Temporary solution while troubleshooting
3. Check BIOS settings: Ensure WiFi not disabled in BIOS/UEFI
4. Update BIOS: Sometimes BIOS updates fix WiFi issues
5. Contact support: Distro forums or hardware manufacturer

Works On

• Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04, 20.04
• Debian 13, 12, 11
• Fedora 40, 39, 38
• Arch Linux (rolling)
• Linux Mint 22, 21

Sources

• Arch Wiki: Wireless
• Ubuntu WiFi Documentation
• Linux Wireless Kernel Documentation