TP-Link Archer T4E using Realtek RTL8812AE chipset

[BrewerBob]

Is there any way for Leap (current) to load the driver for the RTL8812AE chipset driver? These LTS kernels are a headache in terms of useability for even fairly old hardware. This WiFi card is relatively old and yet I can't find a way to load either the older driver or the rtlwifi_new driver. they simply aren't on the system or available on the repositories. The rtl8812au driver doesn't load either.

Osprey:/home/bob # lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Root Complex
00:00.2 IOMMU: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 IOMMU
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:01.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 PCIe GPP Bridge [6:0]
00:01.6 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 PCIe GPP Bridge [6:0]
00:08.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:08.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to Bus A
00:08.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to Bus B
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 61)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 5
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 6
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 7
01:00.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43bc (rev 02)
01:00.1 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43b8 (rev 02)
01:00.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43b3 (rev 02)
02:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
02:05.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
02:06.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
02:07.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
03:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
05:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
07:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Sandisk Corp WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD (rev 01)
08:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Picasso/Raven 2 [Radeon Vega Series / Radeon Vega Mobil
e Series] (rev c8)
08:00.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Raven/Raven2/Fenghuang HDMI/DP Audio Controller
08:00.2 Encryption controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 10h-1fh) Platform Security Processor
08:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven USB 3.1
08:00.4 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven USB 3.1
08:00.6 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h/19h HD Audio Controller
09:00.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 61)

The installed rtlwifi loads but does not detect the hardware at all. Is it possible to get this device working on openSuse Leap?

[Sauerland]

The name of the hardware is not important, the ID is the important thing so please post:

/sbin/lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net

[Sauerland]

Also post:

ls -al /lib/modules/$(uname -r)

[BrewerBob]

The name of the hardware is not important, the ID is the important thing so please post:

/sbin/lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8812] (
rev 01)
        Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:8203]
        Kernel modules: rtl8821ae
05:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10
ec:8168] (rev 15)
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. PRIME B450M-A Motherboard [1043:8677]
        Kernel driver in use: r8169
        Kernel modules: r8169

[BrewerBob]

Also post:

ls -al /lib/modules/$(uname -r)

bob@Osprey:~> ls -al /lib/modules/$(uname -r)
total 5036
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root     496 May 21 19:55 .
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root     378 May 16 20:53 ..
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      53 May  5 09:27 build -> /usr/src/linux-5.3.18-150300.59.68-obj/x86_64/default
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root      94 May  5 09:26 kernel
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1173172 May 21 19:55 modules.alias
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1145962 May 21 19:55 modules.alias.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root    5562 May  5 09:26 modules.builtin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   16664 May 21 19:55 modules.builtin.alias.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root    7050 May 21 19:55 modules.builtin.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   39650 May  5 09:26 modules.builtin.modinfo
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  547045 May 21 19:55 modules.dep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  739302 May 21 19:55 modules.dep.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     455 May 21 19:55 modules.devname
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     713 May  5 09:28 modules.fips
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  171218 May  5 09:26 modules.order
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     864 May 21 19:55 modules.softdep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  569938 May 21 19:55 modules.symbols
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  698122 May 21 19:55 modules.symbols.bin
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      34 May  5 09:27 source -> /usr/src/linux-5.3.18-150300.59.68
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root      36 May 16 20:37 vdso
bob@Osprey:~> 

[Sauerland]

Should be there:

modinfo rtl8821ae
filename:       /lib/modules/5.3.18-150300.59.63-preempt/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/rtl8821ae.ko.xz
firmware:       rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw_29.bin
firmware:       rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin
description:    Realtek 8821ae 802.11ac PCI wireless
license:        GPL
author:         Realtek WlanFAE <wlanfae@realtek.com>
suserelease:    SLE15-SP3
srcversion:     BA2698713EE6CB5AC0CF458
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008821sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008812sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        rtlwifi,rtl_pci,btcoexist,mac80211

Have you installed kernel-firmware-realtek?

What about

ip a

[BrewerBob]

It appears that we are talking about different hardware. That module doesn't work with the said card under that name. It refuses to load. The hardware is a RTL8812AE chipset. Either it remains unsupported or the kernel doesn't have the more recent drivers at all. It is listed as being "unsupported".

I'll just send it back and try to find an Intel based wifi card.

[Sauerland]

From my Leap 15.3:

modinfo rtl8821ae
filename: /lib/modules/5.3.18-150300.59.63-preempt/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/rtl8821ae.ko.xz
firmware: rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw_29.bin
firmware: rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin
description: Realtek 8821ae 802.11ac PCI wireless
license: GPL
author: Realtek WlanFAE <wlanfae@realtek.com>
suserelease: SLE15-SP3
srcversion: BA2698713EE6CB5AC0CF458
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008821sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008812sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends: rtlwifi,rtl_pci,btcoexist,mac80211

Your Leap 15.3:

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8812] (
rev 01)
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:8203]
Kernel modules: rtl8821ae

I have marked it bold, once more, the ID is important.
So it should work with rtlwifi from the kernel.

Maybe you have installed something, reinstall the last kernel Version once more.

Also post as root:

journalctl -k | grep -Ei 'wlan|rtlwifi|firmware|8812'

[Sauerland]

Oops disabled by key?

/usr/sbin/rfkill list all

[BrewerBob]

Give me a bit to swap the card back in and I'll give it another go. I'll try the steps above and, if that doesn't work, wait for 15.4 to come out and try again.

It's quite possible that I've messed this system up in some way attempting to install software outside of the repositories. In trimming things back I may have broken things and not noticed since there is a lot of things I just don't use any longer on Linux or Windows (work and taxes). I'm not going to change distributions due to this sort of thing. Maybe I'm just a creature of habit but I've always been able to get a setup I'm comfortable with to go back to what I was doing before.

It just seemed odd that the old wifi card was detected immediately but not this one.