c and wifi = problem

English Network/Internet
1

LEAP15.3 (fresh install)
Hardware:
kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:01:00.0: rfe 2 isn’t supported

# lspci | grep -i Network
01:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter

No wifi :frowning: :

# journalctl -b | grep -Ei '8821|network|firmware'
......
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost systemd[1]: Started Network Manager Script Dispatcher Service.
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:01:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0003)
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:01:00.0: Firmware version 24.8.0, H2C version 12
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:01:00.0: rfe 2 isn't supported
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:01:00.0: failed to setup chip efuse info
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:01:00.0: failed to setup chip information
Sep 23 15:04:04 localhost NetworkManager[518]: <info>  [1632398644.9343] manager: startup complete
Sep 23 15:04:05 localhost kernel: Bluetooth: hci0: RTL: assuming no firmware upload needed
....


# uname -a
Linux localhost.localdomain 5.3.18-59.19-default #1 SMP Tue Aug 3 14:11:23 UTC 2021 (055c4fd) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux


# rpm -qa | grep -i kernel-def
kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-59.19.1.x86_64
kernel-default-optional-5.3.18-59.19.1.x86_64
kernel-default-5.3.18-59.19.1.x86_64

# cat /etc/modprobe.d/10-unsupported-modules.conf 
.......
# On openSUSE, the kernel doesn't have the feature to recognize supported modules,
# and this flag has no effect.
allow_unsupported_modules 0

Please , help me.

Serg

2

Add @Sauerland’s repository:

https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/Sauerland:/hardware/openSUSE_Leap_15.3_Update/

and install:

rtl8821ce-kmp-default
rtl8821ce-blacklist-rtw_8821ce

3

Better is to install rtw88 from that Repo, rtl8821ce will be deleted at the end of this year…

4

Please specify - where to get it from?

> sudo modprobe rtw88
modprobe: FATAL: Module rtw88 not found in directory /lib/modules/5.3.18-59.19-default

> sudo zypper in rtw88
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
'rtw88' not found in package names. Trying capabilities.
No provider of 'rtw88' found.
Resolving package dependencies...
Nothing to do.
5 
zypper ar -f https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/Sauerland:/hardware/openSUSE_Leap_15.3_Update/ Sauerland-Update

zypper in rtw88-kmp-default
6 

> sudo ls ./rtw88*
./rtw88-kmp-default-git20210919_k5.3.18_59.19-lp153.2.2.x86_64.rpm
./rtw88-ueficert-git20210919-lp153.2.2.x86_64.rpm
> sudo zypper in ./rtw88*
.....
> sudo shutdown -r now

after reboot - WIFI Up!
Thank you !

7

You must not download the rpm, the first command adds the Repo, the second command installs the kmp.

Now you get automatically an update when a new kernel is released.

And it should work with secure boot in UEFI.

8

@Sauerland

I’ve just tried the rtw88 (as opposed to rtl8821ce that I was using) and although it works, I consistently get a lower connection speed.

With the rtl8821ce the connection speed is always 434Mbits/sec, whereas with the rtw-88 it is typically no faster than 292.5Mbits/sec.

rtl8821ce https://paste.opensuse.org/view/raw/e3d5335b
rtw-88 https://paste.opensuse.org/view/raw/210d6079

Same laptop, same physical position, same (wifi) access point.

9

Sorry, perhaps I should make clear, this is an observation, not a complaint. :slight_smile:

10

I build them only.
But:
The rtw88 kmp is published by Larry Finger and gets updates, the rtl8821ce does not get any updates since 7 month.
Also the rtw88 will work without any external kmp out of the box in kernel 5.12 and higher (Tumbleweed, kernel:stable …)
Bluetooth will work out of the box with rtw88, for rtl8821ce you need a separate kmp.

So I will delete the rtl8821ce after Leap 15.3, but you can download the src.rpm and build them by your own. I think you have to patch it for Leap 15.4…

11

Yes, I appreciate that, hence my additional comment in post #9

… but you can download the src.rpm and build them by your own. I think you have to patch it for Leap 15.4…

I’ll have to investigate that possibility, not yet had the need to build any software.

Thanks.

12

Today update of rtw88, see changelog

13

Confusion or misunderstanding on my part I feel.

So… I’ve again installed “rtw88-kmp-default” (git20210919_k5.3.18_59.19-lp153.2.3) and removed both “rtl8821ce-kmp-default” and “rtl8821ce-blacklist-rtw_8821ce”

However that seems to have be a retrograde step as after a reboot I had no wi-fi ( https://paste.opensuse.org/view/raw/270f65dc )

The journal shows:

paul@HP255G7:~> journalctl -b | grep -i rtw_8821
Sep 24 11:27:33 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: Firmware version 24.8.0, H2C version 12
Sep 24 11:27:33 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: rfe 2 isn't supported
Sep 24 11:27:33 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: failed to setup chip efuse info
Sep 24 11:27:33 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: failed to setup chip information
paul@HP255G7:~>

Remove “rtw88-kmp-default” and again install both “rtl8821ce-kmp-default” and “rtl8821ce-blacklist-rtw_8821ce”, reboot and wi-fi is back working…

14

rtw88-kmp-default" (git20210919_k5.3.18_59.19-lp153.2.3)

Its the old one 20210919…

But here it is working…

Updating to the today rpm…

15

Hmm… Just noticed also it didn’t match the kernel 5.3.18-59.24.1 Maybe a partially updated mirror(?) I’ve just refreshed you repository and now am offered rtw-88 git20210924_k5.3.18_59.24-lp153.6.1

I’ll give that a try, but I won’t be able to do that now until this evening.

Thanks.

16 
/sbin/lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net
01:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 15)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:84a6]
        Kernel driver in use: r8169
        Kernel modules: r8169
02:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:c821]
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:831a]
        Kernel driver in use: rtw_8821ce
        Kernel modules: rtw88_8821ce, rtw_8821ce


LANG=C zypper se -si rtw88 && uname -a
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...

S  | Name              | Type    | Version                             | Arch   | Repository
---+-------------------+---------+-------------------------------------+--------+-----------------
i+ | rtw88-kmp-default | package | git20210924_k5.3.18_59.24-lp153.6.1 | x86_64 | Sauerland-Update
i  | rtw88-ueficert    | package | git20210924-lp153.6.1               | x86_64 | Sauerland-Update
Linux laptop 5.3.18-59.24-default #1 SMP Mon Sep 13 15:06:42 UTC 2021 (2f872ea) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

This was a switch from rtl8821ce to rtw88 only over ssh and reboot, as you can see, now it is using rtw88.

PS
OBS was the problem, has build but not delivered to the Repo…

17

Found time to look at this before this evening.

I guess this is the changelog entry you referred to:

  • rtw88: 8821c: correct 2.4G tx power for type 2/4 NIC
    NIC card saves calibrated TX power index in the efuse(ROM).
    Driver loads TX power idex when interface is up.
    The problem is type2/4 NICs loads 2.4G TX power index
    from wrong position. This patch corrects the offsets.
    So, driver loads real 2.4G TX power index for type 2/4 NICs.
    2.4G performance increased when using correct TX power index.

The link I have is on 5G so that would not be relevant.

Reinstalling (this time the correct one) rtw88 and wi-fi is available, but at a significantly reduced bit rate as compared with that provided by rtl8821ce, as I outlined in post #8 . Also a scan only reveals 3 available access points, as opposed to (typically) 10-11 when using rtl8821ce.

Also there are some errors in the journal, as shown:

paul@HP255G7:~> journalctl -b | grep -i 8821
Sep 24 13:16:55 HP255G7 kernel: rtw88_8821ce: disagrees about version of symbol rtw8821c_hw_spec
Sep 24 13:16:55 HP255G7 kernel: rtw88_8821ce: Unknown symbol rtw8821c_hw_spec (err -22)
Sep 24 13:16:55 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: Firmware version 24.8.0, H2C version 12
Sep 24 13:16:56 HP255G7 NetworkManager[860]: <info>  [1632485816.1911] rfkill0: found Wi-Fi radio killswitch (at /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.3/0000:03:00.0/ieee80211/phy0/rfkill0) (driver rtw_8821ce)
Sep 24 13:16:57 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: start vif 48:5f:99:3f:77:9b on port 0
Sep 24 13:16:57 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: stop vif 48:5f:99:3f:77:9b on port 0
Sep 24 13:16:57 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: start vif 16:d9:93:c0:6b:b9 on port 0
Sep 24 13:17:01 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: stop vif 16:d9:93:c0:6b:b9 on port 0
Sep 24 13:17:02 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: start vif 48:5f:99:3f:77:9b on port 0
Sep 24 13:17:07 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: sta 4c:38:d8:03:c1:9f joined with macid 0
Sep 24 13:17:07 HP255G7 kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:03:00.0: failed to get tx report from firmware
paul@HP255G7:~>

I don’t know if some of those (first two and the last) warrant a bug report, and if they do, where to report?

Again, for the moment I’m reverting back to the rtl8821ce.

Thanks.

18

This is the driver from kernel, you can ignore. That was the bug I mentioned and the kernel-developer said: Its an Realtek problem, they have to patch. What Realtek has done in Kernel 5.11 or 5.12.
So after Kernel 5.12 you do not need any seperate kmp.

Sep 24 13:16:55 HP255G7 kernel: rtw88_8821ce: disagrees about version of symbol rtw8821c_hw_spec
Sep 24 13:16:55 HP255G7 kernel: rtw88_8821ce: Unknown symbol rtw8821c_hw_spec (err -22)

Sep 24 14:14:18 laptop kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: failed to get tx report from firmware

I do not know…

But its working.

19

Start bug reporting with openSUSE.

https://www.realtek.com/en/products/communications-network-ics/item/rtl8821ce

Wifi adapter has 1 antenna?
With USB 2.0 connection you cannot get more than ~280 Mbit/s. Maybe new driver knows about this.

20

Two I believe, but I’ve no intention of opening up this laptop to confirm…

With USB 2.0 connection you cannot get more than ~280 Mbit/s. Maybe new driver knows about this.

It’s not USB, and using the rtl8821ce driver I consistently and reliably get a link speed of 434Mbit/s between laptop and router.