Arch Linux

B7H7D7

Member

Registered: 2018-01-19

Posts: 30

[SOLVED] iwconfig cannot see the wifi

Hi everybody,

I am testing Arch (4.19.2-arch1-1-ARCH) with plasma under Virtualbox (Oracle) on a Lenovo T430.  It's OK.
The native host Linux session is Scientific Linux 7.3 (SL), where the perfectly working wifi interface is based onto the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak].
On Arch, its updates or ping google.com or Firefox work perfectly through the wifi without having done something special, hopefully !.

But I can't see the wifi.
For instance inxi -Fx, lspci -nn, iwgetid -r, ifconfig, show only the wired connection.
I have installed and in some cases loaded as modules :

iw, gnome-keyring, wireless_tools, dialog, dhclient, wireless-regdb, crda, ndiswrapper-dkms, dhcping, wifi-radar,...

Follows some checks :

$ iwconfig 
enp0s3    no wireless extensions.
lo        no wireless extensions.

$ lsmod | grep iw
iwlmvm                442368  0
iwldvm                270336  0
iwlwifi               344064  2 iwldvm,iwlmvm
mac80211              925696  2 iwldvm,iwlmvm
cfg80211              778240  4 iwldvm,iwlmvm,iwlwifi,mac80211

$ systemctl list-units | grep -i net 
sys-devices-pci0000:00-0000:00:03.0-net-enp0s3.device loaded active plugged   82540EM Gigabit Ethernet Controller (PRO/1000 MT Desktop Adapter)            
sys-subsystem-net-devices-enp0s3.device               loaded active plugged   82540EM Gigabit Ethernet Controller (PRO/1000 MT Desktop Adapter)            
NetworkManager.service                                loaded active running   Network Manager                                                              
network.target                                        loaded active active    Network                                                                      

$ systemctl list-units | grep -i dhc
[no output]

$ iw reg set FR
$ iw reg get
global
country FR: DFS-ETSI
...

and, although I do not know if the wifi logical name is also wlp3s0, as on SL :

$ iw dev wlp3s0 scan
command failed: No such device (-19)

Please, do you have any idea on what I could do ?
P.

Last edited by B7H7D7 (2018-11-22 12:39:30)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,793

Re: [SOLVED] iwconfig cannot see the wifi

The machine running in the VM does not have a wireless card.   
It has an emulated wired network connection.  Note the emulated.  (Edit:  Actually, all of the peripherals for the VM are emulated)

When you run VirtualBox, it creates an imaginary connection to an imaginary network that connects to an imaginary network interface in the host.  In essence there is a network connection connecting the virtual machine to the host machine.
To connect to the Internet, the host has to either bridge the vitrual (imaginary) network to one of the host's real Ethernet interfaces, or (my preference) provide NAT forwarding from the virtual network to one of the real interfaces in the host. 

TL;DR: The virtual machine does not need to know anything about the host's interfaces, or how they are configured.  It will obtain an IP address from the host for its "wired" network.  Configure the host so that it controls the wireless.  Configure host to do NAT forwarding (should be the default).

Edit:  Just for fun, look at the output of lspci in the VM.  You will probably find that the hardware in that list (which are all emulated) are not the same devices that are listed when you run that command on the host.  Your sound card will likely be a different chipset, so will the USB drivers, the GPU, the serial ports ... Everything.  Kind of like living in the Matrix

Last edited by ewaller (2018-11-21 18:10:48)

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B7H7D7

Member

Registered: 2018-01-19

Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] iwconfig cannot see the wifi

Dear ewaller,

Thanks a lot for your quick answer. Follows the test you suggested just for the Ethernet controller.
lspci on host :

00:03.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82540EM Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 02)

lspci on arch :

00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (Lewisville) (rev 04)

Yes, they are not the same !
will test the Configure host to do NAT forwarding suggestion.
The post can be considered as SOLVED.
Thanks again,
P.