Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

cuihao · 2013-01-28 15:45:53

(sorry for my English. I'm not native)

I installed Arch on a Thinkpad L430. I found a problem: If I disable wifi using Fn+F5 in Windows, then I cannot wake it up in Linux.

rfkill:

cuihao-tp430-arch $ rfkill list 1
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: yes

If pressing Fn+F5 on Linux, only soft block is switched, and wireless card is still hard blocked. There is no special switch on the laptop, and no options about wifi in BIOS. So I have no idea how to unblock it on Linux.

iwconfig:

cuihao-tp430-arch $ iwconfig
wlp7s0    IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=off   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr=2347 B   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on
          
enp13s0   no wireless extensions.

lo        no wireless extensions.

and dmesg:

cuihao-tp430-arch $ dmesg | grep -i rtl
[    8.177167] eth%d: RTL8168E-VL/8111E-VL at 0xffffc900048ac000, 3c:97:0e:29:cd:da, IRQ 44
[    8.357246] eth0: Identified chip type is 'RTL8168E-VL/8111E-VL'.
[    8.693125] rtl8192ce: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8192cfw.bin
[    9.119967] ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'rtl_rc'
[    9.120150] rtlwifi: wireless switch is on

The model of the wireless card is "Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188CE 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter".

Though I can get rid of the problem by not turning off wifi in Windows, is there a more proper solution?

LordChaos73 · 2013-01-29 15:35:24

Have you tried the following?

rmmod -f rtl8192ce

rfkill unblock all

modprobe rtl8192ce

cuihao · 2013-01-30 02:39:26

@LordChaos73
If the rtl8192ce module is removed, rfkill won't find find the wireless card:

cuihao-tp430-arch $ rfkill list                                               ~
0: tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: yes
	Hard blocked: no

So it won't unblock wireless card.

LordChaos73 · 2013-01-30 08:43:10

cuihao wrote:

So it won't unblock wireless card.

Ah, that makes sense. So removing the kernel module and then inserting it again did not help?

cuihao · 2013-01-30 10:45:11

Right, still blocked o(╯□╰)o

LordChaos73 · 2013-01-30 10:53:31

Could you post the following:

modinfo rtl8192ce

cuihao · 2013-01-31 02:37:27

OK. I copy the output from another computer which I'm using now. But I think it should be the same:

cuihao@cuihao-arch ~ $ modinfo -k 3.7.4-1-ck rtl8192ce
filename:       /lib/modules/3.7.4-1-ck/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192ce/rtl8192ce.ko.gz
firmware:       rtlwifi/rtl8192cfwU_B.bin
firmware:       rtlwifi/rtl8192cfwU.bin
firmware:       rtlwifi/rtl8192cfw.bin
description:    Realtek 8192C/8188C 802.11n PCI wireless
license:        GPL
author:         Larry Finger    <Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net>
author:         Realtek WlanFAE <wlanfae@realtek.com>
author:         lizhaoming      <chaoming_li@realsil.com.cn>
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008176sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008177sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008178sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008191sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        rtlwifi,rtl8192c-common,mac80211
intree:         Y
vermagic:       3.7.4-1-ck SMP preempt mod_unload modversions
parm:           swenc:Set to 1 for software crypto (default 0)
 (bool)
parm:           ips:Set to 0 to not use link power save (default 1)
 (bool)
parm:           swlps:Set to 1 to use SW control power save (default 0)
 (bool)
parm:           fwlps:Set to 1 to use FW control power save (default 1)
 (bool)
parm:           debug:Set debug level (0-5) (default 0) (int)

And LordChaos73, thanks for your persistent help.

The problem might have no answer since I have googled much and did some tests. I found that if I remove Lenovo "On Display" software then Windows will be unable to switch on/off WIFI, too. So it's only some special OEM software developed by Lenovo on Windows that is able to do it.

Last edited by cuihao (2013-01-31 02:40:15)

WonderWoofy · 2013-01-31 03:41:56

So if you leave it enabled in windows when you shutdown/reboot, you are then able to hard-block/unblock it from Linux, yeah?

the sad clown · 2013-01-31 04:23:48

cuihao wrote:

I found that if I remove Lenovo "On Display" software then Windows will be unable to switch on/off WIFI, too. So it's only some special OEM software developed by Lenovo on Windows that is able to do it.

I would say that is your problem. If Lenovo has installed software that can hard block your card, and there is no corresponding software in your linux install, then you really won't be able to fix it other than by leaving it on in Windows.

cuihao · 2013-01-31 15:17:00

Hmm, so keeping WIFI enabled in Windows seems to be the only solution.
Well, it's not satisfying but acceptable.
Let me close the post....

Again, thanks for your help

Arch Linux

#1 2013-01-28 15:45:53

Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#2 2013-01-29 15:35:24

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#3 2013-01-30 02:39:26

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#4 2013-01-30 08:43:10

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#5 2013-01-30 10:45:11

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#6 2013-01-30 10:53:31

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#7 2013-01-31 02:37:27

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#8 2013-01-31 03:41:56

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#9 2013-01-31 04:23:48

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

#10 2013-01-31 15:17:00

Re: Thinkpad L430: cannot wake up "hard blocked" wireless card

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