[SOLVED] Unable to connect wifi using iw dev command

richt · 2020-12-28 23:56:31

First post and first attempt at Arch, so apologies in advance!

I installed Arch using bootstrap from Ubuntu following the Install Arch Linux from existing Linux wiki. I am able to update using pacman -Syu and otherwise connect to my wifi when arch-chroot'ed to my Arch partition from Ubuntu, but am unable to connect to wifi when booted directly into my Arch partition nor can I execute iwctl.

Following the Network configuration Wireless wiki, my driver appears to be loaded and my firmware correct, but my connect command has no effect:

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# lspci -k
01:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8723BE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
	Subsystem: Lenovo Z50-75
	Kernel driver in use: rtl8723be
	Kernel modules: rtl8723be
	
[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# ip link
3: wlan0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state DOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether c2:8e:8f:61:d6:dd brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# dmesg | grep firmware
[    8.476802] rtl8723be: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8723befw_36.bin

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iw dev wlan0 link
Not connected.

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iw dev wlan0 scan
BSS 98:da:c2:7e:bb:82(on wlan0)
	TSF: 26801215948 usec (0d, 07:26:41)
	freq: 2452
	beacon interval: 100 TUs
	capability: ESS Privacy ShortPreamble ShortSlotTime (0x0431)
	signal: -10.00 dBm
	last seen: 260 ms ago
	Information elements from Probe Response frame:
	SSID: INFINITUM7415
	Supported rates: 1.0* 2.0* 5.5* 11.0* 6.0 9.0 12.0 18.0 
	DS Parameter set: channel 9
	ERP: <no flags>
	Extended supported rates: 24.0 36.0 48.0 54.0 

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iw dev wlan0 connect "INFINITUM7415"
[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# ip link
3: wlan0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state DOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether c2:8e:8f:61:d6:dd brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iw dev wlan0 link
Not connected.
[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iw dev wlan0 connect INFINITUM7415
[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iw dev wlan0 link
Not connected. 

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iwctl
Waiting for IWD to start...
Terminate

I had read a post on the wiki (which I can't find now) where someone was able to use Network Manager to connect rather than using iwd so I installed that (in arch-chroot from Ubuntu) and started following the Network Manager wiki but got stuck because I was unable to start systemd-resolved:

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# systemctl status networkmanager
Unit networkmanager.service could not be found.
[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# systemctl status systemd-resolved
systemd-resolved.service - Network Name Resolution
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-resolved.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2020-12-28 17:00:56 CST; 1min 1s ago
       Docs: man:systemd-resolved.service(8)
             man:org.freedesktop.resolve1(5)
             https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/writing-network-configuration-managers
             https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/writing-resolver-clients
    Process: 337 ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-resolved 0;1;31m(code=exited, status=200/CHDIR)0m
   Main PID: 337 (code=exited, status=200/CHDIR)
Dec 28 17:00:56 rich-Lenovo-G50-45 systemd[1]: systemd-resolved.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Dec 28 17:00:56 rich-Lenovo-G50-45 systemd[1]: Stopped Network Name Resolution.
Dec 28 17:00:56 rich-Lenovo-G50-45 systemd[1]: systemd-resolved.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Dec 28 17:00:56 rich-Lenovo-G50-45 systemd[1]: systemd-resolved.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 28 17:00:56 rich-Lenovo-G50-45 systemd[1]: Failed to start Network Name Resolution.

But regardless I suspect Network Manager is a rabbit-hole for now as I should be able to connect with the iw command, and that my error lies elsewhere.

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated!

Last edited by richt (2020-12-29 00:52:38)

loqs · 2020-12-29 00:03:43

I think you have conflated iw and iwd.

# iw dev interface connect "your_essid"

Is for unencrypted connections. If your access point uses WPA2/WPA3 using iwd you would follow Iwd#Connect_to_a_network.

Last edited by loqs (2020-12-29 00:04:05)

progandy · 2020-12-29 00:09:23

[root@rich-Lenovo-G50-45 ~]# iwctl
Waiting for IWD to start...
Terminate

You'll have to enable & start the iwd service before it can be used. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Iwd#Usage

richt · 2020-12-29 00:51:57

@loqs Thanks for tipping me off to using the encrypted version of the iw dev connect command! I used the WEP form

# iw dev interface connect "your_essid" key 0:your_key

and that got me connected so I'll mark the thread as solved.

@progandy Thanks for pointing me in this direction! I have enabled iwd but it fails to start so troubleshooting this is my next challenge.

Arch Linux

#1 2020-12-28 23:56:31

[SOLVED] Unable to connect wifi using iw dev command

#2 2020-12-29 00:03:43

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to connect wifi using iw dev command

#3 2020-12-29 00:09:23

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to connect wifi using iw dev command

#4 2020-12-29 00:51:57

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to connect wifi using iw dev command

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