Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

ajacocks · 2023-07-06 20:09:57

Like many others, I have very slow performance with the Intel AX200 card in my ThinkPad L15 Gen 1. While going through logs, I found this message:

iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-cc-a0-78.ucode failed with error -2

I don't see that firmware available from the linux-firmware package, or from the Linux firmware git repo.

The logs from my machine's boot are here:
http://0x0.st/H1Jb.txt

Any suggestions?

- Alex

Last edited by ajacocks (2023-07-06 20:10:56)

Scimmia · 2023-07-06 21:37:42

It also says

Jul 06 14:39:57 l15 kernel: iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: loaded firmware version 77.206b0184.0 cc-a0-77.ucode op_mode iwlmvm

It's not uncommon for the module to try a newer version of the firmware than is available, fail, then load an older one that is available. That is not your issue.

ajacocks · 2023-07-07 00:26:30

Hmm. Interesting.

Using Windows 11 on the same laptop yields the expected WiFi performance, as a side note.

- Alex

seth · 2023-07-07 07:27:15

Using Windows 11 on the same laptop

3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

Jul 06 14:52:46 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-82 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 14:54:22 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-75 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 14:54:23 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-68 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 14:55:27 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-73 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 14:57:02 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-81 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 14:57:36 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-75 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 14:59:11 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-83 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:32:10 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-62 noise=9999 txrate=344100
Jul 06 15:32:10 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-62 noise=9999 txrate=344100
Jul 06 15:32:11 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-62 noise=9999 txrate=344100
Jul 06 15:44:25 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-79 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:47:05 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-72 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:47:37 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-73 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:48:09 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-77 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:49:14 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-84 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:52:26 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-73 noise=9999 txrate=29200
Jul 06 15:52:27 l15 wpa_supplicant[613]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=0 signal=-64 noise=9999 txrate=29200

The signal isn't all that greatand you're cycling between 5220MHz and 5180MHz, which are 20Hz channels to begin with and I see no notion of HT or VHT, so this smells like 802.11a - does it behave better on 2.4GHz?
Also please quantify "very slow performance" and "the expected WiFi performance"

FactoryReboot · 2023-07-07 09:50:29

I had the exact same issue. Going to https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/ke … .git/tree/ and grabbing the latest firmware version (iwlwifi-cc-a0-77.ucode), placing in /lib/firmware, and restarting seemed to do the trick.

The version that was already in /lib/firmware had xz at the end "iwlwifi-cc-a0-77.ucode.x.z" and seemed to not work correctly.

UPDATE. I actually think reinstalling the linux-firmeware package is what did it. I didn't notice any difference when I deleted the firmware I added. It's for sure working now at any rate though.

Last edited by FactoryReboot (2023-07-07 10:13:27)

seth · 2023-07-07 11:31:54

"iwlwifi-cc-a0-77.ucode.xz", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lempel–Zi … _algorithm and whatever you did there most likely had no impact at all.
If you want an assessment on your system, post a complete journal

ajacocks · 2023-07-07 19:28:32

seth wrote:

Using Windows 11 on the same laptop
3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

Will do. I don't hibernate Windows, but I'll disable fast boot.

seth wrote:

The signal isn't all that greatand you're cycling between 5220MHz and 5180MHz, which are 20Hz channels to begin with and I see no notion of HT or VHT, so this smells like 802.11a - does it behave better on 2.4GHz?
Also please quantify "very slow performance" and "the expected WiFi performance"

What's interesting is that I have my 2.4 GHz radios configured for 20 MHz, for compatibility, but my 5 GHz channels set for 40 MHz:
https://imgur.com/gallery/SVoWnYk

I have a combination of WiFi AC and WiFi 6 APs, as I have a long and skinny house.

Thanks!
- Alex

seth · 2023-07-07 19:40:31

I don't know how to take that, but it looks like 20-40MHz to me.
Allow for 802.11n and disable ac and ax in the driver "iwlwifi.disable_11ac=Y iwlwifi.disable_11ax=Y", https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel_parameters
Check "systool -vm iwlwifi" to make sure it applied.

I have a combination of WiFi AC and WiFi 6 APs

W/ the same SSID? Is that the switch between the channels?

ajacocks · 2023-07-08 01:44:59

Yes, every AP has the same SSID.

Why would I disable ac and ax, since I use those on the network?

Thanks!
- Alex

seth · 2023-07-08 05:55:13

The plan is to explicitly /not/ use them and see what happens.
a) I don't think you're using them at all and
b) it would at least be interesting to see whether 11n behaves any better (because there've been related findings in the past)

And you shall test 2.4GHz.
In case that wasn't clear: your signal is at best "meh" and at worst "shit" and despite not having quantified "very slow performance" (in Mbit/s), you'll rather get "very slow performance" out of that.

Arch Linux

#1 2023-07-06 20:09:57

Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#2 2023-07-06 21:37:42

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#3 2023-07-07 00:26:30

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#4 2023-07-07 07:27:15

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#5 2023-07-07 09:50:29

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#6 2023-07-07 11:31:54

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#7 2023-07-07 19:28:32

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#8 2023-07-07 19:40:31

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#9 2023-07-08 01:44:59

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

#10 2023-07-08 05:55:13

Re: Intel AX200 Slow - Missing Firmware Error?

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