[SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

Greemny · 2025-03-12 09:48:42

I've got connection to a singular WiFi that I connected when setting up NetworkManager, but since then, no other networks can be seen through it - and my connection seems to be getting throttled at times. I'm assuming this might be an issue with drivers?

Information that I think would be useful:
lspci' output for wireless
- Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter (rev 31)

'ip link' output
- 1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000 link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
3: wlan0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP mode DORMANT group default qlen 1000 link/ether 10:63:c8:57:ce:03 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

I checked journalctl for the NetworkManager but I didn't find anything I thought looked suspicious and I don't know what part of it to include in here.

I'm not entirely sure where and which logs and things I should include in here. I'm new to Linux as a whole and I know that's not an excuse but I really am lost here.

Last edited by Greemny (2025-03-14 14:23:43)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2025-03-12 16:17:31

Greemny wrote:

I checked journalctl for the NetworkManager but I didn't find anything I thought looked suspicious and I don't know what part of it to include in here.

All of it. Use code tags or a pastebin service to keep it readable though, thanks.

How did you set up NM, exactly? What were the exact commands? The most common error is to enable wpa_supplicant directly, which can cause conflicts and signal issues.

Greemny · 2025-03-13 11:54:01

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

All of it. Use code tags or a pastebin service to keep it readable though, thanks.

https://pastebin.com/X22kwvUX
I've replaced WiFi names and other hopefully unimportant but possibly revealing information in the log. Hopefully this won't be an issue with figuring out the problem.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

How did you set up NM, exactly? What were the exact commands? The most common error is to enable wpa_supplicant directly, which can cause conflicts and signal issues.

I used the archinstall script to install arch, in which I set it to use NetworkManager. Once booted in, I used the nmtui command to connect. At that time, it was working perfectly; could see and connect to all networks available.
You can see in the log, iwd gets introduced at some point. This was not there on my initial install and I had manually installed it, following the arch wiki, and tried to set it as the backend or so if I understood it right.

About wpa_supplicant, I have not myself directly used or altered it, but I don't know if I did indirectly with other commands.

seth · 2025-03-13 14:02:52

Don't filter the journal for NM, the wifi carrier is established by wither wpa_supplicant or iwd.
The journal is not supposed to contain sensitive data, MACs are tracable if you post that information across the web but like the SSIDs worthless to anyone out of radio range.
(Where they yell that information into the air non-stop anyway)
LAN IPs (192.168.x.x etc) are meaninless outside your LAN

The bits you posted include several boots, the most recent one seems to use iwd as backend and

Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.6663] device (wlan0): Activation: starting connection 'wifiname_1' (uuid_xxx)
Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.6674] device (wlan0): state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.6694] manager: NetworkManager state is now CONNECTING
Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.6707] device (wlan0): state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.7271] device (wlan0): new IWD device state is connected
Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.7274] device (wlan0): state change: config -> ip-config (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mar 13 15:08:40 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858720.7286] dhcp4 (wlan0): activation: beginning transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.5349] dhcp4 (wlan0): error parsing DHCP option 6 (domain_name_servers): address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is ignored
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.5351] dhcp4 (wlan0): state changed new lease, address=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, acd pending
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.6967] dhcp4 (wlan0): state changed new lease, address=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.6977] policy: set 'wifiname_1' (wlan0) as default for IPv4 routing and DNS
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.7094] device (wlan0): state change: ip-config -> ip-check (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.7119] device (wlan0): state change: ip-check -> secondaries (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.7122] device (wlan0): state change: secondaries -> activated (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.7129] manager: NetworkManager state is now CONNECTED_SITE
Mar 13 15:08:41 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858721.7134] device (wlan0): Activation: successful, device activated.
Mar 13 15:08:42 hostname_1 NetworkManager[452]: <info>  [1741858722.2828] manager: NetworkManager state is now CONNECTED_GLOBAL

very much receive a lease on wlan0?
And there're no scanning efforts since march 11th, did configure NM to connect to a specific BSSID?

Stop and disable NM and try to scan for APs using iwctl manually.
Also please post the output of

find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f

(You can trust me about the command as much as you can trust my explanation that this will print the enabled system services - or you read the command and understand what it does. Then you don't have to trust anything)

Greemny · 2025-03-13 14:35:17

seth wrote:

Don't filter the journal for NM, the wifi carrier is established by wither wpa_supplicant or iwd.
The journal is not supposed to contain sensitive data, MACs are tracable if you post that information across the web but like the SSIDs worthless to anyone out of radio range.
(Where they yell that information into the air non-stop anyway)
LAN IPs (192.168.x.x etc) are meaninless outside your LAN

Ah, understood, was just a bit paranoid I wasn't doing something stupid xd. And I'll do my homework and read through the network wiki again.

seth wrote:

The bits you posted include several boots, the most recent one seems to use iwd as backend and very much receive a lease on wlan0?
And there're no scanning efforts since march 11th, did configure NM to connect to a specific BSSID?

To my knowledge, I have not. I've only used NetworkManager to connect to two routers, through the nmtui, and that's about it. I have from time to time manually stopped and restarted it to get it back running - to no avail however.

seth wrote:

Stop and disable NM and try to scan for APs using iwctl manually.

Stopping the NetworkManager.service and then going into iwctl's interactive mode, my "wlan0" device gets powered off, so I can't scan. But leaving NetworkManager.service on, and then scanning with "wlan0" actually works
and I can see all my networks again, albeit one, which is an older network. And it's been updated on nmtui as well. It doesn't last though, as restarting the NetworkManager brings it back to before with just the connected network being shown.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you meant?

seth wrote:

Also please post the output of
find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f
(You can trust me about the command as much as you can trust my explanation that this will print the enabled system services - or you read the command and understand what it does. Then you don't have to trust anything)

I had to search up some of it but I think I get it haha.

bluetooth.service                        | bluetooth.target.wants
dbus-org.bluez.service                   | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service   | system
display-manager.service                  | system
fstrim.timer                             | timers.target.wants
getty@tty1.service                       | getty.target.wants
NetworkManager.service                   | multi-user.target.wants
NetworkManager-wait-online.service       | network-online.target.wants
p11-kit-server.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-pulse.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-session-manager.service         | user
pipewire.socket                          | sockets.target.wants
remote-fs.target                         | multi-user.target.wants
systemd-timesyncd.service                | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-userdbd.socket                   | sockets.target.wants
wireplumber.service                      | pipewire.service.wants
xdg-user-dirs-update.service             | default.target.wants

seth · 2025-03-13 14:57:04

Stopping the NetworkManager.service and then going into iwctl's interactive mode, my "wlan0" device gets powered off, so I can't scan.

You'd first have to start iwd (otherwise done by NM) but

scanning with "wlan0" actually works and I can see all my networks again, albeit one, which is an older network

ie. iwd can actually scan but apparently

restarting the NetworkManager brings it back to before with just the connected network being shown

NM doesn't use that data…

tail -n1000 /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/*

Has the problem started with switching the backend from wpa_supplicant to iwd? What happens if you return to wpa_supplicant?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … Fi_backend

Greemny · 2025-03-13 15:16:19

seth wrote:

You'd first have to start iwd (otherwise done by NM) but

Right, sorry I should've known since iwd is the backend, figured it would still be running separate from NM apologies. (After rereading the link you sent, I realized it was already in the wiki that NM manages iwd soo... my bad)

seth wrote:

ie. iwd can actually scan but apparently NM doesn't use that data…

That's a good sign - I hope

seth wrote:

tail -n1000 /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/*

Yeah I did create the configuration file as the wiki mentioned it, here's the output.

[device]
wifi.backend=iwd

seth wrote:

Has the problem started with switching the backend from wpa_supplicant to iwd? What happens if you return to wpa_supplicant?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … Fi_backend

I actually switched to iwd because of this problem thinking it was an issue with the default backend (I would assume wpa_supplicant)... Should I try to switch back again and see if anything's different?

seth · 2025-03-13 15:37:42

Should I try to switch back again and see if anything's different?

Yes. Also NM+wpa_supplicant is chattier than NM+iwd.
I don't think the carrier service is the issue here, ave you tried to remove that connection, then scan and reconnect?

Greemny · 2025-03-13 15:57:57

seth wrote:

Should I try to switch back again and see if anything's different?
Yes. Also NM+wpa_supplicant is chattier than NM+iwd.
I don't think the carrier service is the issue here, ave you tried to remove that connection, then scan and reconnect?

I disabled iwd and changed the config file to wpa_supplicant and it works again.
I don't know how and I fear this is temporary like before, but I do apologize ;-; as this has somehow resolved itself. I'll try and troubleshoot more myself before posting next time.

Thank you

Arch Linux

#1 2025-03-12 09:48:42

[SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#2 2025-03-12 16:17:31

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#3 2025-03-13 11:54:01

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#4 2025-03-13 14:02:52

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#5 2025-03-13 14:35:17

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#6 2025-03-13 14:57:04

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#7 2025-03-13 15:16:19

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#8 2025-03-13 15:37:42

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

#9 2025-03-13 15:57:57

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to see or join other WiFi networks with NetworkManager

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