Troubleshooting guide
How to fix the problem
If Wi-Fi works in Windows but not in Linux, the card itself is not necessarily faulty. The firmware may be missing, the chip may not be supported, or radio blocking may be enabled. Select the driver according to the exact chip, not the laptop brand.
Possible solutions
Choose the method that matches your situation. Start with the simplest suitable option and check the result. If the problem is fixed, you do not need to continue with the other methods.
Determining chip and radio status
First, collect the correct device information.
Steps to follow
- Turn off airplane mode in the system network menu and check the physical Wi-Fi switch or Fn key.
- Find the model of the wireless adapter in the terminal via lspci or lsusb; for an integrated PCIe card, lspci -nnk is often suitable.
- If you have rfkill, the command rfkill list shows software or hardware blocking.
- Make a note of the distribution version and the result of uname -r. Use them to search for official support for that specific chip.
Firmware via official packages
Temporarily use another secure internet connection.
Steps to follow
- Connect via wired Ethernet or your phone's USB tethering, if supported.
- Use the distribution's package tool to update the lists and install the firmware or additional driver package specified in its documentation.
- If the driver requires the module to be signed with Secure Boot, follow the official registration wizard, do not disable the security blindly.
- Reload and check the list of networks. If the card is still not detected, provide the chip ID to support.
If the problem persists
If the chip is not supported in your distribution, choose a newer supported release or a known compatible adapter. Don't run a random "curl ... | sh" driver installation command from the forum.
Request a repair