Wireless adapter unclaimed after update and reboot

Question

I run Ubuntu 20.04 and this script every day:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y && sudo apt -f install && sudo apt autoremove -y && sudo apt autoclean && sudo snap refresh

After the end of every day, I power down my desktop. Maybe not the smartest script, but this is the first problem it's caused in 2 years or so... (I assume this problem is due to an update.)

This morning, when I booted, when I search for Wi-Fi in settings:

No Wi-Fi Adapter Found

I've been using the wireless adapters on my motherboard, which I'm assuming an update broke the drivers for. For now I'm using the sub-optimal powerline Ethernet.

Nothing shows up for sudo rfkill list all and the wireless device is not show when using ip a or ifconfig. (This also goes for Bluetooth, which is also on the motherboard and also enabled in the BIOS.)

Here's some partial output showing my wireless adapter being unclaimed.

$ sudo lshw -C network
*-network UNCLAIMED
       description: Network controller
       product: Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168NGW [Stone Peak]
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
       version: 10
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:ab300000-ab301fff

Here's the logs from my /var/log/apt/history.log with yesterday's date:

Start-Date: 2021-06-23  10:11:24
Commandline: /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade
Upgrade: gcc-10-base:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), gcc-10-base:i386 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libitm1:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libquadmath0:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libtsan0:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libubsan1:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), liblsan0:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libgomp1:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libgcc-s1:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libgcc-s1:i386 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libatomic1:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libatomic1:i386 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libcc1-0:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libstdc++6:amd64 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04), libstdc++6:i386 (10.2.0-5ubuntu1~20.04, 10.3.0-1ubuntu1~20.04)
End-Date: 2021-06-23  10:11:25
Start-Date: 2021-06-23  10:27:38
Commandline: apt full-upgrade -y
Requested-By: micah (1000)
Install: linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-59-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-59.66~20.04.1, automatic), linux-headers-5.8.0-59-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-59.66~20.04.1, automatic), linux-objects-nvidia-460-5.11.0-22-generic:amd64 (5.11.0-22.23~20.04.1+1, automatic), linux-modules-5.8.0-59-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-59.66~20.04.1, automatic), linux-modules-5.11.0-22-generic:amd64 (5.11.0-22.23~20.04.1, automatic), linux-modules-nvidia-460-5.11.0-22-generic:amd64 (5.11.0-22.23~20.04.1+1, automatic), linux-hwe-5.8-headers-5.8.0-59:amd64 (5.8.0-59.66~20.04.1, automatic), linux-signatures-nvidia-5.11.0-22-generic:amd64 (5.11.0-22.23~20.04.1+1, automatic), linux-image-5.11.0-22-generic:amd64 (5.11.0-22.23~20.04.1, automatic), linux-image-5.8.0-59-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-59.66~20.04.1, automatic)
Upgrade: linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04:amd64 (5.8.0.55.62~20.04.39, 5.8.0.59.66~20.04.42), linux-libc-dev:amd64 (5.4.0-74.83, 5.4.0-77.86), linux-modules-nvidia-460-generic-hwe-20.04-edge:amd64 (5.8.0-55.62~20.04.1, 5.11.0-22.23~20.04.1+1), initramfs-tools-bin:amd64 (0.136ubuntu6.5, 0.136ubuntu6.6), linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04:amd64 (5.8.0.55.62~20.04.39, 5.8.0.59.66~20.04.42), linux-generic-hwe-20.04:amd64 (5.8.0.55.62~20.04.39, 5.8.0.59.66~20.04.42), gnome-shell-common:amd64 (3.36.9-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 3.36.9-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), gnome-shell:amd64 (3.36.9-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 3.36.9-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), initramfs-tools-core:amd64 (0.136ubuntu6.5, 0.136ubuntu6.6), initramfs-tools:amd64 (0.136ubuntu6.5, 0.136ubuntu6.6)
End-Date: 2021-06-23  10:28:42
Start-Date: 2021-06-23  10:28:43
Commandline: apt autoremove -y
Requested-By: micah (1000)
Remove: linux-modules-5.8.0-53-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1), linux-signatures-nvidia-5.8.0-53-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1), linux-objects-nvidia-460-5.8.0-53-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1), linux-hwe-5.8-headers-5.8.0-53:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1), linux-image-5.8.0-53-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1), linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-53-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1), linux-headers-5.8.0-53-generic:amd64 (5.8.0-53.60~20.04.1)
End-Date: 2021-06-23  10:28:48

My hunch is I need to reinstall a specific version of Linux headers or something, but honestly, I'm not too sure. Anyone have an idea of what could get my wireless device reclaimed and usable?

Please run: sudo modprobe iwlwifi && sudo dmesg | grep iwl As the output may be lengthy, post the output here and give us the link: http://paste.ubuntu.com Welcome to Ask Ubuntu. — chili555, Jun 24 '21 at 15:50
@chili555 looks like the kernel module was not found: modprobe: ERROR: ../libkmod/libkmod-module.c:838 kmod_module_insert_module() could not find module by name='iwlwifi' modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'iwlwifi': Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg) — Micah Parks, Jun 24 '21 at 16:39
Restarting, choosing the advanced options in GRUB and using an older version (of the Linux kernel?) brings back the WiFi adapter to full usage. I looks like that kernel module is also present in this version. — Micah Parks, Jun 24 '21 at 16:43
5.11.0-22-generic and here's the /boot listing: https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/xVjcJ6Vdkp/ — Micah Parks, Jun 25 '21 at 13:40
To be clear, in 5.11.0-22, the wireless does not work but in 5.8.0-59, it does work. Is that correct? If so, from 5.11, may I see a complete diagnostic? https://askubuntu.com/questions/425155/my-wireless-wifi-connection-does-not-work-what-information-is-needed-to-diagnos/425180#425180 — chili555, Jun 25 '21 at 15:58
I'm using 5.8.0-59-generic at the moment. (Confirmed with uname -r.) Wireless is working as expected. And yes, it does not work with 5.11.0-22-generic. Here's with 5.8.0-59-generic: https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/bKGZSgfRPf/ Rebooting and will edit for other... — Micah Parks, Jun 25 '21 at 16:22
Can't edit comment. Here's with 5.11.0-22-generic: https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/G6snvMvZQS/ — Micah Parks, Jun 25 '21 at 16:28

score 9 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 25 '21 at 21:09

9

In our chat, we learned that the package linux-modules-extra-5.11.0-22-generic that provides the driver iwlwifi among many others, didn't get installed in your upgrade. I suggested that you do, while booted into kernel version 5.8 where the wireless does work:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install linux-modules-extra-5.11.0-22-generic

Upon rebooting into kernel version 5.11, your wireless is now working.

I also recommended:

sudo apt install --reinstall linux-generic

...because its dependencies and their dependencies include linux-modules extra.

answered Jun 25 '21 at 21:09

chili555

60,188

1

Amazing to have your help! Thank you so much for taking the time to resolve this! – Micah Parks Jun 25 '21 at 21:13
1

Please make sure that you've checked your Linux kernel version with uname -r before copy-pasting the fix! – vassil_momtchev Jun 08 '22 at 19:49

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered May 31 '23 at 04:36

1

If you have a dual boot with Windows, you might want to disable the Fast Startup in Windows.

See: https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/iwlwifi#about_dual-boot_with_windows_and_fast-boot_enabled

More: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dual_boot_with_Windows#Fast_Startup_and_hibernation

answered May 31 '23 at 04:36

EasonL

111

This fixed the issue for me. My windows and linux are installed on two separate disks. The Fast Startup setting on windows was still able to cause this nuisance. – karl k Feb 08 '24 at 14:27

Wireless adapter unclaimed after update and reboot

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