Broken Wifi Switch on Laptop (can't enable wifi)

Support Network
1

Hello, I’m new to Linux, installed Manjaro xfce (kernel 6.1.55) today.

I’ve been browsing through networking issues all day with my USB wireless adapter, only to find out the issue is the broken wireless switch on my laptop.
The USB adapter works when I manage to turn the switch on (proper drivers installed, finds networks to connect, all fine), but said switch is broken, and it doesn’t last long.

This looks like a hardware issue, but it does not happen on Windows. With the switch off, my USB adapter is still detected and works perfectly.
I tried blacklisting the driver module for the internal adapter but no dice, the switch still rules supreme.

What can I do? thank you in advance.

P.S: Currently I’m tethering with my phone and wasting data because ethernet isn’t an option, and the phone wifi signal is terrible. The USB adapter is my only real option.

2

Welcome, who ever can help, can do it only with system info.

3

Sorry about that, and the delay adding the necessary info.

System:
  Kernel: 6.1.55-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1
    clocksource: tsc available: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1-x86_64
    root=UUID=26792648-2907-47b5-ad96-01e874645fa5 rw quiet splash apparmor=1
    security=apparmor udev.log_priority=3
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm
    v: 4.18.0 vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: Manjaro Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Sony product: VPCEG23EL v: C9028MG0
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Sony model: VAIO serial: <superuser required> BIOS: INSYDE v: R0240Z8
    date: 01/06/2012
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 23.5 Wh (100.0%) condition: 23.5/62.6 Wh (37.5%)
    volts: 12.3 min: 10.8 model: Sony Corp. VGP-BPS26A type: Li-ion
    serial: <filter> status: full
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i3-2330M bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Sandy Bridge
    gen: core 2 level: v2 built: 2010-12 process: Intel 32nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x2A (42) stepping: 7 microcode: 0x2F
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 tpc: 2 threads: 4 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 128 KiB desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB L2: 512 KiB desc: 2x256 KiB
    L3: 3 MiB desc: 1x3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1149 high: 2200 min/max: 800/2200 scaling:
    driver: intel_cpufreq governor: schedutil cores: 1: 2200 2: 800 3: 800 4: 798
    bogomips: 17567
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX unsupported
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, IBPB: conditional, IBRS_FW,
    STIBP: conditional, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
    vendor: Sony driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-6 code: Sandybridge
    process: Intel 32nm built: 2011 ports: active: LVDS-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1,VGA-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0116
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Suyin Sony Visual Communication Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-1.2:3
    chip-ID: 064e:a21b class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.8 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915
    display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x203mm (14.21x7.99")
    s-diag: 414mm (16.31") monitors: <missing: xrandr>
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 model: LG Display 0x02e9 built: 2010 res: 1366x768
    dpi: 112 gamma: 1.2 size: 309x174mm (12.17x6.85") diag: 355mm (14")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1366x768
  API: OpenGL Message: Unable to show GL data. glxinfo is missing.
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
    vendor: Sony 6 driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
    chip-ID: 8086:1c20 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.55-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
  Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.81 status: off tools: pw-cli
  Server-3: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active with: pulseaudio-alsa
    type: plugin tools: pacat,pactl,pavucontrol
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Foxconn
    driver: N/A modules: ath9k pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:002b class-ID: 0280
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR8151 v2.0 Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Sony
    driver: atl1c v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 2000
    bus-ID: 09:00.0 chip-ID: 1969:1083 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp9s0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-3: TP-Link TL-WN722N v2/v3 [Realtek RTL8188EUS] driver: rtl8188eu
    type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 2-1.1:3
    chip-ID: 2357:010c class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  IF: wlp0s29u1u1 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR3011 Bluetooth driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB
    rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 1-1.5:4 chip-ID: 0cf3:3005
    class-ID: e001
  Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: up address: see --recommends
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 12.48 GiB (2.7%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Toshiba model: MK5059GSXP
    size: 465.76 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    tech: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter> fw-rev: 1H scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 200 GiB size: 195.8 GiB (97.90%) used: 12.48 GiB (6.4%)
    fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 maj-min: 8:5
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 53.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 206 Uptime: 2m wakeups: 1 Memory: total: 4 GiB available: 3.78 GiB
  used: 1.8 GiB (47.8%) Init: systemd v: 254 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Compilers: gcc: 13.2.1 clang: 16.0.6 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1169
  libs: 401 tools: pamac pm: flatpak pkgs: 0 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16
  running-in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.3.30

how should I proceed?

4

The hardware switch has no bearing when using an usb adapter.

If you cannot turn on the internal wifi when returning to Manjaro from Windows - ensure you shutdown your windows cleanly - no hibernation or hybrid sleep - also disable Windows Fast Startup.

5

I -can- turn the internal wifi adapter when the switch the decides to work, the problem is that there’s no wifi function at all unless the switch is on. The “Enable Wi-Fi” option is either greyed out or completely gone if I don’t turn it on. (Depends on whether the USB adapter is plugged in. The system detects it, it just won’t let me use it unless I turn the switch on)
I’m assuming it’s a software issue precisely because this does not happen on Windows, but I don’t know enough about Linux to guess what conflict could there possibly be.

Win7 (the one I have) has no fast start-up, and neither does my BIOS.

How do I make sure it’s not hybrid sleep or hibernation? I just either choose shut down or restart, and it always does the entire boot process, but it’s not something I’ve ever paid much attention to.

6

The hardware switch is only for the internal wifi adapter and has no value for USB wifi adapter.

What you experience is more likely caused by rfkill(8) — Arch manual pages

Use the power settings control panel item in Windows