Troubleshooting Ubuntu Wifi Connection Issues

Have issues connecting to wireless (wifi) networks using your Ubuntu laptop? For students and new users, managing device drivers is the most frustrating thing about Linux systems, including Ubuntu,

The good thing that has happened over the years is that most devices now work with Linux machines—no need for complicated configurations and troubleshooting.

However, in some cases, devices may not work correctly on Ubuntu and other Linux systems. Students and new users may not know what to do initially, but focusing on basic troubleshooting steps may get them working again.

This brief tutorial shows students and new users how to troubleshoot wireless network issues on Ubuntu Laptops. If you cannot connect to a wireless network for some reason, try following the instructions below:

• Make sure that your laptop is not connected to a wired internet connection. Sometimes, you may not know whether the wifi connects and works when connected to the Wired network.

• If you have an external wireless adapter, such as a USB adapter or a PCMCIA card, that plugs into your laptop, ensure it’s firmly inserted into the correct slot.

• If your wireless card is built-in, ensure the wireless switch is turned on (if it has one). Some laptops have wireless switches that you can turn on/off.

• Click the system status area on the top bar, select wifi, then select wifi Settings. Make sure that the wifi is set to ON. You should also check that Airplane Mode is not switched on.

sudo nmcli device

Look down the list of information and see if there is an item related to the wireless network adapter. If the state is connected, the adapter is working and connected to your wireless router. If it’s not connected or you can’t see it, the wifi adapter may not be active or disabled.

If the above steps are done, and you still can’t find the wireless adapter, run the commands below.

sudo lshw -c network

Look through the information that appeared and find the Wireless Interface section. If your wireless adapter was correctly detected, you should see something similar (but not identical) to this:

*-network
       description: Wireless interface
       product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
       vendor: Intel Corporation

If you only see the Ethernet interface description, your Ubuntu laptop will not detect the wireless adapter. You may then have to install the device drivers from the manufacturer’s websites or other sources.

You can also run the command below to list devices on your system.

sudo lspci

Look through the list of devices that are shown and find any that are marked a Network controller or an Ethernet controller. Several devices may be kept this way; the one corresponding to your wireless adapter might include words like wireless, WLAN, wifi, or 802.11. Here is an example of what the entry might look like:

Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection

If you don’t see something like the above line, the device isn’t detected, which may mean it isn’t functional, or you’ll need the driver to make it functional.

If all the above steps failed, the correct device drivers were installed, and nothing worked, then the wifi device may not be working, and you may need a replacement.

I hope this helps, and please come back soon.

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