10ec:8821 rtl8821ae has no connectivity in 5GHz networks

[Aminda Suomalainen]

Attempting to connect to a ASUS Wireless Router RT-AC51U (firmware 3.0.0.4.378_9135-gac2b2c2on) on 5GHz I get an IP address and everything, but no connectivity. I cannot ping the router.

WORKAROUND: Execute via a terminal:
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new.git
cd rtlwifi_new
sudo make install
sudo restart now

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-4.3.0-2-generic 4.3.0-2.11 [modified: boot/vmlinuz-4.3.0-2-generic]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.3.0-2.11-generic 4.3.0
Uname: Linux 4.3.0-2-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.3-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: mikaela 1567 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: mikaela 1567 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: MATE
Date: Sun Dec 20 16:01:13 2015
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=431ec214-73ef-4058-b283-5721bb5a45d2
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-12-12 (7 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-MATE 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Alpha amd64 (20151212)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:57b4 Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 006: ID 13d3:3414 IMC Networks
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X550JX
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.3.0-2-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=ab0e7270-40bc-4a68-a541-59fd96690354 ro rw acpi_osi=
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.3.0-2-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.3.0-2-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.154
SourcePackage: linux
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] Tiedostoa tai hakemistoa ei ole: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/07/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: X550JX.204
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: X550JX
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrX550JX.204:bd05/07/2015:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnX550JX:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnX550JX:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: X550JX
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Aminda Suomalainen (mikaela)]

There is no new version of BIOS as

1. WInFlash which is tool to update BIOS on ASUS laptops says that it is unable to find a new BIOS version.
2. WinFlash tells me that BIOSes which I try to flash are older than the currently flashed version and refuses to do anything.

However as the last time when I tried was before I reported this issue, I will try again and report back.

[Aminda Suomalainen (mikaela)]

It seems you were right, for some reason the newer BIOS was only available from ASUS USA site and not in Finland and the WinFlash was unable to download it. However now it's updated and this bug still exists.

# sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
X550JX.209
10/31/2015

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mikaela Suomalainen, to clarify, have you tested the latest upstream driver version from https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new/tree/master/rtl8821ae ?

[Aminda Suomalainen (mikaela)]

I have only used the version packaged in Xenial and I have no idea how I would go installig drivers outside of repositories.

I however know that installing drivers outside of repositories is good way to break system and make bug reports invalid.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mikaela Suomalainen, to advise, testing the latest upstream driver version in itself would never make any report invalid.

Despite this, in order to upstream this issue, it would need to be tested on the latest upstream version. Hence, if a system break is a concern, then one would want to already have:
1) Installed Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

In order to test upstream one may perform via a terminal:
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new.git
cd rtlwifi_new
sudo make install

restart, and test. Once finished, one may uninstall this via a terminal:
cd rtlwifi_new
sudo make uninstall

[Aminda Suomalainen (mikaela)]

The upstream version works. Can I safely continue using it or will things break when the Ubuntu version gets updated?

[Aminda Suomalainen (mikaela)]

Fix committed seems the nearest to "fixed upstream".

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mikaela Suomalainen, to advise, this is not Fix Committed as defined in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status.

Regarding using the upstream version, given it's not provided by Ubuntu, one should expect no support from Ubuntu if things break.

Despite this, given that the upstream version addresses this issue, at least it is a starting point for having it backported into Ubuntu.

[Simon Naunton (snaunton)]

Same problem here (yesterday, 2016-01-20) on a Lenovo Ideapad 300 (80Q7008EAU - 15.6" i5 8Gb 1TB) on fresh install of amd64 Wily/15.10. Wifi worked ok under Windows 10 home that came with it.

rtl8821ae driver loaded. Connected to AP fine. Got IP address, GW, DNS etc correctly, but no traffic.

Workaround worked fine:
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new.git
cd rtlwifi_new
sudo make install
sudo restart now

FWIW, proper 802.11ac speeds copying large files.

Same problem after apt-get upgrade installed latest kernel at time of writing (sorry, my laptop is at home and I am at work, so no kernel versions quote here, but more than likely linux-image-4.2.0-25-generic). make installed the above driver again and all good.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Simon Naunton, it will help immensely if you filed a new report with the Ubuntu repository kernel (not mainline/upstream) via a terminal:
ubuntu-bug linux

Please feel free to subscribe me to it.

For more on why this is helpful, please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[coustaud (coustaud)]

This fix worked perfectly on my Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

I am wondering why this has not been integrated in this very last version of Ubuntu?

[linuxball (linuxball)]

Exactly the same problem STILL EXISTS in Ubuntu's 16.04.2 LTS recent kernel (4.4.0-78-lowlatency). Hardware is the same WLAN adapter (10ec:8821) in a Lenovo Ideapad 110S-11IBR, Pentium N3710, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD (80WG005YGE).

Why has that not been fixed yet (after 18 months!) in the recent LTS kernel although there is a upstream solution for about 17 months? How can one help to get this done?

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Please check if 4.8 supports the feature you want:
$ sudo apt install linux-generic-hwe-16.04

or 4.10 supports it:
$ sudo apt install linux-generic-hwe-16.04-edge

If both of them do not have 5 GHz you want, check mainline linux kernel.
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.12-rc3/

[linuxball (linuxball)]

Hardware as reported in comment #15 [WLAN adapter (10ec:8821) in a Lenovo Ideapad 110S-11IBR, Pentium N3710, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD (80WG005YGE)]. I checked some kernels - here are the results:

kernel 4.4.0-79-lowlatency : problem exists -> no data transmission @ 5GHz
kernel 4.4.0-83-lowlatency : problem exists -> no data transmission @ 5GHz
kernel 4.8.0-54-lowlatency : no problem -> data transmission @ 5 GHz works
kernel 4.8.0-58-lowlatency : no problem -> data transmission @ 5 GHz works
kernel 4.10.0-22-lowlatency: no problem -> data transmission @ 5 GHz works
kernel 4.10.0-26-lowlatency: no problem -> data transmission @ 5 GHz works

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

4.3 EOL, please feel free to open a new bug is you're still seeing this issue.