WLAN device misrecognized as wired Ethernet interface

[tchaikovsky8]

I have installed the latest CentOS 7 on my old PC. Its WLAN interface stopped working.
The WLAN device is Realtek RTL8192E PCI-E NIC. lsmod command shows that r8192e_pci module is loaded.
I found that the system is recognizing the interface as wired Ethernet. nmcli device command displays the device as "enp3s0" with TYPE "ethernet". Any help to solve the problem would be appreciated.
This PC was running with Ubuntu before, and the WLAN was working well.

[afewgoodman]

Hi,

I think you have Ethernet card also and it would be recognized now.
Can you connect internet now anyway?

If so,

To check if installed,
rpm -q NetworkManager-wifi

If not installed,
yum -y install NetworkManager-wifi
systemctl restart NetworkManager

Then, check wifi interface you can connect,
nmcli dev wifi list

Then, try to connect with it,
nmcli --ask dev wifi connect $wifi_name_from_list

BR.

[tchaikovsky8]

Dear afewgoodman,

Thank you very much for your reply, but I could not solve the problem.

Yes, I have Ethernet card also as you wrote, but both cards are recognized as wired Ethernet.

# nmcli d
DEVICE TYPE STATE CONNECTION
enp2s0 ethernet connected enp2s0 --> real Ethernet device
virbr0 bridge connected virbr0
enp3s0 ethernet unavailable -- --> WLAN device misrecognized as Ethernet
lo loopback unmanaged --
virbr0-nic tun unmanaged --


NetworkManager-wifi is already installed.

# rpm -q NetworkManager-wifi
NetworkManager-wifi-1.18.0-5.el7_7.2.x86_64


No wifi device is found.

# nmcli dev wifi list
#

# nmcli --ask dev wifi connect $wifi_name_from_list
SSID or BSSID: <SSID name>
Error: No Wi-Fi device found.


I cannot understand why WLAN device is misrecognized as Ethernet. Ubuntu recognized the same device as wifi properly.
Thank you.

[chemal]

The WLAN device is Realtek RTL8192E PCI-E NIC.

What is the PCI ID of this device?

[TrevorH]

Where did you get the kernel module from ?

[tchaikovsky8]

The PCI device information is here.

# lspci -vv
.....
03:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8192E/RTL8192SE Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device 8151
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 17
Region 0: I/O ports at 3000
Region 1: Memory at 98a00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0-,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold-)
Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [70] Express (v1) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 256 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <128ns, L1 <2us
ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr+ UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr- TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <64us
ClockPM+ Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot- ASPMOptComp-
LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
Capabilities: [100 v1] Advanced Error Reporting
UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr-
CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+
AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn-
Capabilities: [140 v1] Virtual Channel
Caps: LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
Ctrl: ArbSelect=Fixed
Status: InProgress-
VC0: Caps: PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
Ctrl: Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=01
Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
Capabilities: [160 v1] Device Serial Number ca-2f-86-fe-ff-5f-22-00
Kernel driver in use: rtl819xE
Kernel modules: rtl8192se, r8192e_pci
.....

[tchaikovsky8]

The Kernel modules came with CentOS installation.

# modinfo rtl8192se
filename: /lib/modules/3.10.0-1062.12.1.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/rtl8192se.ko.xz
firmware: rtlwifi/rtl8192sefw.bin
description: Realtek 8192S/8191S 802.11n PCI wireless
license: GPL
author: Larry Finger <Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net>
author: Realtek WlanFAE <wlanfae@realtek.com>
author: lizhaoming <chaoming_li@realsil.com.cn>
retpoline: Y
rhelversion: 7.7
srcversion: FD6C8E8730A603041567873
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008174sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008173sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008172sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008171sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008192sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends: rtlwifi,rtl_pci,mac80211
intree: Y
vermagic: 3.10.0-1062.12.1.el7.x86_64 SMP mod_unload modversions
signer: CentOS Linux kernel signing key
sig_key: A0:A1:B3:38:BF:C1:AB:19:5F:0B:AF:17:1B:44:90:D1:AF:85:5C:A7
sig_hashalgo: sha256
parm: swenc:Set to 1 for software crypto (default 0)
(bool)
parm: ips:Set to 0 to not use link power save (default 1)
(bool)
parm: swlps:Set to 1 to use SW control power save (default 1)
(bool)
parm: fwlps:Set to 1 to use FW control power save (default 0)
(bool)
parm: debug_level:Set debug level (0-5) (default 0) (int)
parm: debug_mask:Set debug mask (default 0) (ullong)


# modinfo r8192e_pci
filename: /lib/modules/3.10.0-1062.12.1.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8192e/rtl8192e/r8192e_pci.ko.xz
firmware: RTL8192E/data.img
firmware: RTL8192E/main.img
firmware: RTL8192E/boot.img
license: GPL
version: 0014.0401.2010
author: Copyright(c) 2008 - 2010 Realsil Semiconductor Corporation <wlanfae@realtek.com>
description: Linux driver for Realtek RTL819x WiFi cards
retpoline: Y
rhelversion: 7.7
srcversion: BEC7F0FAC2FCB562FBB4B40
alias: pci:v000007AAd00000047sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000007AAd00000044sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008192sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends: rtllib
staging: Y
intree: Y
vermagic: 3.10.0-1062.12.1.el7.x86_64 SMP mod_unload modversions
signer: CentOS Linux kernel signing key
sig_key: A0:A1:B3:38:BF:C1:AB:19:5F:0B:AF:17:1B:44:90:D1:AF:85:5C:A7
sig_hashalgo: sha256
parm: ifname: Net interface name, wlan%d=default (charp)
parm: hwwep: Try to use hardware WEP support(default use hw. set 0 to use software security) (int)
parm: channels: Channel bitmask for specific locales. NYI (int)

[chemal]

The PCI ID is not shown in what you posted -- use lspci -nn for that -- but I guess it's 10EC:8192. The Debian Wiki says:

PCI ID 10EC:8192 is used to identify two different devices requiring different drivers.

r8192e_pci

This driver supports RTL8192SE based devices, shown as rev 01.

rtl8192se

This driver supports RTL8192E based devices, not shown as rev 01.

Both seem to get loaded, so you should try to blacklist the wrong one.

Edit: "shown as rev 01" and "not shown as rev 01" swapped.

[tchaikovsky8]

Yes, the PCI ID is 10ec:8192.

# lspci -nn
.....
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8192E/RTL8192SE Wireless LAN Controller [10ec:8192] (rev 01)



Debian Wiki https://wiki.debian.org/rtl819x

r8192e_pci
PCI ID 10EC:8192 is used to identify two different devices requiring different drivers. This driver supports RTL8192E based devices, shown as rev 01.

rtl8192se
PCI ID 10EC:8192 is used to identify two different devices requiring different drivers. This driver supports RTL8192SE based devices, not shown as rev 01.

[tchaikovsky8]

I am not sure how to "blacklist" the "wrong" module. If it means unloading it, I have just tried the following.
RTL8192E PCI-E NIC is still recognized as wired Ethernet.


# nmcli d
DEVICE TYPE STATE CONNECTION
enp2s0 ethernet connected enp2s0
virbr0 bridge connected virbr0
enp3s0 ethernet unavailable --
lo loopback unmanaged --
virbr0-nic tun unmanaged --

# lsmod | grep 8192
rtl8192se 75756 0
rtl_pci 30938 1 rtl8192se
rtlwifi 84374 2 rtl_pci,rtl8192se
mac80211 718956 3 rtl_pci,rtlwifi,rtl8192se
r8192e_pci 205594 0
rtllib 151690 1 r8192e_pci

# modprobe -r rtl8192se

# lsmod | grep 8192
r8192e_pci 205594 0
rtllib 151690 1 r8192e_pci

# systemctl restart NetworkManager

# nmcli d
DEVICE TYPE STATE CONNECTION
enp2s0 ethernet connected enp2s0
virbr0 bridge connected virbr0
enp3s0 ethernet unavailable --
lo loopback unmanaged --
virbr0-nic tun unmanaged --