Ubuntu – New to linux, need to find and install the wireless driver AC-8260

driverswireless

I am newish to Linux. I have dual booted on old laptops and I managed to get my wireless driver working back then by downloading it and installing but I cannot remember how i managed that.

I am worried that there is no driver for my wireless card:

GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-8260 M.2 (867Mbps, 802.11AC)

I'm looking for a linux driver from intel and i'm worried there isn't one available;

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/86068/Intel-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC-8260

Please could someone help me out. I bought a new laptop without windows installed, hoping to get involved with Linux and learn all about it and I'm struggling at the first hurdle!

sudo rfkill
Usage:  rfkill [options] command
Options: --version show version (0.5-1ubuntu1 (Ubuntu))
Commands: help event list [IDENTIFIER] block IDENTIFIER unblock IDENTIFIER where IDENTIFIER is the index no. of an rfkill switch or one of: 
<idx> all wifi wlan bluetooth uwb ultrawideband wimax wwan gps fm nfc

I have the wifi option in the top right corner, but nothing is happening. Wifi is ok on my other laptop.

lspci -nnk | grep 

0280 -A2 01:00.0 Network controller 
[0280]: Intel Corporation Wireless 8260 
[8086:24f3] (rev 3a) Subsystem: Intel Corporation Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 [8086:0010]

Best Answer

I suspect your device simply needs firmware. Verify:

sudo modprobe iwlwifi
dmesg | grep iwl

There should be a message that the needed firmware is not found. If so, please download this file to your desktop: https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media/en/users/drivers/iwlwifi-8000-ucode-25.30.13.0.tgz as well as this: https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media/en/users/drivers/iwlwifi-8000-ucode-15.227938.0.tgz Right-click each and select 'Extract Here.' Now, back to the terminal:

cd ~/Desktop/iwlwifi-8000-ucode-25.30.13.0
sudo cp iwlwifi*  /lib/firmware
cd ~/Desktop/iwlwifi-8000-ucode-15.227938.0
sudo cp iwlwifi*  /lib/firmware

Reboot and your wireless should be working. If not, post diagnostics:

sudo modprobe iwlwifi
dmesg | grep iwl

Based on your diagnostics, I suggest that you update the driver iwlwifi. Download this package to your desktop: https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/projects/backports/2015/11/15/backports-20151115.tar.gz Right-click it and select 'Extract Here.' Now, back to the terminal:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential
cd ~/Desktop/backports-20151115
make defconfig-iwlwifi
make
sudo make install

Reboot and tell us if there is any improvement.

You have compiled the driver for your current kernel version only. When Update Manager installs a later linux-image, after the required reboot, you must recompile:

cd ~/Desktop/backports-20151115
make clean
make defconfig-iwlwifi
make
sudo make install

Please retain the file and these instructions for that time.

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