Ubuntu – Realtek driver RTL8723BE not working in Ubuntu 16.04 (kernel 4.4)

16.04driversrtl8723bewireless

I upgraded from Ubuntu 15.10 (on which the driver had no issues whatsoever), to the LTS version 16.04 a day back. I knew I would have to reinstall the wifi driver for my card(Realtek RTL8723BE), and as before I compiled the code from https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new and installed it like always. But to no avail, because iwconfig shows me "no wireless extensions" and "modprobe"ing shows "error: required key missing". I think in the latest kernel ubuntu is looking for signed drivers? If that's the case then how should I go about it? I tried using different options while using modprobe as well (like ant_sel, ips etc) but still the same results. If that's not the case, then what should be the direction that I should start looking into?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Best Answer

So, I figured out what the problem was. Since my machine runs on a UEFI BIOS with secured boot enabled, all the drivers that can be loaded onto the driver stack must be "signed". I think in kernel 4.4 Ubuntu, they enforced this sign verification quite strictly. That being said, all I did was to disable the secure boot from my BIOS setting (won't say this is a permanent solution) and now the wifi works like a charm.

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Ubuntu – HP ProBook 855 G2 wireless problem in 12.04

After searching further, the solution for my laptop in particular was to put the option msi=1 in the rtl8723be.conf file. Just to summarize the whole steps:

Pull the repository at https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new from a working computer and copy it to a USB stick.
In the computer to be fixed, load stick and cd to folder. Then run:
```
make 
sudo make install 
sudo modprobe rtl8723be
```
At this point, the wireless network will be enabled, but it won't find any APs to connect with. Adding msi=1 to rtl8723be.conf fixed this problem:
```
echo "options rtl8723 msi=1" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8723be.conf
```

I guess different laptop models need different driver parameters, even though the wireless card is the same.

Note: the driver may break after some software upgrades, in which case just repeat step 2.

Ubuntu – How to permanently install WiFi driver Realtek 8723DE in Ubuntu 18.04

Ok, I managed to solve the problem by doing the following:

1) In the BIOS boot options disabled the Secure Boot option.

2) Remove and reinstall the driver with these commands:

sudo dkms remove rtl8723de/5.1.1.8_21285.20171026_COEX20170111-1414 --all
sudo dkms add ./rtl8723de
sudo dkms install rtl8723de/5.1.1.8_21285.20171026_COEX20170111-1414

3) At this point a UEFI Secure Boot configuration window pops up. Generate a Machine-Owner Key (MOK). Then follow with reboot:

sudo depmod -a
reboot

4) When reebooting, a blue screen appeares to confirm the change using the previously generated MOK. Select the "Enroll MOK" option and enter the key.

After reboot I have WiFi connectivity in Ubuntu 18 again. In my previous attemps to install this driver I was not aware of this MOK option. Hope this time the driver keeps installed permanently. Cheers!

Best Answer

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Ubuntu – HP ProBook 855 G2 wireless problem in 12.04

Ubuntu – How to permanently install WiFi driver Realtek 8723DE in Ubuntu 18.04

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