wifi not working after kernel update to 5.13.0-27-generic in Ubuntu 20.04

Question

My laptop is HP PROBOOK with Ubuntu 20.04 installed. Last day my system kernel got updated to 5.13.0-27-generic and after that, I am not able to connect to wifi. The LAN connection is working fine but the wifi connectivity issue is there. Following is the kernel detail -

Linux version 5.13.0-27-generic (buildd@lgw01-amd64-045) (gcc (Ubuntu 9.3.0-17ubuntu1~20.04) 9.3.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils for Ubuntu) 2.34) #29~20.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 14 00:32:30 UTC 2022

It used to work fine before taking the update, but suddenly after the restart, this issue has arrived.

I am not sure whether my drivers are missing or something went wrong with the wifi adapter.

In case of missing drivers where to get these drivers from and same with wifi adapter.

dkms status throws the following result

rtl8821ce, v5.5.2_34066.20200325, 5.13.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
rtl8821ce, v5.5.2_34066.20200325, 5.4.0-96-generic, x86_64: installed
rtl88x2bu, 5.8.7.1, 5.13.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 6.1.26, 5.11.0-46-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 6.1.26, 5.13.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 6.1.26, 5.4.0-96-generic, x86_64: installed

sudo lshw -C network

*-network:0               
       description: Wireless interface
       product: Intel Corporation
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 14.3
       bus info: pci@0000:00:14.3
       logical name: wlp0s20f3
       version: 20
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwlwifi driverversion=5.11.0-22-generic firmware=59.601f3a66.0 QuZ-a0-jf-b0-59.u ip=192.168.1.4 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11
       resources: iomemory:600-5ff irq:16 memory:600324c000-600324ffff
  *-network:1
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: Ethernet Connection (13) I219-V
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1f.6
       bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.6
       logical name: enp0s31f6
       version: 20
       capacity: 1Gbit/s
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=e1000e driverversion=5.11.0-22-generic firmware=0.6-4 latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
       resources: irq:143 memory:54100000-5411ffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       physical id: 2
       logical name: veth4fc7862
       size: 10Gbit/s
       capabilities: ethernet physical
       configuration: autonegotiation=off broadcast=yes driver=veth driverversion=1.0 duplex=full link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=10Gbit/s

lspci -nn

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:9a14] (rev 01)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:9a49] (rev 01)
00:04.0 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:9a03] (rev 01)
00:0a.0 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:9a0d] (rev 01)
00:0d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:9a13] (rev 01)
00:0e.0 RAID bus controller [0104]: Intel Corporation Volume Management Device NVMe RAID Controller [8086:9a0b]
00:14.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0ed] (rev 20)
00:14.2 RAM memory [0500]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0ef] (rev 20)
00:14.3 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0f0] (rev 20)
00:15.0 Serial bus controller [0c80]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0e8] (rev 20)
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0e0] (rev 20)
00:1d.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0b0] (rev 20)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a082] (rev 20)
00:1f.3 Multimedia audio controller [0401]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0c8] (rev 20)
00:1f.4 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0a3] (rev 20)
00:1f.5 Serial bus controller [0c80]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0a4] (rev 20)
00:1f.6 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (13) I219-V [8086:15fc] (rev 20)
01:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller [0108]: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Device [144d:a809]

lspci -nnk | grep 0280 -A3

00:14.3 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:a0f0] (rev 20)
    Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:0034]
    Kernel driver in use: iwlwifi
    Kernel modules: iwlwifi

ls -al /lib/firmware/*.pnvm

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 41804 Jan 10 15:49 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-so-a0-gf-a0.pnvm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 27456 Jan 10 15:49 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm

modinfo iwlwifi | grep -i a0f0

alias:          pci:v00008086d0000A0F0sv*sd*bc*sc*i*

ls -al /lib/firmware/*pnvm*

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 41804 Jan 10 15:49 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-so-a0-gf-a0.pnvm.HOLD
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 27456 Jan 10 15:49 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm.HOLD

Answer 1

ls -al /lib/firmware/*.pnvm

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 41804 Jan 10 15:49 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-so-a0-gf-a0.pnvm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 27456 Jan 10 15:49 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm

Rename these two .pnvm files to .pnvm.HOLD, reboot to 5.13.0-27-generic kernel, retest wifi.

Update #1:

Just to clean up dkms...

dkms status

rtl8821ce, v5.5.2_34066.20200325, 5.13.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
rtl8821ce, v5.5.2_34066.20200325, 5.4.0-96-generic, x86_64: installed
rtl88x2bu, 5.8.7.1, 5.13.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 6.1.26, 5.11.0-46-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 6.1.26, 5.13.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 6.1.26, 5.4.0-96-generic, x86_64: installed

sudo dkms remove rtl8821ce/v5.5.2_34066.20200325 --all

sudo dkms remove rtl88x2bu/5.8.7.1 --all

sudo dkms remove virtualbox/6.1.26 -k 5.4.0-96-generic

Update #2:

Well, it looks like the 5.13.0-27-generic kernel breaks wifi for this user. Run with 5.11.0-46-generic kernel for now. Watch Software Updater for kernel updates newer than -27, update, then retest wifi.

Update #3:

HP ProBook 640 G8 Notebook PC

You have BIOS T74 Ver. 01.02.06. There's a newer BIOS available, version 01.08.01 Rev.A, dated Jan 27, 2022, and can be downloaded here. Note: The web site may tell you that it can't find your Ubuntu OS, so you have to manually tell it you've got Windows 10 64-bit 21H2.

Install the BIOS update. Reboot to -27 kernel. Retest wifi. Report back.

Note: Confirm that I have the correct web page for your model #

Note: Have good backups before updating the BIOS

Update #4:

Kernel 5.13.0-28 was released today 1/31/2022.

Answer 2

I had the same issue, so a couple of days of Googling, it is working now.

You need to update the GRUB.

Easy solution: Go to Ubuntu Software Center and search for "grub customizer" Click the General Settings tab under "default entry" select "predefined" button and from the drop down chose the older version. I chose "5.11.0-46-generic" (this new kernel broke my wifi "5.13.0-27-generic") click the save button restart the system, it should work.

---

slightly difficult solution:

If you do not want to install grub customizer and want to modify the grub by your self, enter the command in terminal to open the grub file:

sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

Now in the gedit remove or comment out this line: GRUB_DEFAULT=0

and add these two lines

GRUB_DEFAULT="Advanced options for Ubuntu>Ubuntu, with Linux 5.11.0-46-generic" GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT="false"

save the grub file.

run the command to update the grub sudo update-grub

restart the system, it should work.

Note: 5.11.0-46-generic was the version where my wifi was last working, for you it might be a different version, please check your system.

Answer 3

Same case, but with kernel 5.17.9 on Ubuntu 22.04

Solution: Reboot. Press left shift during the grub boot, select older kernel such as 5.17.5