WiFi networks greyed out

[JanetBiggar]

This problem seems to pop up sporadically lately with some of these older (era 2007-2010) laptops on which I have put LL3.4-3.8 and I am unsure why this occurs.

Essentially laptops where they previously showed the active networks available listed under the "WiFi networks", now the "WiFi networks" is grey and no choices show.  I can connect to my WiFi by clicking on "Connect to Hidden WiFi network...", but this will not be user friendly to the youth with whom I place these computers as I believe they may need to know more info to actually connect to new network...

Would someone be able to tell me how I can get the "available networks" to show up? and maybe explain why this is happening?  I don't believe it is happening simply because I have checked and installed updates, I recall one of the youth saying it simply started on his laptop and he would not have been doing any updates.

[Artim]

I do not know for sure, but I have read that the newest kernels often don't work as well on older hardware!  You say you're running 4.3.8 on them, I wonder if an older kernel would work better.

I too had to search for the wireless network before my laptop would connect.

[JanetBiggar]

Thanks for your thoughts. I will pay more attention to exactly what date it is when I do updates to see if there’s a link.

Currently I’m not sure that what you’ve suggested is the problem or not as I have about 10 older laptops running LL, 8 of which I’ve updated to LL3.8, the other two are LL3.4 yet it is only one running 3.8 at present that isn’t showing me the networks available list when I right click on the WiFi icon in the panel.

I’m hoping someone else can shed some light.

[trinidad]

sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Add the line at the bottom of the file when it opens:
wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no

Save and exit. Then:
sudo service network-manager restart

TC

[Artim]

AHA!  Thanks, Trinidad!

[JanetBiggar]

Thanks Trinidad.

I just pulled up this laptop to do what you suggested and voila (before doing anything) I looked down at the network icon and instead of looking like the two plugs (either unplugged when not connected or plugged together when connected) it was the more usual set of WiFi network bars I am accustom to seeing AND all the available networks were listed when I right clicked!

The only thing I can think of, however maybe someone more experienced will comment, is that I did the
$ sudo apt-get updates prior to installing Geary and then shut down the computer (prior to shutting down the wifi icon was still the plugs and still not networks listed.

is it possible that updating did something?  I had very recently installed updates via the "welcome" menu probably 3-7 days ago...

Also what causes and what does it mean when the WiFi icon is plugs verses the network bars? Is there any significance?

Anyway, I have bookmarked this answer as it may pop up again in future.

[Valtam]

WiFi can be dramatically improved by either a driver replacement (Github is a great resource for this) or a kernel upgrade or downgrade (dependent on age of the wireless device).

Try to stay away from the terminal for update, use our supplied Install Updates for good practice.

Also what causes and what does it mean when the WiFi icon is plugs verses the network bars? Is there any significance? Some OS's see the wireless device as eth0 - traditionally an ethernet naming convention. it's no big deal.

For future wireless or wired network issues, please give us the output of:

Code:

inxi -n

from the terminal and we can go from there. Thanks for all the amazing work you continue to do with children.

[JanetBiggar]

Thanks for the command Jerry, I will be using it in my next post!

I appreciate your compliments about helping the youth, I can tell you that switching to Linux Lite has made life A LOT easier.  Fingers crossed I no longer have virus issues, nor do I spend weeks installing OS and drivers!  It's also fun to see what new things I can add to the laptops which help when I am away for 5 months (return to Canada) eg. the virtual keyboards (onboard & florence).

I will be sending another donation.  I sooooo appreciate all your hard work in providing this OS and the help from all of the forum members is priceless 

[Valtam]

No need for a donation, what you are doing is help enough

[Artim]

No need for a donation, what you are doing is help enough

What Janet is doing, and me as well but to a far lesser extent, would not be possible without your efforts in making an OS that makes it all possible!  Our donations are "self-serving" in a sense, because we love helping people get off the single-vendor (Microsoft) dependency train, keeping perfectly good computers out of the landfills, helping kids bridge the "digital divide," and helping folks, young and old, keep in touch with family and friends who have moved far away.  I recently added two more "clients" with old but perfectly good computers to a growing number of grateful "technically challenged" users who didn't think they could even use their computers anymore.  They felt technologically left behind as Windows abandoned support for their computers, and "upgrades" to Windows and other software slowed or crippled their machines.

We couldn't do what we do without Linux Lite, [member=2]Jerry[/member], so our support - financial and otherwise - will continue as long as Linux Lite does.