I have two laptops,both running mint, the elitebook will not connect to
the net even though the wifi is running but the dell does
there is a wifi button on the side of the elitebook but the net wont
work in either state
any ideas?

On 4/21/2022 5:42 AM, F Murtz wrote:
> I have two laptops,both running mint, the elitebook will not connect to the net even though the wifi is running but the dell does
> there is a wifi button on the side of the elitebook but the net wont work in either state
> any ideas?

Does the Elitebook, even have Wifi hardware inside ?

These things are socketed, and you can remove the module.
The module has two or three small coax connectors on it,
and cables run from the panel part of the machine, down
to those three coax connectors.

The interconnect bus could be USB, for the lower-rate ones. lsusb
The interconnect bus could be PCI/PCIe for higher ones. lspci

If the module was Broadcom (unlikely), it might need
the clever usage of blacklisting to get the right
driver to load for it. To me, an Elitebook, smells of
Intel Wifi instead. But, check and see if you can figure
it out.

If the user manual said there was an unscrewable cover
on the bottom, that would expose the Wifi, you can also
physically look for it.

Here, someone holds a Wifi module, that has come from
the "WLAN" socket. You can see how coax are fitted, in
the example item to the left of the WLAN.

https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/HExCwvERIxMog4gu.medium

Paul

On 21/4/22 20:31, Paul wrote:
> On 4/21/2022 5:42 AM, F Murtz wrote:
>> I have two laptops,both running mint, the elitebook will not connect
>> to the net even though the wifi is running but the dell does
>> there is a wifi button on the side of the elitebook but the net wont
>> work in either state
>> any ideas?
>
> Does the Elitebook, even have Wifi hardware inside ?
>
> These things are socketed, and you can remove the module.
> The module has two or three small coax connectors on it,
> and cables run from the panel part of the machine, down
> to those three coax connectors.
>
> The interconnect bus could be USB, for the lower-rate ones.    lsusb
> The interconnect bus could be PCI/PCIe for higher ones.        lspci
>
> If the module was Broadcom (unlikely), it might need
> the clever usage of blacklisting to get the right
> driver to load for it. To me, an Elitebook, smells of
> Intel Wifi instead. But, check and see if you can figure
> it out.
>
> If the user manual said there was an unscrewable cover
> on the bottom, that would expose the Wifi, you can also
> physically look for it.
>
> Here, someone holds a Wifi module, that has come from
> the "WLAN" socket. You can see how coax are fitted, in
> the example item to the left of the WLAN.
>
> https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/HExCwvERIxMog4gu.medium
>
>    Paul
>
Both were working,
this has happened before and those times I reinstalled mint which seemed
drastic but worked.

On 21/4/22 21:07, F Murtz wrote:
> On 21/4/22 20:31, Paul wrote:
>> On 4/21/2022 5:42 AM, F Murtz wrote:
>>> I have two laptops,both running mint, the elitebook will not connect
>>> to the net even though the wifi is running but the dell does
>>> there is a wifi button on the side of the elitebook but the net wont
>>> work in either state
>>> any ideas?
>>
>> Does the Elitebook, even have Wifi hardware inside ?
>>
>> These things are socketed, and you can remove the module.
>> The module has two or three small coax connectors on it,
>> and cables run from the panel part of the machine, down
>> to those three coax connectors.
>>
>> The interconnect bus could be USB, for the lower-rate ones.    lsusb
>> The interconnect bus could be PCI/PCIe for higher ones.        lspci
>>
>> If the module was Broadcom (unlikely), it might need
>> the clever usage of blacklisting to get the right
>> driver to load for it. To me, an Elitebook, smells of
>> Intel Wifi instead. But, check and see if you can figure
>> it out. but <but I can not understand why
>>
>> If the user manual said there was an unscrewable cover
>> on the bottom, that would expose the Wifi, you can also
>> physically look for it.
>>
>> Here, someone holds a Wifi module, that has come from
>> the "WLAN" socket. You can see how coax are fitted, in
>> the example item to the left of the WLAN.
>>
>> https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/HExCwvERIxMog4gu.medium
>>
>>     Paul
>>
> Both were working,
> this has happened before and those times I reinstalled mint which seemed
> drastic but worked.
strange,I rebooted modem and it started working again,but I can not
understand why the hp stopped working while the dell did not, both using
the same modem.

On 4/21/2022 7:50 AM, F Murtz wrote:
> On 21/4/22 21:07, F Murtz wrote:
>> On 21/4/22 20:31, Paul wrote:
>>> On 4/21/2022 5:42 AM, F Murtz wrote:
>>>> I have two laptops,both running mint, the elitebook will not connect to the net even though the wifi is running but the dell does
>>>> there is a wifi button on the side of the elitebook but the net wont work in either state
>>>> any ideas?
>>>
>>> Does the Elitebook, even have Wifi hardware inside ?
>>>
>>> These things are socketed, and you can remove the module.
>>> The module has two or three small coax connectors on it,
>>> and cables run from the panel part of the machine, down
>>> to those three coax connectors.
>>>
>>> The interconnect bus could be USB, for the lower-rate ones.    lsusb
>>> The interconnect bus could be PCI/PCIe for higher ones.        lspci
>>>
>>> If the module was Broadcom (unlikely), it might need
>>> the clever usage of blacklisting to get the right
>>> driver to load for it. To me, an Elitebook, smells of
>>> Intel Wifi instead. But, check and see if you can figure
>>> it out. but <but I can not understand why
>>>
>>> If the user manual said there was an unscrewable cover
>>> on the bottom, that would expose the Wifi, you can also
>>> physically look for it.
>>>
>>> Here, someone holds a Wifi module, that has come from
>>> the "WLAN" socket. You can see how coax are fitted, in
>>> the example item to the left of the WLAN.
>>>
>>> https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/HExCwvERIxMog4gu.medium
>>>
>>>     Paul
>>>
>> Both were working,
>> this has happened before and those times I reinstalled mint which seemed drastic but worked.
> strange,I rebooted modem and it started working again,but I can not understand
> why the hp stopped working while the dell did not, both using the same modem.

There are a couple ways to do modems.

+----- Flash memory, fake CDROM, Windows driver with autorun.inf
|
USB composite device ----+
|
+----- Modem hardware, visible at all times, picked up by driver

The second kind is more evil. It uses a mode switch

USB --------------------------- Just the flash memory with the driver is visible

Do a mode switch command and...

USB --------------------------- Now the 4G modem hardware is visible

It might be possible, after a hardware reset, for the mode switch
to not register, and the device is left in flash memory mode.

A Wifi module on the other hand, I don't think they have a driver
stored onboard.

I'm not sure the mode switch scheme, is a construct invented by USB.org
and may not be approved as such. Running "lsusb" before and after
a mode switch, may give different details, such as a different device class.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Mobile_broadband_modem

"A useful utility for switching these devices into modem mode is usb_modeswitch.
It ships with udev rules

Modem mode

In general, at this point you should note if mode switching left you with
additional /dev/ttyUSB* serial device and a ww* network interface. You can
do that with journalctl or by shell commands...
"

Paul

F Murtz wrote:
> the elitebook will not connect to the net

I have had occsl ether network problems that I couldn't figure out w/o
booting up 'something else'.

That is; if I'm having problems w/ a linux system and my troubleshooting
doesn't solve it, I boot up another different linux system as a live
USB. Then, if that doesn't work, I boot up a 'live' windows. Currently
my most 'modern' live Win is a Win10 PE from Hiren's.

The Win network troubleshooter is the last resort; I've never had to go
further than that.

--
Mike Easter