# Reatek RTL8188CE driver not

## JN2nub

Hey there,

I hope someone can help me with this. I'm running with the default x86 Gentoo v3.0.0 kernel on a Toshiba NB505 (Atom CPU). ...and the wireless NIC refuses to work.

ifconfig/iwconfig doesn't show any wireless interface and I'm not sure why.

lspci -k shows the driver associated with the proper hardware:

```
07:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device 8176 (rev 01)

   Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., mLtd. Device 8181

   Kernel modules: rtl8192ce
```

lsmod doesn't shows it being loaded, but not helping.

```
Module                  Size  Used by

rtl8192ce              65551  0 

rtl8192c_common        51966  1 rtl8192ce

rtlwifi                81871  1 rtl8192ce

mac80211              186825  3 rtl8192ce,rtl8192c_common,rtlwifi
```

The driver looks to be loaded and the system doesn't seems confused about what hardware the driver is for, yet the drive looks like it's doing nothing. I don't get it.  :Sad: 

Thanks in advance for any help. It's greatly appreciated.

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## stelth

Is the proper firmware being loaded? Check in dmesg.

If it's not,

```
emerge linux-firmware
```

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## chithanh

You may want to run "update-pciids" to make lspci output more informative. Also it is the "kernel driver in use" line that counts. If firmware fails to load, it will show up in dmesg.

Modern nl80211 based drivers don't expose the old wireless extensions for legacy tools by default. So use net-misc/iw instead, or enable backwards compatibility (CONFIG_CFG80211_WEXT) in the kernel config.

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## giygas

Bump.   :Shocked: 

Okay, I know this is old, but I feel a need to revive it because I have the same model Toshiba, and the same symptoms   :Confused:  .  I'm trying to install Gentoo on my second computer, since I liked it so much on my first.  However, I have no wired connection, only wifi.  I have tried the LiveDVD, but that hasn't worked for me either.  Can someone please tell me/JN2nub what I'm/we're doing wrong?

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## dE_logics

 *giygas wrote:*   

> Bump.  
> 
> Okay, I know this is old, but I feel a need to revive it because I have the same model Toshiba, and the same symptoms   .  I'm trying to install Gentoo on my second computer, since I liked it so much on my first.  However, I have no wired connection, only wifi.  I have tried the LiveDVD, but that hasn't worked for me either.  Can someone please tell me/JN2nub what I'm/we're doing wrong?

 

dmesg | grep --ignore-case code

dmesg | grep --ignore-case firmware

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## gcb

 *dE_logics wrote:*   

>  *giygas wrote:*   Bump.  
> 
> Okay, I know this is old, but I feel a need to revive it because I have the same model Toshiba, and the same symptoms   .  I'm trying to install Gentoo on my second computer, since I liked it so much on my first.  However, I have no wired connection, only wifi.  I have tried the LiveDVD, but that hasn't worked for me either.  Can someone please tell me/JN2nub what I'm/we're doing wrong? 
> 
> dmesg | grep --ignore-case code
> ...

 

i already solved the missing firmwares, still nothing

`modprobe rtl8192ce` exits without any error. (exit code 0)

lsmod does not show the driver still.

one interesting thing:

`lspci -nn` will show the ID for the card as 10EC:8176, which match a rtl8192ce as per http://wiki.debian.org/rtl819x

but after a `update-pciids`, `lspci`will display the device as being  "rtl8188ce".. the id is still the same, only the string changed. before it didn't have a model.

update: [solved]

aparently i needed the drivers for rtl8192se... maybe i'm messing things up (as i'm also trying to get my radeon to work...) but it only worked after i also enabled the rtl8192se drivers along with the rtl8192ce. having only the modules for the CE did not did the trick.Last edited by gcb on Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:52 am; edited 2 times in total

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## dE_logics

Can you pastebin dmesg?

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## gcb

dmesg was empty, well, empty regarding that device  :Smile:  ... probalby because i didn't have the right driver/module even compiled. so it wasn't even trying to load anything.

added to .config:

CONFIG_RTL8192CE=m

CONFIG_RTL8192SE=m

now i finally have wifi

to help people with the same device:

`lspci -knnv`

```
06:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188CE 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter [10ec:8176] (rev 01)

   Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:8195]

   Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18

   I/O ports at 2000 [size=256]

   Memory at f0900000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]

   Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3

   Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+

   Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00

   Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting

   Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel

   Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00

   Kernel driver in use: rtl8192ce

   Kernel modules: rtl8192ce

```

before the pci update thing, it reported:

```
06:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Network Adapter [10ec:8176] (rev 01)
```

----------

