Package: firmware-realtek
Version: 20170823-1
Severity: normal
Tags: upstream
This PCI WiFi card...
05:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8812AE
802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8812] (rev 01)
Subsystem: TRENDnet RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
[20f4:807e]
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr-
Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR-
Kernel driver in use: rtl8821ae
Kernel modules: rtl8821ae
... requires firmware to work reliably, and the firmware that it
requires (rtl8812aefw.bin and rtl8812aefw_wowlan.bin) is missing from
firmware-realtek. The driver tries loading rtl8821aefw{,_wowlan}.bin
instead, but this does not make the hardware happy: it cannot maintain
download speeds above about 100kB/s, and it keeps losing its association
with the access point - I suspect these are both visible manifestations
of a severe packet loss problem.
Unfortunately, the necessary firmware binaries do not
appear to be in linux-firmware.git either. I found them at
https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new/tree/master/firmware/rtlwifi
and those do seem to be working reliably.
(This card is sold as "TRENDnet TEW-807ECH AC1200 High Power Wireless
Dual Band PCIe Adapter".)
Relevant excerpts from the kernel log when the firmware is missing:
[ 10.502081] rtl8821ae :05:00.0: enabling device ( -> 0003)
[ 10.519792] rtl8821ae: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8812aefw.bin
[ 10.519794] rtl8821ae: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8812aefw_wowlan.bin
[ 10.574617] rtl8821ae :05:00.0: firmware: failed to load
rtlwifi/rtl8812aefw_wowlan.bin (-2)
[ 10.574655] rtl8821ae :05:00.0: Direct firmware load for
rtlwifi/rtl8812aefw_wowlan.bin failed with error -2
[ 10.574697] rtl8821ae :05:00.0: firmware: failed to load
rtlwifi/rtl8812aefw.bin (-2)
[ 10.574727] rtl8821ae :05:00.0: Direct firmware load for
rtlwifi/rtl8812aefw.bin failed with error -2
[ 10.622946] ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'rtl_rc'
[ 10.623072] rtlwifi: rtlwifi: wireless switch is on
[ 11.213655] rtl8821ae :05:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware
rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin
[ 11.213662] rtlwifi: Loading alternative firmware rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin
[ 11.213672] rtlwifi: Loading alternative firmware rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin
[ 11.477030] rtl8821ae :05:00.0 wlp5s0: renamed from wlan0
[ 19.572265] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 19.912098] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 21.384057] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 48.144496] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 81.163287] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 124.173712] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 174.166256] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 178.011057] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 178.360943] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 186.498418] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 189.787011] wlp5s0: authenticate with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8
[ 189.787883] wlp5s0: send auth to 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 (try 1/3)
[ 189.789226] wlp5s0: authenticated
[ 189.797492] wlp5s0: associate with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 (try 1/3)
[ 189.807617] wlp5s0: RX AssocResp from 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 (capab=0x411
status=0 aid=1)
[ 189.813597] wlp5s0: associated
[ 189.870937] wlp5s0: Limiting TX power to 27 (30 - 3) dBm as advertised by
88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8
[ 849.964133] rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now
[ 849.964202] wlp5s0: Connection to AP 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 lost
[ 855.344960] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 858.654983] wlp5s0: authenticate with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a0
[ 858.655871] wlp5s0: send auth to 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a0 (try 1/3)
[ 858.658445] wlp5s0: authenticated
[ 858.665893] wlp5s0: associate with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a0 (try 1/3)
[ 858.670647] wlp5s0: RX AssocResp from 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a0 (capab=0x431
status=0 aid=2)
[ 858.676544] wlp5s0: associated
[ 881.995258] rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now
[ 881.995316] wlp5s0: Connection to AP 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a0 lost
[ 885.266245] wlp5s0: authenticate with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8
[ 885.267089] wlp5s0: send auth to 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 (try 1/3)
[ 885.369150] wlp5s0: send auth to 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 (try 2/3)
[ 885.473136] wlp5s0: send auth to 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 (try 3/3)
[ 885.577130] wlp5s0: authentication with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8 timed out
[ 897.187365] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 900.709948] rtl8821ae: Polling FW ready fail!! REG_MCUFWDL:0x00070706 .
[ 900.965784] wlp5s0: authenticate with 88:ad:43:bf:6e:a8
[ 900.966542] wlp5s0: send auth to
