[SOLVED] WiFi widget

[Keith Sayers]

I have a laptop which I occasionally use in wifi hotspots. It is now loaded with Kubuntu 20.04 but which I find lacks a wifi widget on the task bar. Searching for help I found a lengthy discourse in this forum about the same problem occurring with Kubuntu 18.04 - but I fear the technical detail in that has beaten me. :-( Could anyone here explain it a bit more simply, please? I do have Network Manager installed.

Thank you!

[Snowhog]

There isn't a separate widget for WiFi. In the System Tray Entries there is Networks and is automatically loaded. Now, you might have it configured (in System Tray) to be hidden. Right-click on the little triangle figure and select Configure System Tray... Scroll down to find Networks and check what it is marked for. You can set it to Always shown.

[Keith Sayers]

Thank you! I did find that, found that it was set 'Show when relevant' and changed it to 'Always shown'. But that has not gained me anything. It used to be that I had a little icon like a wireless mast clicking on which produced a pop-up with a list of nearby WiFi stations, showing which were open and which locked. That is what I am now lacking. Clicking on the Networks icon produces a dark and empty popup with three small options top right - Keep open - Configure connection (only entry there is my ISP) - and Search - in which I tried WiFi but got nothing. No WIFi option.

I think I am missing something pertinent - could you suggest what it might be?

[claydoh]

Thank you! I did find that, found that it was set 'Show when relevant' and changed it to 'Always shown'. But that has not gained me anything. It used to be that I had a little icon like a wireless mast clicking on which produced a pop-up with a list of nearby WiFi stations, showing which were open and which locked. That is what I am now lacking. Clicking on the Networks icon produces a dark and empty popup with three small options top right - Keep open - Configure connection (only entry there is my ISP) - and Search - in which I tried WiFi but got nothing. No WIFi option.

I think I am missing something pertinent - could you suggest what it might be?

That is the widget where the wifi connections would show. The icon is just different now. So either the wifi is turned off or the chip is missing a driver or something.

Many laptops have hotkeys that turn wifi off and on. A very few have physical switches.

Laptop make and model?

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

[chimak111]

If you have inxi installed, posting the output of inxi -SMNz (where S is for system, M is for machine, N is for network and z masks user-specific information) may allow people to help you better.

[Keith Sayers]

Hmmmm. The easy part first :

> Laptop make and model?

Dell Vostro 3550

> So either the wifi is turned off ...

But where do I go to turn it on ? When I 'hover' over the box at top left I get a label 'Enable Wireless' which would seem to be what you mean but 'clicking' on it does [/I]not [/I]make it fill in. The curved symbol next to it does nothing and the third box - which does fill in - switches on airline mode. I will try to attach a screen dump.

> or the chip is missing a driver or something

What might be the 'something' please? Could there be such as config file somewhere and therein a parameter I could change manually?

...

inxi Found and installed it - but now how do I get it to run ?! The 'Run INXI' option did nothing - I waited 30 seconds - should I have waited longer? - and Konsole did not recognise the command.

[chimak111]

inxi Found and installed it - but now how do I get it to run ?! The 'Run INXI' option did nothing - I waited 30 seconds - should I have waited longer? - and Konsole did not recognise the command.

You need to open your terminal and, at the prompt, type inxi -SMNz and press Enter.

$ inxi -SMNz
System:    Kernel: 5.4.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.18.5 Distro: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (Focal Fossa) 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Vostro 3590 v: N/A serial: <filter> 
          Mobo: Dell model: 0NNFJX v: A00 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell v: 1.7.0 date: 02/06/2020 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet driver: r8169 
          Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter driver: ath10k_pci 
          Device-3: Qualcomm Atheros type: USB driver: btusb 
$

BTW, what happens when you click on the empty box below the word "Networks" in your image?

[Keith Sayers]

Got it ! Result :

keith@DellVostro3550:~$ inxi -SMNz
System:
Kernel: 5.4.0-26-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.18.4
Distro: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa)
Machine:
Type: Portable System: Dell product: Vostro 3550 v: N/A serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0JGC48 v: A09 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A09
date: 09/30/2011
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet driver: r8169
Device-2: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1030 [Rainbow Peak] driver: iwlwifi
keith@DellVostro3550:~$

- which is Greek to me but I would be much interested in a translation ...

[claydoh]

Filtering for the useful info :
(Inxi can be a bit overkill)

Got it ! Result :

keith@DellVostro3550
System:
......
Type: Portable System: Dell product: Vostro 3550
Network:
......
Device-2: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1030 [Rainbow Peak] driver: iwlwifi
......

- which is Greek to me but I would be much interested in a translation ...

This wifi card should be very well supported so my thinking is that it may be physically turned off.

There may be a switch in the front or side of the Vostro that turns it off and on but more likely there is a key combo for it the FN key + F2 - the key should show not only 'f2' but also a wifi symbol.

Hit that combo and wait a few seconds to see if things show up in the widget. Assuming you have any wifi points nearby.


Also check that wifi is enabled in the widget itself



Sent from my LG V60 using Tapatalk as if this actually matters p:

[chimak111]

...
Also check that wifi is enabled in the widget itself
...

That wasn't enabled in the image OP posted. I asked about that ...

[claydoh]

That wasn't enabled in the image OP posted. I asked about that ...

Some themes make it look the opposite of what is expected so I made a screengrab for reference. Tho I should have used the default Kubuntu theme beforehand....

Sent from my LG V60 using Tapatalk as if this actually matters p:

[Keith Sayers]

... the key should show not only 'f2' but also a wifi symbol.

It does!

... more likely there is a key combo for it the FN key + F2

That did something but not what I was expecting. See attached screen dumps. That top left box did turn blue but the pop up list was a lengthy one of what seem like 'national' WiFis and none of the local ones - for example not my neighbour whom I know has one. I will take the laptop out to somewhere I know there are public WiFis and see what the list becomes.

> Assuming you have any wifi points nearby.

Yes, several that I previously could pick up.

> Also check that wifi is enabled in the widget itself

How do I do that, please?

Meantime I am wondering whether a complete reload of Kubuntu 20.04 Might make any difference

[claydoh]

Keith, those definitely are wifi IDs from local homes and establishments in your area. Often these names are just the defaults set by the device brand or provider. I see many with 'ATT' as it is a popular provider here, as well as 'xfinity', which is another one.
Move your laptop to a different spot, and you very likely will see the list change as wifi strength changes a LOT when it has to go through walls from both your neighbours' homes then though yours. You may well have to scroll though a long list in the widget to find the one you are looking for.



Reloading the OS won't make a difference here, so I don't think doing that would do more than waste some of your time.

> Also check that wifi is enabled in the widget itself

How do I do that, please?

Clicking the box in the top left corner turns wifi off and on. Yours was not checked (blue color) as your wifi was physically disabled until the FN-F2 key combo re-enabled it.

[Keith Sayers]

Sorry to be slow picking up on this thread but I have been beset by some medical problems (understandable at 81).

I have now taken my laptop down to the Kippax shopping centre where I know there is a public library and a bank both with WiFis. Picked up the bank no problem, and to my surprise one from Woolworths (why should a supermarket provide a Wifi?). The public library Wifi seemed to have been replaced by a territory-wide one from the ACT government but I got that so I regard my problem as solved.

My thanks to everyone who has helped.

[claydoh]

Excellent! Glad it is working!

I hope you are well!