Wireless card comes up as noneX@pci… Can this be fixed?

Zulucon · Apr 12, 2017, 8:52 PM

Hey pfSense folks,

I bought some hardware with an onboard wireless adapter (I guess from realtek), 2 onboard Gbit ethernet adapters (intel) and an expansion PCIe card with another 2 Gbit ethernet ports (realtek). The Gbit adapters seem to work, however the wireless adapter isn't. There is a mysterious third Realtek device re2 under interfaces but this one has no wireless options. And when I look up the pciconf -l -v configuration it lists a seemingly fourth realtek device as "Wireless" but it is stated as none4@pci….

Can I do something in this case to make pfSense work with my wireless adapter or is my hardware simply not supported/working?

Here is my full pciconf -l -v output:

hostb0@pci0:0:0:0:      class=0x060000 card=0x190f1849 chip=0x190f8086 rev=0x07 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sky Lake Host Bridge/DRAM Registers'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = HOST-PCI
pcib1@pci0:0:1:0:       class=0x060400 card=0x19011849 chip=0x19018086 rev=0x07 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sky Lake PCIe Controller (x16)'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
vgapci0@pci0:0:2:0:     class=0x030000 card=0x19021849 chip=0x19028086 rev=0x06 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    class      = display
    subclass   = VGA
xhci0@pci0:0:20:0:      class=0x0c0330 card=0xa12f1849 chip=0xa12f8086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H USB 3.0 xHCI Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = USB
none0@pci0:0:20:2:      class=0x118000 card=0xa1311849 chip=0xa1318086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H Thermal subsystem'
    class      = dasp
none1@pci0:0:22:0:      class=0x078000 card=0xa13a1849 chip=0xa13a8086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H CSME HECI'
    class      = simple comms
ahci0@pci0:0:23:0:      class=0x010601 card=0xa1021849 chip=0xa1028086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    class      = mass storage
    subclass   = SATA
pcib6@pci0:0:28:0:      class=0x060400 card=0xa1141849 chip=0xa1148086 rev=0xf1 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib7@pci0:0:29:0:      class=0x060400 card=0xa1181849 chip=0xa1188086 rev=0xf1 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib8@pci0:0:29:3:      class=0x060400 card=0xa11b1849 chip=0xa11b8086 rev=0xf1 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib9@pci0:0:29:7:      class=0x060400 card=0xa11f1849 chip=0xa11f8086 rev=0xf1 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
isab0@pci0:0:31:0:      class=0x060100 card=0xa1441849 chip=0xa1448086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H LPC Controller'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-ISA
none2@pci0:0:31:2:      class=0x058000 card=0xa1211849 chip=0xa1218086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H PMC'
    class      = memory
hdac0@pci0:0:31:3:      class=0x040300 card=0x58921849 chip=0xa1708086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H HD Audio'
    class      = multimedia
    subclass   = HDA
none3@pci0:0:31:4:      class=0x0c0500 card=0xa1231849 chip=0xa1238086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Sunrise Point-H SMBus'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = SMBus
em0@pci0:0:31:6:        class=0x020000 card=0x15b81849 chip=0x15b88086 rev=0x31 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V'
    class      = network
    subclass   = ethernet
pcib2@pci0:1:0:0:       class=0x060400 card=0x00000000 chip=0x240412d8 rev=0x05 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Pericom Semiconductor'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib3@pci0:2:1:0:       class=0x060400 card=0x00000000 chip=0x240412d8 rev=0x05 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Pericom Semiconductor'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib4@pci0:2:2:0:       class=0x060400 card=0x00000000 chip=0x240412d8 rev=0x05 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Pericom Semiconductor'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib5@pci0:2:3:0:       class=0x060400 card=0x00000000 chip=0x240412d8 rev=0x05 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Pericom Semiconductor'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
re0@pci0:3:0:0: class=0x020000 card=0x012310ec chip=0x816810ec rev=0x07 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
    device     = 'RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
    class      = network
    subclass   = ethernet
re1@pci0:5:0:0: class=0x020000 card=0x012310ec chip=0x816810ec rev=0x07 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
    device     = 'RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
    class      = network
    subclass   = ethernet
re2@pci0:8:0:0: class=0x020000 card=0x81681849 chip=0x816810ec rev=0x15 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
    device     = 'RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
    class      = network
    subclass   = ethernet
none4@pci0:9:0:0:       class=0x028000 card=0x216a1a3b chip=0x882110ec rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
    device     = 'RTL8821AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter'
    class      = network

Thanks for help!

Edit: From what I understand (which is not much) I could have luck with the rtwn(4) driver. However I fail in enabling it. Should it be already enabled in pfSense and therefore am I on the wrong track? Or how would I enable it properly in pfSense?

kpa · Apr 13, 2017, 12:20 PM

It's an 802.11ac card, no support for it in FreeBSD (which pfSense is based on) yet.

Also the re(4) driver is ethernet only so it looks like your addon card with realtek NICs has three ports, re0, re1 and re2, at least that's what pfSense detects.

Zulucon · Apr 14, 2017, 5:50 PM

Thanks for the info. Can I expect/assume that it will be supported at some point in future or is it unlikely that something like that will happen? In the meantime I guess I'll have to look for a Linux based firewall distro for that box :/

kpa · Apr 14, 2017, 6:02 PM

The status of 802.11ac support as of now.

https://wiki.freebsd.org/WiFi

https://wiki.freebsd.org/WiFi/80211ac

As I understand it there aren't many people working on it. The main contributor is Adrian Chadd (works for Atheros afaik) who has had a huge part in getting wireless support in FreeBSD to the point it's in now but there's only so much one man can do.

jimp · Apr 20, 2017, 7:39 PM

About all you can do is try a 2.4 snapshot and see if it gets detected there.

owenus · May 24, 2017, 3:45 PM

Hello all

running into a similar issue, have a Jetway JBC362W it has Internal Mini PCI-Express socket (utilised by Atheros AR9285 chipset Wireless 802.11 b/g/n card) which I believe is supported?
Installed pfSense 2.3.4 today and no wireless interface. If I shell in and run pciconf -lv I get the following output. Looks like it is seeing the wireless hardware as a 'RTL8723BE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter' not the 'Atheros AR9285' or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance

none1@pci0:1:0:0: class=0x028000 card=0x21591a3b chip=0xb72310ec rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
device = 'RTL8723BE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter'
class = network
re0@pci0:2:0:0: class=0x020000 card=0x816810ec chip=0x816810ec rev=0x06 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
device = 'RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
class = network
subclass = ethernet
re1@pci0:3:0:0: class=0x020000 card=0x816810ec chip=0x816810ec rev=0x06 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
device = 'RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
class = network
subclass = ethernet

jimp · May 24, 2017, 4:06 PM

If it was supported, a driver would have attached.

pciconf shows the info straight from PCI, what you see there is most likely correct. Perhaps the card is not what you thought.

Otherwise the response is the same. Try 2.4 (not 2.3.4), which uses a newer base OS, FreeBSD 11. It might be supported there.

owenus · May 25, 2017, 8:23 AM

Hi jimp
Thanks for the info and such a quick reply :)

kpa · May 25, 2017, 9:55 AM

It's not supported yet afaik. The supported hardware page for FreeBSD-CURRENT (to be released as FreeBSD 12 when ready) doesn't list it:

https://www.freebsd.org/relnotes/CURRENT/hardware/

owenus · Jul 25, 2017, 3:07 PM

Know it's been a while but have been very busy. An update is was a different card that was supplied without notifying me of the change. To be fair they sent me on the correct card and I can now see it in the software.
Cheers
Owenus

gigaforall · May 6, 2018, 3:59 PM

Hi folks, I have the same problem now for an PFSense installation on a Lenovo desktop rtl8821ae not being detected on a 2.4.3-RELEASE, how can I install a driver?