I have a rtl8821ae-based 5GHz WiFi card on my desktop PC (It is pci-e TP-Link Archer T4E)
I would like to install and use Linux to this desktop. I try different popular distros (Ubuntu, Fedora, Manjaro etc) and for all of them there is the same problem: slow wi-fi speed.I googled and tried to build some drivers from GitHub, but the ones I found are for rtl8821aU (USB-version), while mine card is PCI-e.
I almost gave up, but tried Linux Mint Cinnamon and finally Wi-Fi worked as expected at full speed! Then I assumed Linux Mint uses some special driver. I decided that I need to figure out which one is used by Linux Mint to have a freedom to choose distro.
I found the answer here: How to find out which Wi-Fi driver is installed?
Below is my output of Ubuntu (which has terribly slow Wi-Fi):
user@ubnt:~$ sudo lshw -class network[sudo] password for user: *-network description: Wireless interface product: RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. physical id: 0 bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0 logical name: wlp2s0 version: 01 serial: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless configuration: broadcast=yes driver=rtl8821ae driverversion=5.8.0-48-generic firmware=N/A ip=xx.xx.xx.xx latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11 resources: irq:158 ioport:e000(size=256) memory:df400000-df403fffuser@ubnt:~$ lsmod | grep rtl8821aertl8821ae 233472 0btcoexist 155648 1 rtl8821aertl_pci 28672 1 rtl8821aertlwifi 94208 3 rtl_pci,rtl8821ae,btcoexistmac80211 905216 3 rtl_pci,rtl8821ae,rtlwifiuser@ubnt:~$ modinfo rtl8821aefilename: /lib/modules/5.8.0-49-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/rtl8821ae.kofirmware: rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw_29.binfirmware: rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bindescription: Realtek 8821ae 802.11ac PCI wirelesslicense: GPLauthor: Realtek WlanFAE <wlanfae@realtek.com>srcversion: 64BDAFD5093CE917B32291Calias: pci:v000010ECd00008821sv*sd*bc*sc*i*alias: pci:v000010ECd00008812sv*sd*bc*sc*i*depends: rtlwifi,rtl_pci,btcoexist,mac80211retpoline: Yintree: Yname: rtl8821aevermagic: 5.8.0-49-generic SMP mod_unload modversions sig_id: PKCS#7signer: Build time autogenerated kernel keysig_key: 1A:D5:E6:56:CF:B6:5E:AF:60:74:90:89:34:8C:97:0F:89:36:10:FBsig_hashalgo: sha512signature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parm: swenc:Set to 1 for software crypto (default 0) (bool)parm: ips:Set to 0 to not use link power save (default 1) (bool)parm: swlps:Set to 1 to use SW control power save (default 0) (bool)parm: fwlps:Set to 1 to use FW control power save (default 1) (bool)parm: msi:Set to 1 to use MSI interrupts mode (default 1) (bool)parm: aspm:Set to 1 to enable ASPM (default 1) (int)parm: debug_level:Set debug level (0-5) (default 0) (int)parm: debug_mask:Set debug mask (default 0) (ullong)parm: disable_watchdog:Set to 1 to disable the watchdog (default 0) (bool)parm: int_clear:Set to 0 to disable interrupt clear before set (default 1) (bool)Now the output of well behaving Linux Mint:
mint@mint:~/Desktop$ sudo lshw -class network *-network description: Wireless interface product: RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. physical id: 0 bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0 logical name: wlp2s0 version: 01 serial: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless configuration: broadcast=yes driver=rtl8821ae driverversion=5.4.0-58-generic firmware=N/A ip=xx.xx.xx.xx latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11 resources: irq:159 ioport:e000(size=256) memory:df400000-df403fffmint@mint:~/Desktop$ lsmod | grep rtl8821aertl8821ae 233472 0btcoexist 155648 1 rtl8821aertl_pci 28672 1 rtl8821aertlwifi 90112 3 rtl_pci,rtl8821ae,btcoexistmac80211 843776 3 rtl_pci,rtl8821ae,rtlwifimint@mint:~$ modinfo rtl8821aefilename: /lib/modules/5.4.0-58-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/rtl8821ae.kofirmware: rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw_29.binfirmware: rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bindescription: Realtek 8821ae 802.11ac PCI wirelesslicense: GPLauthor: Realtek WlanFAE <wlanfae@realtek.com>srcversion: A8B43BD1DD5C4F8EC9C4F6Aalias: pci:v000010ECd00008821sv*sd*bc*sc*i*alias: pci:v000010ECd00008812sv*sd*bc*sc*i*depends: rtlwifi,rtl_pci,btcoexist,mac80211retpoline: Yintree: Yname: rtl8821aevermagic: 5.4.0-58-generic SMP mod_unload sig_id: PKCS#7signer: Build time autogenerated kernel keysig_key: 4F:99:95:CB:A3:36:65:3E:1E:5A:30:73:58:12:C3:10:81:02:EA:FFsig_hashalgo: sha512signature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parm: swenc:Set to 1 for software crypto (default 0) (bool)parm: ips:Set to 0 to not use link power save (default 1) (bool)parm: swlps:Set to 1 to use SW control power save (default 0) (bool)parm: fwlps:Set to 1 to use FW control power save (default 1) (bool)parm: msi:Set to 1 to use MSI interrupts mode (default 1) (bool)parm: aspm:Set to 1 to enable ASPM (default 1) (int)parm: debug_level:Set debug level (0-5) (default 0) (int)parm: debug_mask:Set debug mask (default 0) (ullong)parm: disable_watchdog:Set to 1 to disable the watchdog (default 0) (bool)parm: int_clear:Set to 0 to disable interrupt clear before set (default 1) (bool)Looks like driver name matches. And driver version gives me a clue that it is a driver from the kernel. While driver module size (according to lsmod) is equal and the driver version is greater for Ubuntu, how comes it is so slow on any distro but Mint? What else can I check to figure out the difference and how can I enable fast Wi-Fi on any other distro? With Linux Mint now I know for sure that it is possible.
UPD: added modinfo output. The srcversion differs (as expected). The Linux Mint kernel/driver version is older. If it is a regression in newer Realtek driver/kernel, what is the best place to submit a bug report?
UPD2: If I update linux Kernel from 5.4 to 5.8, wifi becomes slow. Looks like I need to submit a kernel bug. But before it I would like to check if the latest stable kernel (5.11) have the problem.