The Lenovo ThinkPad E570 is a reliable and robust laptop that is popular among business users and students alike. However, some users have reported issues with the Wi-Fi connectivity when using the Realtek RTL8821CE wireless chip, especially on Ubuntu. This article will provide detailed steps on how to address and fix these Wi-Fi issues.
Understanding the Problem
The Realtek RTL8821CE wireless chip may not be recognized by the Ubuntu operating system out of the box. This can result in the Wi-Fi not working, leaving the user without any wireless internet connection. The problem lies in the lack of support for the RTL8821CE chip in the Linux kernel versions that come pre-installed with Ubuntu.
Solution 1: Install the rtl8821ce-dkms package
The first solution is to install the rtl8821ce-dkms package. The dkms in the package name stands for Dynamic Kernel Module Support, which is a program/framework that enables generating Linux kernel modules whose sources generally reside outside the kernel source tree.
Open a terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install rtl8821ce-dkmsThe sudo apt update command updates the list of available packages and their versions, but it does not install or upgrade any packages. The sudo apt install rtl8821ce-dkms command installs the rtl8821ce-dkms package.
After running these commands, reboot your system.
Solution 2: Compile and Install the Driver Manually
If the first solution does not work, you can try to compile and install the driver manually. This requires a bit more work, but it can be more effective.
First, install the necessary packages for building the driver:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall git dkms build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)The git package is a version control system that lets you track your files’ changes, while dkms is a framework that allows kernel modules to be dynamically built for each kernel on your system. The build-essential package includes informational files and the like described as documentation, which include man pages and HTML files. linux-headers-$(uname -r) installs the header files for the current Linux kernel.
Next, clone the rtl8821ce repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/tomaspinho/rtl8821ceThis command creates a copy of the entire rtl8821ce repository from GitHub on your local machine.
Navigate to the cloned repository:
cd rtl8821ceThis command changes the current directory to the cloned repository.
Make the installation scripts executable:
chmod +x dkms-install.sh
chmod +x dkms-remove.shThe chmod +x command changes the permissions of the file to make it executable.
Finally, install the driver using the provided script:
sudo ./dkms-install.shThis command runs the dkms-install.sh script, which compiles and installs the driver.
After running these commands, reboot your system.
Solution 3: Use the rtw88 driver
The third solution is to use the rtw88 driver. This is a newer driver that supports a wider range of Realtek Wi-Fi chips, including the RTL8821CE.
First, install the necessary packages for building the driver:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall git dkms build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)Next, clone the rtw88 repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtw88.gitAdd the driver to DKMS:
sudo dkms add ./rtw88This command adds the rtw88 driver to the list of drivers that DKMS will compile and manage.
Install the driver using DKMS:
sudo dkms install rtlwifi-new/0.6This command tells DKMS to compile and install the rtw88 driver.
After running these commands, reboot your system.
Conclusion
Fixing the Wi-Fi on a Lenovo ThinkPad E570 with a Realtek RTL8821CE chip can be a bit challenging, especially for new Ubuntu users. However, with the right instructions and a bit of patience, you can get your Wi-Fi working again. Always remember to backup your system before making any changes and proceed with caution.
The rtl8821ce-dkms package is used to provide support for the Realtek RTL8821CE wireless chip in the Ubuntu operating system. It installs the necessary kernel modules to enable Wi-Fi functionality.
To install the rtl8821ce-dkms package, open a terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install rtl8821ce-dkmsAfter installation, reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
If the first solution of installing the rtl8821ce-dkms package doesn’t work, you can try manually compiling and installing the driver. Refer to Solution 2 in the article for detailed steps on how to do this.
To clone the rtl8821ce repository from GitHub, open a terminal and run the following command:
git clone https://github.com/tomaspinho/rtl8821ceThis command will create a local copy of the repository on your machine.
The rtw88 driver is known to support a wide range of Realtek Wi-Fi chips, including the RTL8821CE. You can check the compatibility of your chip by referring to the documentation or the GitHub repository of the rtw88 driver.
To add the rtw88 driver to DKMS, open a terminal and navigate to the cloned rtw88 repository. Then, run the following command:
sudo dkms add ./rtw88This command adds the rtw88 driver to the list of drivers managed by DKMS.
If none of the solutions provided in the article work, you can try seeking help from the Ubuntu community forums or other online forums where experienced users may be able to assist you. It’s also worth considering updating your Ubuntu version to a newer release, as it may include better support for the RTL8821CE chip.
