Skip to main content

5.7 WiFi Connection Failure

Typical Symptoms: After entering the SSID and password in the WiFi Configuration pop-up window, connection fails / connection appears successful but ip addr shows that wlan0 hasn't obtained an IP address / WiFi configuration is lost after reboot.

30-Second Diagnosis​

Run these three commands on the board to identify which step is failing:

nmcli dev status                # Check if the WiFi module is functioning properly
nmcli dev wifi list             # Check if the target SSID is visible
nmcli dev wifi connect "TargetSSID" password "Password"  # Manually connect

Troubleshooting Checklist​

  1. SSID Scanning — When nmcli dev wifi list doesn't show the target network:

    • Weak signal (< -70 dBm): move closer to the router
    • 5 GHz-only router + board only has a 2.4 GHz module → switch routers or enable 2.4 GHz band
    • Hidden SSID: nmcli dev wifi connect "SSID" password "Password" hidden yes

  2. Incorrect Password — nmcli won't explicitly tell you this; it generically reports Error: Connection activation failed. Retry manually and pay attention to case sensitivity.

  3. DHCP Failure — Connected but no IP assigned:

    sudo dhclient wlan0
    # or
    sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

  4. Driver Issues — On RDK X3 / X5 boards, the WiFi module occasionally needs reloading:

    sudo rmmod 8852be
    sudo modprobe 8852be

    Check the exact module name using lsmod | grep 88.

Permanent Solutions​

  • In the WiFi Configuration pop-up, check "Save Configuration" so Studio deploys persistent settings to NetworkManager on the board.
  • If configuration disappears after reboot, NetworkManager likely isn't set to auto-start: sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.
  • For long-term production environments, we recommend using Ethernet + static IP.
Last updated on