I'm struggling with my Lenovo ThinkPad L470 which has a Realtek RTL8822BE 802.11 WiFi adapter. Every time I try to connect to a network during installation, I keep encountering errors, the most notable being:
'rtw_8822be 0000:05:00.0: failed to send h2c command.'
I've tried installing both Arch and Debian, but the network fails every time, leaving me stuck. I've heard this chipset can have issues with newer kernels, but I don't know how to handle it, especially since I can't download the necessary drivers without an internet connection. What are my options?
4 Answers
Also worth mentioning: if you have a newer Android phone, you can enable USB tethering. Just connect it to your laptop, and you should have internet for the installation!
Get through the installation, and then you can tackle the WiFi driver issues later on. Good luck!
First off, you could try using an Ethernet cable for your installation and then do a system update afterwards. After that, check for any additional drivers you might need in the hardware settings—this is often necessary for some installations.
If that doesn’t work, I'd suggest picking up a USB AC wifi adapter. They are fairly inexpensive and can help you avoid these issues entirely. Some built-in WiFi cards don’t play nicely with Linux, so having a backup always helps!
Yep, had the same problem! Switching to Ethernet when I installed helped a ton. You can definitely fix it once you're in.
Just to stay vigilant, the Realtek 8822 series isn't known for being Linux-friendly. If you're open to spending a little cash and don't mind some tinkering, you could replace it with an Intel AX210 for a much smoother experience. It's plug-and-play with Linux, and you'll love the performance!
I feel you on that! But I'd try the other solutions first before spending money. This laptop already gives me enough trouble!
If I can replace it, I might, but I'm checking all the other options first. Thanks for the tip!
If you're not able to use Ethernet, try USB tethering with your smartphone. This could give you temporary internet access to download necessary drivers.
Also, there's a community-made driver available on GitHub that might work for you—just download it onto a USB, extract it, and then follow their instructions in the terminal to install it. That process could solve your WiFi issues.
Great suggestion! That GitHub link could be a game changer. Just make sure you follow the steps carefully!
I had to do something similar once, and it worked. Manually reinstalling drivers can really make a difference.
Totally agree! A USB adapter can be a lifesaver for Linux installs—definitely keep one on hand for future use.