Linux does not see Wi-Fi on Intel chipset. “firmware: failed to load iwlwifi” error (SOLVED)

Built-in Wi-Fi adapter manufactured by Intel is not detected by the system. Linux does not see the Wi-Fi device as if it is not connected.

To view system events since the last boot, run the following command.

journalctl -b

You can scroll through the output or search for “iwlwifi”.

An example output related to a non-working Wi-Fi adapter on an Intel chipset:

Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi driver for Linux
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-46.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: firmware_class: See https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware for information about missing firmware
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-46.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-45.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-45.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-44.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-44.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-43.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-43.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-42.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-42.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-41.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-41.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-40.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-40.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-39.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-39.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-38.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-38.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-37.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-37.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-36.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-36.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-35.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-35.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-33.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-33.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-32.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-32.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-31.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-31.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-30.ucode (-2)
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-30.ucode failed with error -2
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: minimum version required: iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-30
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: maximum version supported: iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-46
Jan 27 11:57:00 HackWare-Kali kernel: iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: check git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git

To search the system log, you can use the following command:

journalctl -b | grep iwlwifi

In the output, the key line is “firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-9000-*.ucode (-2)”, that is, it was not possible to load the iwlwifi firmware.

Searching the package repository

apt search iwlwifi

showed that in Kali Linux, the iwlwifi firmware is placed in the firmware-iwlwifi package, install it:

sudo apt install firmware-iwlwifi

On Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Debian, run the following command to install the firmware:

sudo apt install firmware-iwlwifi

On Arch Linux, Manjaro, BlackArch and their derivatives, run the command:

sudo pacman -S linux-firmware

After installing the firmware and restarting the computer, the problem will disappear and the Wi-Fi adapter will work.