rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[David Rubio]

On the kernel 5.9 there's support for the RTL8821CE chipset, but my
variant seems to not be supported:

Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: rfe 2 isn't supported
Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: failed to setup
chip efuse info
Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: failed to setup
chip information


If you need any further information please reply with what steps I should take.
There's no wifi working at all here, and those are all of the messages I get.

Thanks you!

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Brian Norris]

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 9:13 AM David Rubio
<david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: rfe 2 isn't supported

I'm not sure anything changed since the last time this came up:

https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/

I think this needs somebody from Realtek to look, or else ignore the
objections and merge the sub-optimal (trivial) patch. I'm not sure of
the ramifications of doing the latter.

Brian

RE: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Andy Huang]

The support for RFE type 2 of 8821ce, the patches are ready, but we need to do some verifications. After the verification it will be upload.

Tzu-En

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Norris <briannorris@chromium.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2020 2:13 AM
To: David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com>
Cc: linux-wireless <linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org>; Yan-Hsuan Chuang <tony0620emma@gmail.com>; Kai-Heng Feng <kai.heng.feng@canonical.com>
Subject: Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 9:13 AM David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: rfe 2 isn't 
> supported

I'm not sure anything changed since the last time this came up:

https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/

I think this needs somebody from Realtek to look, or else ignore the objections and merge the sub-optimal (trivial) patch. I'm not sure of the ramifications of doing the latter.

Brian

------Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Larry Finger]

On 10/12/20 9:11 PM, Andy Huang wrote:
> The support for RFE type 2 of 8821ce, the patches are ready, but we need to do some verifications. After the verification it will be upload.
> 
> Tzu-En
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian Norris <briannorris@chromium.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2020 2:13 AM
> To: David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com>
> Cc: linux-wireless <linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org>; Yan-Hsuan Chuang <tony0620emma@gmail.com>; Kai-Heng Feng <kai.heng.feng@canonical.com>
> Subject: Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported
> 
> On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 9:13 AM David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: rfe 2 isn't
>> supported
> 
> I'm not sure anything changed since the last time this came up:
> 
> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
> 
> I think this needs somebody from Realtek to look, or else ignore the objections and merge the sub-optimal (trivial) patch. I'm not sure of the ramifications of doing the latter.
> 

Once the patches are uploaded, I will merge them with rtw88 at GitHub.

Larry

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[David Rubio]

> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/

I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
BT device paired breaks?)

Thanks for making me aware of it!
- Kodehawa

El lun., 12 oct. 2020 a las 23:37, Larry Finger
(<Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net>) escribió:
>
> On 10/12/20 9:11 PM, Andy Huang wrote:
> > The support for RFE type 2 of 8821ce, the patches are ready, but we need to do some verifications. After the verification it will be upload.
> >
> > Tzu-En
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Brian Norris <briannorris@chromium.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2020 2:13 AM
> > To: David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com>
> > Cc: linux-wireless <linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org>; Yan-Hsuan Chuang <tony0620emma@gmail.com>; Kai-Heng Feng <kai.heng.feng@canonical.com>
> > Subject: Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported
> >
> > On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 9:13 AM David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Oct 11 12:20:39 youmu kernel: rtw_8821ce 0000:02:00.0: rfe 2 isn't
> >> supported
> >
> > I'm not sure anything changed since the last time this came up:
> >
> > https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
> >
> > I think this needs somebody from Realtek to look, or else ignore the objections and merge the sub-optimal (trivial) patch. I'm not sure of the ramifications of doing the latter.
> >
>
> Once the patches are uploaded, I will merge them with rtw88 at GitHub.
>
> Larry
>

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Kalle Valo]

David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:

>> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
>
> I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
> to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
> though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
> understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
> BT device paired breaks?)

If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.

I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:

https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/

-- 
https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/list/

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[David Rubio]

There's no possibility of including it on 5.10 changes? Seems like a
trivial patch
Or did the merge window pass already? I'm not aware of it by now.

Thanks though. Very much appreciated.

El dom., 18 oct. 2020 a las 6:11, Kalle Valo (<kvalo@codeaurora.org>) escribió:
>
> David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
> >
> > I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
> > to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
> > though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
> > understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
> > BT device paired breaks?)
>
> If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
> issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
> reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.
>
> I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
> wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:
>
> https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/
>
> --
> https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/list/
>
> https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Kalle Valo]

David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:

> There's no possibility of including it on 5.10 changes? Seems like a
> trivial patch Or did the merge window pass already? I'm not aware of
> it by now.

wireless-drivers-next goes via net-next and the deadline for net-next is
before the merge window opens, so it's too late for v5.10.

-- 
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Larry Finger]

On 10/18/20 4:11 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:
> 
>>> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
>>
>> I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
>> to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
>> though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
>> understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
>> BT device paired breaks?)
> 
> If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
> issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
> reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.
> 
> I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
> wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:
> 
> https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/

Kalle,

I had generated and applied that trivial patch to my GitHub repo with the rtw88 
drivers a couple of months ago. Yes, it does get the user past the 
initialization check; however, wifi performance is abysmal according the the 
users of the repo. It seems that the antenna selection of rfe 2 models affects 
wifi as well as BT. Applying this patch will get wifi running; however, the 
users will need to be within 1 m of the AP for it to work! I do not have an 
RTL8821CE chip, thus I have not tested myself.

Larry

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[David Rubio]

Makes sense I guess. My room is 7m^2 so can't test beyond that.
Small room issues, or well, not issues, I guess.

- Kodehawa

El lun., 19 oct. 2020 a las 14:10, Larry Finger
(<Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net>) escribió:
>
> On 10/18/20 4:11 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:
> >
> >>> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
> >>
> >> I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
> >> to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
> >> though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
> >> understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
> >> BT device paired breaks?)
> >
> > If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
> > issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
> > reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.
> >
> > I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
> > wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:
> >
> > https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/
>
> Kalle,
>
> I had generated and applied that trivial patch to my GitHub repo with the rtw88
> drivers a couple of months ago. Yes, it does get the user past the
> initialization check; however, wifi performance is abysmal according the the
> users of the repo. It seems that the antenna selection of rfe 2 models affects
> wifi as well as BT. Applying this patch will get wifi running; however, the
> users will need to be within 1 m of the AP for it to work! I do not have an
> RTL8821CE chip, thus I have not tested myself.
>
> Larry
>

RE: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Andy Huang]

David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes,
> 
> Makes sense I guess. My room is 7m^2 so can't test beyond that.
> Small room issues, or well, not issues, I guess.
> 
> - Kodehawa
> 
> El lun., 19 oct. 2020 a las 14:10, Larry Finger
> (<Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net>) escribió:
> >
> > On 10/18/20 4:11 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > > David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:
> > >
> > >>>
> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@r
> ealtek.com/
> > >>
> > >> I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
> > >> to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
> > >> though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
> > >> understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
> > >> BT device paired breaks?)
> > >
> > > If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
> > > issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
> > > reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.
> > >
> > > I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
> > > wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:
> > >
> > >
> https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30
> 092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/
> >
> > Kalle,
> >
> > I had generated and applied that trivial patch to my GitHub repo with the
> rtw88
> > drivers a couple of months ago. Yes, it does get the user past the
> > initialization check; however, wifi performance is abysmal according the the
> > users of the repo. It seems that the antenna selection of rfe 2 models affects
> > wifi as well as BT. Applying this patch will get wifi running; however, the
> > users will need to be within 1 m of the AP for it to work! I do not have an
> > RTL8821CE chip, thus I have not tested myself.
> >
> > Larry
> >
> 
David,

What is the band for the test, 2.4GHz or 5GHz?
Without setting to a correct rf module for RFE type 2, you might encounter some
problems on 2.4GHz band.
In my test, on 2.4GHz band, with the wrong setting, it could not connect to an AP.

Tzu-En

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[David Rubio]

5GHz. Haven't really tried 2.4GHz.

So basically with that patch, 5GHz works ok-ish, and 2.4GHz is broken?

- Kodehawa

El mié., 21 oct. 2020 a las 0:41, Andy Huang (<tehuang@realtek.com>) escribió:
>
>
> David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes,
> >
> > Makes sense I guess. My room is 7m^2 so can't test beyond that.
> > Small room issues, or well, not issues, I guess.
> >
> > - Kodehawa
> >
> > El lun., 19 oct. 2020 a las 14:10, Larry Finger
> > (<Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net>) escribió:
> > >
> > > On 10/18/20 4:11 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > > > David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:
> > > >
> > > >>>
> > https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@r
> > ealtek.com/
> > > >>
> > > >> I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
> > > >> to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
> > > >> though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
> > > >> understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
> > > >> BT device paired breaks?)
> > > >
> > > > If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
> > > > issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
> > > > reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.
> > > >
> > > > I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
> > > > wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:
> > > >
> > > >
> > https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30
> > 092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/
> > >
> > > Kalle,
> > >
> > > I had generated and applied that trivial patch to my GitHub repo with the
> > rtw88
> > > drivers a couple of months ago. Yes, it does get the user past the
> > > initialization check; however, wifi performance is abysmal according the the
> > > users of the repo. It seems that the antenna selection of rfe 2 models affects
> > > wifi as well as BT. Applying this patch will get wifi running; however, the
> > > users will need to be within 1 m of the AP for it to work! I do not have an
> > > RTL8821CE chip, thus I have not tested myself.
> > >
> > > Larry
> > >
> >
> David,
>
> What is the band for the test, 2.4GHz or 5GHz?
> Without setting to a correct rf module for RFE type 2, you might encounter some
> problems on 2.4GHz band.
> In my test, on 2.4GHz band, with the wrong setting, it could not connect to an AP.
>
> Tzu-En

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Kalle Valo]

Larry Finger <Larry.Finger@lwfinger.net> writes:

> On 10/18/20 4:11 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
>> David Rubio <david.alejandro.rubio@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>>>
>>> https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/c0c336d806584361992d4b52665fbb82@realtek.com/
>>>
>>> I tested that patch. Works fine for me for wifi, but I can't test BT
>>> to be sure it works 100%. Most people will be fine with just wifi
>>> though, I guess, considering the objections were mostly about BT (I
>>> understood -from the objection- that connecting to a AP when having a
>>> BT device paired breaks?)
>>
>> If the patch helps people to get wifi working we should take it, BT coex
>> issues can be fixed in followup patches. IIRC there has been multiple
>> reports about this so I'm leaning towards taking the patch to v5.11.
>>
>> I changed the patch to New state and my plan is to take it to
>> wireless-drivers-next once the tree opens:
>>
>> https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20200805084559.30092-1-kai.heng.feng@canonical.com/
>
> Kalle,
>
> I had generated and applied that trivial patch to my GitHub repo with
> the rtw88 drivers a couple of months ago. Yes, it does get the user
> past the initialization check; however, wifi performance is abysmal
> according the the users of the repo. It seems that the antenna
> selection of rfe 2 models affects wifi as well as BT. Applying this
> patch will get wifi running; however, the users will need to be within
> 1 m of the AP for it to work! I do not have an RTL8821CE chip, thus I
> have not tested myself.

Ok, I will drop the patch then. But it would be really nice to enable
even some level of support for rfe 2, can't we find some solution? Like
disabling 2.4 GHz band for that rfe or something?

-- 
https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/list/

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches

Re: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Larry Finger]

On 10/22/20 12:53 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> Ok, I will drop the patch then. But it would be really nice to enable
> even some level of support for rfe 2, can't we find some solution? Like
> disabling 2.4 GHz band for that rfe or something?

The E-mail from Realtek 
(https://marc.info/?l=linux-wireless&m=160255510004938&w=2) says that the 
patches are ready; however, they need to do some "verification". To me (without 
proof), that implies a regulatory problem, and it is better that we not enable 
rfe 2 without the official patches.

I hope those patches will be forthcoming very soon.

Larry

RE: rtw88 / rtl_8821ce: rfe 2 is not supported

[Andy Huang]

From: Larry Finger <larry.finger@gmail.com> On Behalf Of Larry Finger
> 
> On 10/22/20 12:53 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > Ok, I will drop the patch then. But it would be really nice to enable
> > even some level of support for rfe 2, can't we find some solution? Like
> > disabling 2.4 GHz band for that rfe or something?
> 
> The E-mail from Realtek
> (https://marc.info/?l=linux-wireless&m=160255510004938&w=2) says that the
> patches are ready; however, they need to do some "verification". To me
> (without
> proof), that implies a regulatory problem, and it is better that we not enable
> rfe 2 without the official patches.
> 
> I hope those patches will be forthcoming very soon.
> 
> Larry
> 
The verification is not related to regulatory. It is that our QA team tests the some
functionalities (performance, BT coex etc.) of RFE type 2. If the test run successfully,
the patch will be sent in the next 2 weeks.

Tzu-En