Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML USB adapter with Zorin OS 17.2 (Pro) - WiFi & Bluetooth now working fine

[schories]

Hi,

maybe this helps other users to use WiFi & Bluetooth with the Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML USB adapter on Zorin OS 17.2 (very nice for switching older Windows users to Linux btw.).

Please:

1. First unplug Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML

2. Make sure you are running this with privileged access.
   su

3. Enable the mt7921u module, as this also perfectly supports the mt7921aun variant in this particular device
   modprobe mt7921u

4. Add vendor id "vid" and product id "pid" of the Alfa AWUS036AXML device
   echo 0E8D 7961 > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/mt7921u/new_id

5. Make sure /lib/firmware/mediatek exists

6. Download latest WiFi & Bluetooth firmware blobs into /lib/firmware/mediatek

# - overwriting older firmware version
# - successfully tested with firmware version commited with/by/on
#    author	Mario Limonciello <[email protected]>	
#    date 2024-11-28 19:25:19 +0000
#    commit	e6c08272f15b6802bd9832a364074ec7e8a37166
# - directly from
wget -O /lib/firmware/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin
wget -O /lib/firmware/mediatek/WIFI_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1.bin https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/mediatek/WIFI_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1.bin
wget -O /lib/firmware/mediatek/WIFI_MT7961_patch_mcu_1_2_hdr.bin https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/mediatek/WIFI_MT7961_patch_mcu_1_2_hdr.bin

7. finally plug in the Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML device into a USB port (ideally USB 3.0+ of course)

[morrownr]

@schories

Thanks for the post. If it is okay with you, I would like to include this issue in a communication with Alfa Networks. It is not clear to me that Alfa fully understands what we have been dealing with for the last several months. We need to get to the bottom of this. Can I get you to reply with the symptoms / problem you were seeing so that those who read your message know what problem you are working around. Thanks.

@morrownr

[schories]

If it is okay with you, I would like to include this issue in a communication with Alfa Networks. It is not clear to me that Alfa fully understands what we have been dealing with for the last several months.

Absolutely.

We need to get to the bottom of this.

Yes, I agree.

Can I get you to reply with the symptoms / problem you were seeing so that those who read your message know what problem you are working around

• When connecting the Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML USB adapter on Zorin OS 17.2 nothing is found, neither WiFi nor Bluetooth.

• When enabling the module (step 3 above) and adding the Alfa Networks specific vid & pid (step 4 above) "lsusb" hangs, as already perfectly explained here by Marc Payne. Still neither WiFi nor Bluetooth work. Only when deleting "lib/firmware/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin" WiFi starts working, but of course no Bluetooth.

• When overwriting the 3 files supplied with Zorin OS 17.2 with the ones from 2024-11-28 19:25:19 (step 6 above), Wifi and Bluetooth work simultaneously. However, I still have trouble pairing Logitech devices though. I'll investigate further. Please also feel free to send me tests - if I can help, I will. :)

Thank you VERY MUCH for this AWESOME WORK!!

[morrownr]

@schories

Let me get this straight:

When enabling the module (step 3 above) and adding the Alfa Networks specific vid & pid (step 4 above) "lsusb" hangs...

It is not clear to me what adding the specific vid/pid like shown is doing and then you say it hangs... so it must not be a good workaround?

Only when deleting "lib/firmware/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin" WiFi starts working, but of course no Bluetooth.

This is what I have been suggesting to users of the affected adapters. It seems to be the cleanest solution but it should not be necessary. The Linux user community has a lot of non-techies these days and they expect things to Just Work. I have been watching this issue and gathering information for several months now. There is no doubt in my mind bluetooth is involved in this issue and not wifi, even though wifi is affected. Here are some things that I think that I know:

• There are only 3 usb wifi adapters that have been reported to have this problem: COMFAST CF-953AX, Alfa AXML and Alfa AXM. All 3 adapters were early in the product cycle. In fact, they came on the market I think I remember as the first 3 adapters with the mt7921au chip. The Alfa AXML has been reported more often than the other two adapters but that is probably because it has sold more.

• There seems to be a desire to blame the bluetooth stack or mediatek bluetooth firmware but how do we explain this: No matter the version of bluetooth firmware none of the other adapters on the market with this mt7921au chip show this problem. I have two adapters that use the mt7921au chip: EDUP EP-AX1672 and the ALFA AXML. The EDUP adapter does not show this problem while my Alfa AXML does. I have heard nothing about this from Netgear users or Edup users or Fenvi users. How do we explain this? Could it be an eeprom issue with the adapters that show this problem?

If it is a problem of Linux detecting bluetooth support but bluetooth is not really there, then the bluetooth stack is behaving badly. That is a Linux kernel issue but it would take the parties that are involved to come together and work a solution. The parties would be Mediatek, Alfa and the Linux kernel bluetooth head maintainer.

You might think this would be easy but it is not. Adapter makers buy their chips from chip brokers, not directly from the company that designs and makes the chips. This impedes the flows of information.

• Another thing that is puzzling to me is that I have had a couple of Alfa AXML users report that bluetooth works on their AXML. Bluetooth has never worked on my AXML. I did not want bluetooth because it has a history of causing problems... like that is not obvious. Back in 2013 Intel released a White Paper spelling out interference problems that USB3 causes. USB3 cables and connections emit a radio signal that interferes with the 2.4 GHz band which is where bluetooth works. That is why we have seen ALL USB adapters that are combo units be limited to USB2...and, of course, who wants a wifi adapter that is capable of USB3 to be limited to USB2? Not many people so the combo adapters have not sold well at all. One of the main things I tell Linux users is to avoid combo adapters. I've been telling people that for years.

This is not an easy problem to solve. I think it will take people that don't normally work together to find the best solution.

When overwriting the 3 files supplied with Zorin OS 17.2 with the ones from 2024-11-28 19:25:19 (step 6 above), Wifi and Bluetooth work simultaneously. However, I still have trouble pairing Logitech devices though. I'll investigate further.

So, possibly the very latest firmware helps? Are you sure that your AXML supports bluetooth? Have you ever had it successfully connected and passing data to or from any other bluetooth device?

[schories]

It is not clear to me what adding the specific vid/pid like shown is doing and then you say it hangs... so it must not be a good workaround?

Not good. It is not enough - neither WiFi nor BT work. When running "lsusb" command there is no output, it "hangs" forever. Only removing the device from the USB port helps. Then "lsusb" command works again.
The ONLY way to get it working is

• EITHER deleting "lib/firmware/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin"; then at least WiFi works
• OR overwriting "lib/firmware/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin" with the latest firmware; then Wifi & BT work

This is not an easy problem to solve. I think it will take people that don't normally work together to find the best solution.

Agreed.

So, possibly the very latest firmware helps? Are you sure that your AXML supports bluetooth? Have you ever had it successfully connected and passing data to or from any other bluetooth device?

With "BT_RAM_CODE_MT7961_1_2_hdr.bin" from 2024-11-28 19:25:19 +0000 Bluetooth is scanning and finding devices. However, pairing with a Logitech Mouse or Logitech Keyboards still fails.

Yes, my Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML should have Bluetooth. However, it doesn't work under Windows with the latest Bluetooth driver (1.1036.0.389) either: Device can't be started. Yellow exclamation mark.

And, no, I never got Bluetooth truly working with the Alfa Networks AWUS036AXML - neither Windows, nor Linux. In Linux it at least now scans, but pairing still fails.

[schories]

There are only 3 usb wifi adapters that have been reported to have this problem: COMFAST CF-953AX, Alfa AXML and Alfa AXM. All 3 adapters were early in the product cycle. In fact, they came on the market I think I remember as the first 3 adapters with the mt7921au chip. The Alfa AXML has been reported more often than the other two adapters but that is probably because it has sold more.

That's a smart observation. Maybe the first chips or layouts have issues - thus later devices are not affected. But that's difficult to prove.

[schories]

At least, thanks to your work and the other people here, WiFi is working great. However, it still requires

1. to add vid + pid
2. and ALSO then

• either Bluetooth BIN deleted
• or updated.

[morrownr]

Thanks again for the reports. I have not had time to test with the latest firmware so will do that soon. Hopefully, a solid solution is found so that our AXML's are truly plug and play again.

[fhteagle]

Maybe we should be tracking hardware rev versions of the CF953, AXML, etc when we are bug reporting here and elsewhere? Might be easier to find a pattern of symptoms if we can identify a signifcant hardware change and therefore symptoms.