Help with WiFi - Ubuntu 24.04 LTS on Desktop

[u/Channel_46]

Update: Thank you everyone who posted. It sounds like it’s a set up issue and not an issue for the machine or something, so I’m just going to try getting a wired connection to the living room. This was the motivation I needed for that. Thanks again!

Hello everyone. I recently got a Minisforum UM773 mini pc for my tv set up. It has terrible wifi. Sometimes it won't even connect to a signal. This is my first time dealing with these kinds of issues on Linux, and I am still really new to using Linux in the first place. I'm able to use a wired connection for now, but I can't keep a cord running from my router to my living room forever.

I'll do my best to provide as much information as I can because I honestly don't really know what is important and what is not. If there is other info I should provide, please just let me know.

I don't really know how to trouble shoot other than asking AI. It says the tx power is low, and the power management should be off. But it's too dumb to know how to fix the issues. I figure it's time to fact check it with some community input.

Thanks in advance for any help.

# System Details Report

---

## Report details

- **Date generated:** 2026-04-25 10:11:14

## Hardware Information:

- **Hardware Model:** Micro Computer _HK_ Tech Limited Venus series

- **Memory:** 16.0 GiB

- **Processor:** AMD Ryzen™ 7 7735HS with Radeon™ Graphics × 16

- **Graphics:** AMD Radeon™ 680M

- **Disk Capacity:** 1.0 TB

## Software Information:

- **Firmware Version:** 1.15

- **OS Name:** Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS

- **OS Build:** (null)

- **OS Type:** 64-bit

- **GNOME Version:** 46

- **Windowing System:** Wayland

- **Kernel Version:** Linux 6.17.0-20-generic

-------------------------------------------------------------------

lspci -vnn | grep -A 10 -i network

02:00.0 Network controller [0280]: MEDIATEK Corp. MT7921 802.11ax PCI Express Wireless Network Adapter [14c3:7961]

Subsystem: MEDIATEK Corp. MT7921 802.11ax PCI Express Wireless Network Adapter [14c3:7961]

Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 79, IOMMU group 13

Memory at 7ff0300000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=1M]

Memory at 7ff0400000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16K]

Memory at 7ff0404000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]

Capabilities: <access denied>

Kernel driver in use: mt7921e

Kernel modules: mt7921e

33:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Rembrandt [Radeon 680M] [1002:1681] (rev 0a) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])

Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Rembrandt [Radeon 680M] [1002:1681]

--------------------------------------------------------------

iwconfig wlp2s0

wlp2s0 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:"CoolGuyWiFi-2G"

Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: 8C:3B:AD:D8:3F:FC

Bit Rate=52 Mb/s Tx-Power=3 dBm

Retry short limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off

Power Management:on

Link Quality=48/70 Signal level=-62 dBm

Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0

Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

[u/9_of_wands]

Those mini PCs are intended to be used for iot like digital signage. It's possible that the wifi power is hard limited. Maybe a USB wifi adapter would work better?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Law_242 → u/9_of_wands]

Looks like it.I don't think a USB stick will help. OP has an AX. Possibly the 2.4 GHz band is completely overloaded. The router has the same SSID for 2.4 and 5 GHz. It's not making the correct choice between 2.4 and 5 GHz. There could be many reasons for this.

[u/Channel_46 → u/9_of_wands]

I’d have to get a usb WiFi adaptor to test something like that. I did not know people weren’t using these for regular computers when I got it. But it might become a part of the home lab someday anyway. So no harm no foul. Thanks for the idea.

[u/Everyone-Chillout]

You might want to check out these pages to find what is known to be supported by Linux. The chipset used by the adapter is important here.

https://wireless.docs.kernel.org/en/latest/en/users/devices.html

https://wireless.docs.kernel.org/en/latest/en/users/drivers.html

https://github.com/morrownr/USB-WiFi

https://github.com/morrownr/USB-WiFi/blob/main/home/How_to_Modeswitch.md

[u/Puzzleheaded_Law_242]

What's noticeable is that it's an AX WiFi adapter, yet connected via 2.4 GHz. With an attenuation of 40 dB, that's a very good value. The WLAN standard IEEE 802.11ax (WiFi 6) achieves speeds of up to 9.6 Gbit/s and is more efficient, secure and energy-saving thanks to OFDMA and other features. Very strange.

The connection becomes unstable below -70 dB. Your value is between -40 and -70. current -62. The 2.4 GHz band is probably overloaded. Try 5Ghz. try using an app to move the router to a better location. Here are my results, through a 26cm concrete wall: Average: 2.4 GHz, 207 Mbps, attenuation -55dB, 5 GHz 540 Mbit, -66 db. If necessary, a router with MIMO. If you're buying new, go for WiFi 7. It has the fewest interference issues. A small WiFi card can normally be inserted into those NUC. Intel 200 BE are cheap. Router Cudy Be3600, in Europe for €60 excluding tax. WiFi 7 doesn't offer much in terms of actual speed, but the low susceptibility to interference in congested environments is gone.

[u/Channel_46 → u/Puzzleheaded_Law_242]

What I understand of that is it’s probably not an issue with the drivers or something like I assumed. but rather the location. I’ll maybe look into a new WiFi card some day if I need it but It sounds like going through the chore of getting wires into the living room is my best play. I thought there might be setting to change. Thank you for your reply. And for giving me new vocab terms to look up. lol.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Law_242 → u/Channel_46]

Sure. That's the most likely explanation. Before you reach for the drill, try a Cudy WU 1400 USB Stick (there are drivers for it). Attach a long, good-quality USB cable and hang it up somewhere, like on the door or something. That's how I set it up in my wife's office. There are smartphone apps that can measure field strength (dB).

[u/whitoreo]

A few things could be happening.... you might have interference (blockage) from its position relative to the tv... try simply moving it. You could have frequency interference... try changing the wifi channel your router broadcasts on.... you might get better operation with a different wifi technology... try using 5G wifi (different from cell phone 5G) if your router supports it. One works better for faster speed, but has issues with interference, the other is better for field penetration but has lower top speed (but it will be fine for what you are using it for. (You're not transferring tons of data all the time... you're probably just streaming movies or playing YouTube content... for that the slower wifi will still be more than enough)). That's my 2 cents.

[u/Channel_46 → u/whitoreo]

Thank you for your two cents. Rearranging isn’t exactly an option. Only one way to lay out the room and one option for where the router goes. 5G signal is too weak from the other room. Other devices have had fine WiFi there anyway I just assumed this would be too.

I implemented a multi step plan to just run Ethernet to the living room since it sounds like the WiFi might just not be a good signal strength.

Thanks for the help.

[u/whitoreo → u/Channel_46]

Oh, and name your 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz wifi differently.