WiFi permanently disappeared after booting test kernel [SOLVED]

[Mike Fleetwood]

On 31 January 2013 23:34, Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko at greshko.com> wrote:
> On 02/01/2013 06:19 AM, Mike Fleetwood wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> On my netbook I booted a test kernel 3.8.0-rc4+ I compiled.  Now after
>> booting back into my regular Fedora kernel 3.6.11-5.fc17.i686.PAE my
>> wifi network device remains permanently disappeared.  No wifi networks
>> displayed in Network Manager gui.  Also the Network Manager syslog
>> messages make it look like the device has completely disappeared.
>>
>> Suggestions for restoring wifi welcome.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Mike
>>
>>
>> Fragment of Network Manager syslog messages when working before
>> --8<--
>>
>> Jan 18 23:01:53 edge NetworkManager[479]: <info> WiFi enabled by radio
>> killswitch; enabled by state file
>>
>>
>> Fragment of Network Manager syslog messages when broken after
>> --8<--
>>
>> Jan 28 18:43:26 edge NetworkManager[466]: <info> WiFi disabled by
>> radio killswitch; enabled by state file
>
> yum install rfkill
>
> Then provide the output of "rfkill list"

Solved now.  Bit of a brown paper bag moment.  I must have unknowingly
disabled wifi, but exactly when I was testing that kernel.

Fixed by:
# yum install rfkill
# rfkill list all
0: eeepc-wlan: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: yes           <-- HERE
	Hard blocked: no
...
# rfkill unblock all
(Or press [Fn][F2]).

I was just a bit dismayed to see that software blocking wifi removes
the wifi device line from the output of lspci:
01:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR928X
Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)

Thanks,
Mike