Get Wake on LAN working on Linux with Atheros network adaptor

Last updated on March 13th, 2021

If you’re using an Atheros network adaptor and running Linux, you may have found that Wake on LAN (WOL) doesn’t work.

This is caused by a known bug/workaround to a previous Linux issue with Wake on LAN on Atheros network adaptors:
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=61651

I’ve been monitoring this bug for some time now, but have frustrated that a permanent fix hasn’t made its way into the Linux kernel yet. I can however confirm that the latest fix on the site works, and wanted to share basic instructions for those not used to executing scripts in Linux (in my case Ubuntu).

Fix:

1. Download the latest file from the above address
2. Extract the tarball somewhere
3. Open a terminal window, and navigate to the folder you extracted the files too
4. run “sudo ./setup”
5. The install should happen

Following a reboot, I was able to use Wake on LAN.

I hope this works for you too

Example output:

james@ub-desktop:~/alx-dmks-installer$ sudo ./setup

Checking dependencies…

Done

Downloading kernel source for 4.15 by git…

Cloning into ‘linux-4.15’…

remote: Counting objects: 66281, done.

remote: Compressing objects: 100% (63014/63014), done.

remote: Total 66281 (delta 5908), reused 23470 (delta 2273)

Receiving objects: 100% (66281/66281), 174.53 MiB | 1.31 MiB/s, done.

Resolving deltas: 100% (5908/5908), done.

Note: checking out ‘d8a5b80568a9cb66810e75b182018e9edb68e8ff’.


You are in ‘detached HEAD’ state. You can look around, make experimental

changes and commit them, and you can discard any commits you make in this

state without impacting any branches by performing another checkout.


If you want to create a new branch to retain commits you create, you may

do so (now or later) by using -b with the checkout command again. Example:


git checkout -b <new-branch-name>


Checking out files: 100% (62303/62303), done.

Done

Preparing dkms module source…

Using 4.9+ patch…

Done

Adding dkms module


Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/alx/4.15/source ->

/usr/src/alx-4.15


DKMS: add completed.


Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel. Skipping…


Building module:

cleaning build area…(bad exit status: 2)

make -j4 KERNELRELEASE=4.15.0-43-generic -C /lib/modules/4.15.0-43-generic/build M=/var/lib/dkms/alx/4.15/build/src modules….

cleaning build area…(bad exit status: 2)


DKMS: build completed.


alx.ko:

Running module version sanity check.

– Original module

– This kernel never originally had a module by this name

– Multiple same named modules!

– 2 named alx.ko in /lib/modules/4.15.0-43-generic/

– Installation

– Installing to /lib/modules/4.15.0-43-generic/updates/dkms/


depmod…


DKMS: install completed.

james@ub-desktop:~/alx-dmks-installer$