How can I check if my SDIO Wi-Fi module is recognized by the system using command-line tools?

To check if your SDIO Wi-Fi module is recognized and available in a Linux system, you can use several command-line tools to probe the system and examine its output. Here are some commands that are commonly used for this purpose:

1) lsusb and lspci:

• If your SDIO Wi-Fi module is externally connected via USB or internally via PCI, use these commands to list the USB and PCI devices, respectively.

  lsusb
  lspci
  

• Look for your Wi-Fi module in the output. External SDIO over USB adapters will appear in lsusb, while internal ones connected to the PCI bus will show up in lspci.

2) dmesg:

• This command displays kernel messages, which can be helpful to see if the module was detected during boot or when plugged in.

  dmesg | grep -i sdio
  

• Replace sdio with a more specific keyword of your Wi-Fi module if needed.

3) ip link or ifconfig:

• These commands show network interfaces recognized by the system.

  ip link
  

• or for older systems:

  ifconfig -a
  

• Check if there's a new network interface that corresponds to the Wi-Fi module.

4) iwconfig or iw:

• These tools are specifically for wireless network interfaces.

  iwconfig
  

• or using iw:

  iw dev
  

• These commands list wireless interfaces and can be used to identify if your SDIO Wi-Fi module is active as a network interface.

5) lshw:

• This command provides detailed hardware information.

  sudo lshw -C network
  

• It shows all network devices and their statuses, including any Wi-Fi modules.

6) lsmod:

• Use this command to check if the driver modules required by the Wi-Fi card are loaded.

  lsmod | grep -i wifi
  

• Replace wifi with the specific driver name if known.

7) Check System Logs:

• System logs can also provide information about hardware detection and driver loading.

  cat /var/log/syslog | grep -i wifi
  

• Replace wifi with a more specific keyword of your WiFi module such as lrd for some Laird specific drivers and firmware.

8) rfkill list:

• This tool lists all wireless devices and shows if they are blocked or unblocked (enabled or disabled).

  rfkill list