AX201 + Linux: Bluetooth headset disconnects immediately

[AnttiG]

My laptop, running Xubuntu 22.04, has AX201 for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. My Bluetooth headset, Sony WH-1000XM3, is disconnected immediately after connecting. WLAN works fine and also Bluetooth works in Windows,

I have read on Intel’s forum that the driver for the chip should have been ok since kernel version
5.10. My distribution comes with 6.8 so this issue shouldn’t be about that.

Long time ago, I managed to pair the headset and it is still listed as a paired device. Trying to unpair it in the bluetoothctl console results in error message saying the device doesn’t exist.

Here is what happens in bluetoothctl console when I try to connect the
headset manually:

[bluetooth]# connect 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94
Attempting to connect to 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94
[CHG] Device 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94 Connected: yes
Failed to connect: org.bluez.Error.Failed br-connection-canceled
[CHG] Device 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94 Connected: no
[CHG] Device 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94 Connected: no
[CHG] Device 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 38:18:4C:D4:C2:94 Connected: no

Here are some log prints related to Bluetooth in general:

sudo dmesg | grep -i blue
[ 2.899284] Bluetooth: Core ver 2.22
[ 2.899534] NET: Registered PF_BLUETOOTH protocol family
[ 2.899535] Bluetooth: HCI device and connection manager initialized
[ 2.899574] Bluetooth: HCI socket layer initialized
[ 2.899593] Bluetooth: L2CAP socket layer initialized
[ 2.899601] Bluetooth: SCO socket layer initialized
[ 2.951909] Bluetooth: hci0: Device revision is 2
[ 2.951914] Bluetooth: hci0: Secure boot is enabled
[ 2.951915] Bluetooth: hci0: OTP lock is enabled
[ 2.951916] Bluetooth: hci0: API lock is enabled
[ 2.951917] Bluetooth: hci0: Debug lock is disabled
[ 2.951918] Bluetooth: hci0: Minimum firmware build 1 week 10 2014
[ 2.951920] Bluetooth: hci0: Bootloader timestamp 2019.40 buildtype
1 build 38
[ 2.952008] Bluetooth: hci0: DSM reset method type: 0x00
[ 2.960708] Bluetooth: hci0: Found device firmware: intel/ibt-0040-4150.sfi
[ 2.960752] Bluetooth: hci0: Boot Address: 0x100800
[ 2.960754] Bluetooth: hci0: Firmware Version: 107-51.22
[ 3.272512] thinkpad_acpi: rfkill switch tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: radio
is blocked
[ 4.012759] Bluetooth: BNEP (Ethernet Emulation) ver 1.3
[ 4.012763] Bluetooth: BNEP filters: protocol multicast
[ 4.012770] Bluetooth: BNEP socket layer initialized
[ 4.684563] Bluetooth: hci0: Waiting for firmware download to complete
[ 4.684902] Bluetooth: hci0: Firmware loaded in 1683777 usecs
[ 4.685041] Bluetooth: hci0: Waiting for device to boot
[ 4.700965] Bluetooth: hci0: Malformed MSFT vendor event: 0x02
[ 4.701034] Bluetooth: hci0: Device booted in 15702 usecs
[ 4.701904] Bluetooth: hci0: Found Intel DDC parameters:
intel/ibt-0040-4150.ddc
[ 4.704071] Bluetooth: hci0: Applying Intel DDC parameters completed
[ 4.707146] Bluetooth: hci0: Firmware timestamp 2022.51 buildtype 1
build 56683
[ 4.707151] Bluetooth: hci0: Firmware SHA1: 0xe2305c5c
[ 4.776168] Bluetooth: MGMT ver 1.22
[ 6.448715] Bluetooth: RFCOMM TTY layer initialized
[ 6.448724] Bluetooth: RFCOMM socket layer initialized
[ 6.448727] Bluetooth: RFCOMM ver 1.11

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

Thank you for posting on Intel Community Forum.

It appears that you're experiencing issues with the Bluetooth of intel AX201. To assist you effectively, please share the information below.

1. Have you tested any other Bluetooth devices?

2. Is this the original adapter that came pre-installed in your system, or have you changed/installed a new adapter recently?

3. Was this issue present out of the box?

4. What specific error message do you receive when trying to unpair the device using bluetoothctl?

I look forward to your response.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AnttiG]

1. I was able to pair my phone to the laptop. It shows up with status connected.

2. The adapter is original. It is on USB bus but it is integrated and thus can't be removed.

3. The laptop came with Windows installed and Bluetooth works in Windows. The issue is with the Linux system (Xubuntu 22.04) which I have installed myself. I have a dual boot configuration. I haven't tried to fix it in Xubuntu so in that sense, the issue is out-of-the-box.

4. The error message is "Failed to cancel pairing: org.bluez.Error.DoesNotExist".

Answers to question in another related thread: (https://community.intel.com/t5/Wireless/Headset-disconnects-immediately/td-p/1707082)

1) Can you confirm if these are the devices you're using: the ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 (14″ Intel) business laptop from Lenovo US and the WH-1000XM3 Bluetooth headset from Sony USA?

Models are correct but I don't know the significance of USA there. These were bought in Finland.

2) From what I gather, both WLAN and Bluetooth function properly when the system runs on Windows, and the Bluetooth headset was previously paired with this device. When did the disconnection issue with the Bluetooth headset begin?

I don't remember how exactly this began, because it has been 1,5 years I tried it the last time. It may have been exactly the same back then, or if it was somehow different, then at least the headset was disconnected too often to be usable.

3) Is there another Xubuntu device you could use to pair with the Sony Bluetooth headset to help isolate the issue more effectively?

No, I don't have that, but I was able to pair my Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5 cellphone with the laptop/Xubuntu.

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

Thank you for sharing all this information. I will be investigating this matter and I'll get back in touch as soon as possible.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

The error message you're encountering, "Failed to connect: org.bluez.Error.Failed br-connection-canceled," indicates that the Bluetooth connection attempt to the headset was unsuccessful. This error can be caused by several factors, and the logs provide some context that might help diagnose the issue:

1. The logs show multiple attempts to connect to the device, with each attempt resulting in a connection followed by a disconnection. This suggests that the connection is being established briefly but is then canceled for some reason.
2. The log entry [ 3.272512] thinkpad_acpi: rfkill switch tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: radio is blocked indicates that the Bluetooth radio might be blocked by a hardware or software switch. This could prevent successful connections. You might want to check if the Bluetooth is enabled in your system settings or if there's a physical switch on your device that needs to be toggled.
3. The logs show that the Bluetooth firmware is being loaded and applied successfully, but there is a mention of a "Malformed MSFT vendor event," which could indicate a problem with the firmware or driver compatibility. Ensuring that your Bluetooth drivers and firmware are up to date might help resolve this issue.
4. The repeated connection and disconnection could be due to interference from other devices or incorrect configuration settings. Try moving closer to the headset or removing other Bluetooth devices from the vicinity to see if the connection stabilizes.

To further troubleshoot the issue, kindly follow the steps below.

Step 1: Check whether the Bluetooth adapter is identified by the system:

Run "hciconfig -a" command and check the details.

Step 2: Enable Bluetooth adapter:

If hciconfig shows that adapter is down, lesser details of the adapter will be shown as below.

Enable the adapter by running "hciconfig -i <interface name> up".

Step 3: Identifuing adapter:

If hciconfig is not showing any details, then check if the system is identifying adapter using "lsusb | grep 8087" command.

Step 4: Check if bluetooth drivers are loaded:

If lsusb is showing BT adapter then check if bluetooth drivers are loaded. Please type: modinfo btintel

Step 5: FW installation:

Get the firmware version installed. If the firmware old, install the latest firmware:

1. Run the "dmesg | grep Bluetooth" command and check the firmware version

2. If the firmware version is not available in dmesg, then check in syslog. Run below command:

grep Bluetooth /var/log/syslog | grep -i -e "Firmware revision" -e "ibt"

3. If Please visit here for latest firmwares - https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git

Also, have you had the chance to reach out to Lenovo, as the laptop's specifications indicate that Windows is the only supported operating system. We are inquiring about this because it could be a compatibility issue, given that the laptop functions properly when using Windows.

I look forward to your response.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AnttiG]

1. The logs show multiple attempts to connect to the device, with each attempt resulting in a connection followed by a disconnection. This suggests that the connection is being established briefly but is then canceled for some reason.

Yes.

2. The log entry [ 3.272512] thinkpad_acpi: rfkill switch tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: radio is blocked indicates that the Bluetooth radio might be blocked by a hardware or software switch. This could prevent successful connections. You might want to check if the Bluetooth is enabled in your system settings or if there's a physical switch on your device that needs to be toggled.

I have noticed that too. I don't think this issue has anything to do with the switch, though, because I can connect to my cellphone and that connection is not cancelled.

3. The logs show that the Bluetooth firmware is being loaded and applied successfully, but there is a mention of a "Malformed MSFT vendor event," which could indicate a problem with the firmware or driver compatibility. Ensuring that your Bluetooth drivers and firmware are up to date might help resolve this issue.

My initial assumption was that since AX201 is supposed to have been supported since kernel 5.10 and mine is a way more recent, this shouldn't be about driver compatibility. If that is not correct, fixing this would require installing another distribution which in turn would require reinstalling a lot of software. I won't do that unless there are no other choices.

4. The repeated connection and disconnection could be due to interference from other devices or incorrect configuration settings. Try moving closer to the headset or removing other Bluetooth devices from the vicinity to see if the connection stabilizes.

Again, connecting with my cellphone is working. My headset has been next to the laptop on a table when trying to make it work.

Debug data from as requested:

$ hciconfig -a
hci0: Type: Primary Bus: USB
BD Address: AC:19:8E:82:72:82 ACL MTU: 1021:4 SCO MTU: 96:6
UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN
RX bytes:23838 acl:75 sco:0 events:3294 errors:0
TX bytes:790173 acl:72 sco:0 commands:3210 errors:0
Features: 0xbf 0xfe 0x0f 0xfe 0xdb 0xff 0x7b 0x87
Packet type: DM1 DM3 DM5 DH1 DH3 DH5 HV1 HV2 HV3
Link policy: RSWITCH SNIFF
Link mode: PERIPHERAL ACCEPT
Name: 'ag-thinkpad'
Class: 0x7c010c
Service Classes: Rendering, Capturing, Object Transfer, Audio, Telephony
Device Class: Computer, Laptop
HCI Version: 5.2 (0xb) Revision: 0x356b
LMP Version: 5.2 (0xb) Subversion: 0x356b
Manufacturer: Intel Corp. (2)

$ lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 5986:2146 Acer, Inc Integrated RGB Camera
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 27c6:550a Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co.,Ltd. FingerPrint
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 8087:0026 Intel Corp. AX201 Bluetooth
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

$ modinfo btintel
filename: /lib/modules/6.8.0-64-generic/kernel/drivers/bluetooth/btintel.ko
firmware: intel/ibt-12-16.ddc
firmware: intel/ibt-12-16.sfi
firmware: intel/ibt-11-5.ddc
firmware: intel/ibt-11-5.sfi
license: GPL
version: 0.1
description: Bluetooth support for Intel devices ver 0.1
author: Marcel Holtmann <marcel@holtmann.org>
srcversion: 01A79574E47A55218AC1BE4
depends: bluetooth
retpoline: Y
intree: Y
name: btintel
vermagic: 6.8.0-64-generic SMP preempt mod_unload modversions
sig_id: PKCS#7
signer: Build time autogenerated kernel key
sig_key: 47:A4:98:30:DB:F2:D0:80:A1:56:E7:6D:25:98:67:8B:1A:8C:1B:D3
sig_hashalgo: sha512
signature: 36:86:4E:B8:98:63:3B:F9:53:7E:60:33:A2:52:BE:80:6F:32:43:9C:
5F:9A:C6:49:40:52:77:E5:44:00:5B:8C:AF:3F:02:83:E5:C0:75:DD:
3A:C2:3E:E6:F3:91:97:25:7B:76:21:4D:DB:40:A6:49:C3:E5:11:83:
42:CE:0D:B1:75:1C:67:24:6F:E1:54:42:4C:A7:10:E3:10:F4:A4:7B:
66:55:8E:50:19:9E:4A:FC:CC:17:76:5F:0C:1C:F7:C6:7D:BE:99:80:
88:5D:C8:1F:E3:A6:CB:A5:80:AF:2E:60:B9:51:7B:33:E9:5E:03:2C:
BF:71:26:8C:DF:F9:53:C4:47:F0:85:C9:DF:82:FF:85:14:98:A0:31:
FE:4A:D4:BB:1C:A6:15:B4:70:D4:8F:74:7E:A1:59:A0:38:CE:EF:BD:
33:79:F3:B5:B1:AF:03:8D:37:78:F0:9E:B0:9C:F5:8A:FD:2C:AE:FD:
B4:F5:94:96:C4:95:8F:74:B9:11:32:78:9D:7C:9F:34:74:AD:6B:BB:
D2:73:61:E4:67:4B:E9:97:80:7D:16:2B:EA:9F:51:1A:4F:84:47:22:
C7:CF:E0:49:DF:41:00:4F:D6:E4:E2:08:98:32:E9:F5:49:25:A7:1A:
B3:D7:61:6E:05:17:40:3E:8C:B6:79:70:6D:9B:85:F2:21:0D:C6:21:
6A:B0:26:E9:58:98:0B:BA:45:62:8E:8B:C6:90:26:1C:AC:E9:09:FD:
09:08:F8:C4:C9:78:49:60:BA:A8:12:AE:60:20:0E:FC:CC:B5:4A:CD:
D8:28:64:1C:2C:3A:6D:5D:96:14:7E:8E:A6:E9:8A:80:36:FD:FB:2A:
26:69:FE:FC:57:19:0B:A6:89:8A:EE:D8:33:C9:88:CA:ED:7D:58:D5:
D1:E4:12:7D:20:BA:38:61:27:D6:63:06:4B:06:B0:6A:77:24:50:B3:
47:55:E8:42:94:F8:23:36:B4:05:61:4E:E0:33:41:F5:75:DD:82:B0:
83:77:95:0F:4C:88:68:21:08:BC:B7:EA:47:A5:BA:42:46:69:D7:CB:
29:55:D3:25:6F:D1:9E:E1:25:2C:03:31:BB:06:4A:BA:AB:5C:1B:02:
76:DA:A0:3E:13:40:29:15:98:2E:63:A4:66:36:F7:0A:CA:62:66:9B:
80:A8:A7:4B:3B:01:90:15:7A:DB:2B:18:A9:0D:D0:63:A8:CE:DA:0D:
3F:77:89:EB:C8:76:AD:24:A7:0E:53:13:DA:83:4C:83:A0:8C:69:AC:
87:97:10:C3:03:31:12:62:D4:BA:61:30:E0:93:AF:05:7A:1E:E4:09:
57:F9:02:51:18:2B:B4:01:EE:8C:F4:16

Trying the firmware update is more complicated task so I am posting this reply before that.

I haven't been in touch with Lenovo. My experience says that if a chip is supported by Linux, then it should work even if the computer manufacturer doesn't claim support. In this case, the chip support should be ok now that WLAN works and also Bluetooth for my cellphone work. From my current point of view, this issue is specific to my headset.

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

Thank you for your continued cooperation and efforts. Please also type: #dmesg > dmesg.log. Kindly open the log and find the error messages associated with keyword ‘iwlwifi’. Also, kindly inform us if you were able to update the firmware to the latest version.

I look forward to your response.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JedG_Intel]

Hi AnttiG,

I'm following up with regards to the additional information that we requested to help with our investigation. Kindly share this at your earliest convenience so we can proceed further.

Best regards,

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AnttiG]

Hi,

I still haven't tried updating the firmware because I think there is a big risk of breaking something there. I should first find out how to do it safely and I am not sure when I have time for that.

Here are the dmesg lines printed by iwlwifi:

[ 3.164649] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[ 3.188122] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Detected crf-id 0x1300504, cnv-id 0x80400 wfpm id 0x80000030
[ 3.188185] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: PCI dev 51f0/0074, rev=0x370, rfid=0x10a100
[ 3.200174] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: TLV_FW_FSEQ_VERSION: FSEQ Version: 0.0.2.41
[ 3.642674] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Detected Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz, REV=0x370
[ 3.756835] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WFPM_UMAC_PD_NOTIFICATION: 0x20
[ 3.756847] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WFPM_LMAC2_PD_NOTIFICATION: 0x1f
[ 3.756856] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WFPM_AUTH_KEY_0: 0x90
[ 3.756864] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: CNVI_SCU_SEQ_DATA_DW9: 0x10
[ 3.756921] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Detected RF HR B5, rfid=0x10a100
[ 3.758288] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: RFIm is deactivated, reason = 4
[ 3.768270] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: RFIm is deactivated, reason = 4
[ 3.824779] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: base HW address: ac:19:8e:82:72:7e
[ 3.860445] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3 wlp0s20f3: renamed from wlan0
[ 4.358816] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WFPM_UMAC_PD_NOTIFICATION: 0x20
[ 4.358866] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WFPM_LMAC2_PD_NOTIFICATION: 0x1f
[ 4.358875] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: WFPM_AUTH_KEY_0: 0x90
[ 4.358884] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: CNVI_SCU_SEQ_DATA_DW9: 0x10
[ 4.360293] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: RFIm is deactivated, reason = 4
[ 4.431761] iwlwifi 0000:00:14.3: Registered PHC clock: iwlwifi-PTP, with index: 1

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

I appreciate your response. Since you haven't updated the firmware yet, I'll continue to look for other possible cause of the issue. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

Based on our investigation, there may be a compatibility issue: the connection works fine in Windows but not in Linux. As per the supported OS of the laptop, it only supports Windows, and we've also verified that the WH-1000XM3 supports only Windows OS and macOS (version 10.10 or later). Therefore, for issues like this, it's best for you to contact Sony or Lenovo to confirm if your current setup is compatible.

You may also find this link helpful: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/4739/71ce01843a623084000dc8b2940272b5/47392793M.pdf

Additionally, we would still recommend that you install the latest kernel version 6.16 and firmware for AX201. The latest firmware is available at the following link: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/.

For more information, check our Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters.

If you have further questions, please let me know.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Mike_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

I hope this message finds you well. 

Were you able to check the previous post?

Please let us know if you still need assistance.

Best regards,

Michael L.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AnttiG]

Hi,

I read the previous message but I didn't have a chance to react to it earlier.

I know that Sony and Lenovo don't claim Linux support for these product. Yet I also know that driver support exists and there should be no reason for the headset not to work with Linux.

I am going to see if I can inspect the communication between the computer and the headset using Wireshark and that way get some more information what could be going wrong. I may also try the firmware update if I get some certainty for its safety.

[JedG_Intel]

Hello AnttiG,

I completely understand where you're coming from, and you're right — the headset should work as long as it's compatible with the system. That’s why we kindly recommend confirming compatibility directly with either Sony or Lenovo to be sure.

In the meantime, if you're able to verify that updating to the latest firmware is safe, that could be a helpful step forward.

If you have further questions, please let me know.

Best regards

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JedG_Intel]

Hi AnttiG,

I'm checking to see if you need further assistance. Please let me know so we can proceed accordingly.

Best regards,

Jed G.

Intel Customer Support Technician