This guide is applicable not only to CentOS but also to other distributions like Ubuntu and Debian, as drivers are generally universal.

To install the Intel AC 3165NGW wireless network card driver on a CentOS system, you can follow these steps:

1. Update the System

First, ensure that your system is up to date to avoid potential dependency issues.

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sudo yum update

2. Install Necessary Development Tools and Dependencies

Install the development tools and kernel header files needed to compile the driver:

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sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools" && sudo yum install kernel-devel kernel-headers dkms

3. Check if the Wireless Network Card is Recognized by the System

Use the lspci or lsusb command to check if the wireless network card has been recognized by the system, and make a note of the specific model information.

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lspci -nn | grep Network

Or, if it’s a USB wireless card:

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lsusb

4. Obtain the Driver

For the Intel AC 3165, you’ll need to download the appropriate Linux driver from Intel’s official website or another reliable source. Typically, the official Intel driver is iwlwifi, which supports multiple wireless card models, including the AC 3165.

Visit the Intel Wireless Downloads page to find and download the latest driver corresponding to your network card. Address: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005511/wireless

5. Install the Driver

After downloading the driver, unpack it and follow the instructions provided in the README file. Note that some downloads might be in the form of firmware files (ending with .ucode), while others may require compiling from source.

Case 1: Downloaded as .ucode Firmware

If you download and unpack the Intel wireless card driver file and find only .ucode files (e.g., iwlwifi-7265-14.ucode), it means you have obtained firmware files rather than the source code for the driver. These .ucode files are binary firmware images used by the kernel’s iwlwifi driver, and they need to be placed correctly in the firmware directory of the system.

The steps to install the firmware files into the system are as follows:

1. Determine the firmware storage location: Generally, Linux systems load wireless card firmware from the /lib/firmware directory. You need to place the .ucode files in this directory.
2. Copy the firmware files: Using root access or through sudo, copy the unpacked .ucode files to the correct directory:

   1	sudo cp iwlwifi-7265-14.ucode /lib/firmware/

   If your system has a specific version folder (for example, /lib/firmware/iwlwifi), ensure you place the files in the corresponding subdirectory.
3. Update the firmware cache: In some distributions, it may be necessary to update the firmware cache (if applicable). However, in most modern Linux distributions, this step is usually not required.
4. Reboot the system: To apply the changes, restart your system. After rebooting, the kernel should automatically detect and use the newly copied firmware files.
5. Verify the installation: After the reboot, you can check the status of the wireless card using commands such as ip link or iwconfig to confirm that the wireless interface (like wlan0) is present and has no error messages.

If the wireless still does not function properly, check the system logs (using the dmesg command) for any possible error messages, which can help diagnose the problem. Additionally, ensure that your kernel supports the iwlwifi driver and that the module is correctly loaded. If the driver module is missing, you may need to install it through other means, such as using the distribution’s package manager (like yum or dnf in CentOS/RHEL) to install iwlwifi-dvm or related kernel module packages.

Case 2: Downloaded as Driver Source Code

If you have the driver source code instead, the general process involves the following steps:

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# Assuming the driver was downloaded to ~/Downloads/iwlwifi-XXX.tar.gz
cd ~/Downloads
tar -xvf iwlwifi-XXX.tar.gz
cd iwlwifi-XXX
make
sudo make install

6. Load the Driver Module

After installing the driver, you need to load the driver module. Typically, it will be automatically loaded after a reboot, but you can also load it manually:

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sudo modprobe iwlwifi

Enable Wireless Network

First, ensure that the wireless network is enabled. You can use the following command to activate the wireless interface (assuming the wireless card is named wlan0):

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sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

Or, in newer systems, you might need to use the ip command:

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sudo ip link set wlan0 up

Configure the Wireless Network

Manual Configuration:

1. Enable the wireless interface:

   1	sudo ip link set wlpXsY up

   Replace wlpXsY with the actual name of your wireless card.

2. Scan for wireless networks:

   1	sudo iwlist wlpXsY scan

3. Manually create a connection configuration:
   If not using NetworkManager, you can create a configuration file (e.g., /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-wlpXsY):

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   DEVICE=wlpXsY BOOTPROTO=dhcp ONBOOT=yes TYPE=Wireless ESSID=YourSSID MODE=Managed

   After saving, activate the interface:

   1	sudo ifup wlpXsY

Using NetworkManager Configuration:

It’s recommended to use NetworkManager, as it provides a more convenient graphical interface and command-line tools like nmcli for network management.

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nmcli device wifi connect YourSSID password YourPassword

Step 4: Verify the Network Connection

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ping google.com

If you followed the steps correctly, you should have successfully installed the Intel 3165NGW wireless network card driver and configured your wireless network connection. If you encounter any issues, checking system logs (journalctl -u NetworkManager, dmesg) may provide useful debugging information.

Notes

• Before executing the above steps, ensure you have sufficient permissions and a basic understanding of system operations.
• Specific versions of CentOS may require particular versions of the driver, so be sure to confirm compatibility.
• If issues arise, checking system logs (like dmesg output) might provide error messages that can assist in diagnosing problems.
• Consider using DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) to manage driver modules so that they can be automatically rebuilt when the kernel is upgraded, maintaining driver compatibility.