Bug 2349675 - RTL8852CE: Bluetooth audio stutters with rtw8852c_fw-1.bin firmware during WiFi activity
Summary: RTL8852CE: Bluetooth audio stutters with rtw8852c_fw-1.bin firmware during Wi...
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED EOL
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: kernel
Version: 41
Hardware: x86_64
OS: Linux
unspecified
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Kernel Maintainer List
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/...
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2025-03-03 22:37 UTC by André Ferreira
Modified: 2025-12-16 18:58 UTC (History)
23 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2025-12-16 18:58:14 UTC
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description André Ferreira 2025-03-03 22:37:52 UTC
1. Please describe the problem:

When using Bluetooth audio with a Realtek RTL8852CE wireless/Bluetooth combo controller, audio stutters significantly during WiFi activity. Through testing, I've identified the issue is specifically caused by the newer rtw8852c_fw-1.bin firmware (version 0.27.97.0, hash a4b6bfdd) used in recent kernels. The older firmware version (0.27.56.14, hash 1942d927) works perfectly without stuttering. 

The issue manifests as 4+ second gaps in Bluetooth audio during network activity. Kernel logs show System Error Recovery (SER) events with error codes 0x999, 0x1000, 0x1001, and 0x1002 that directly correspond to these audio drops. A temporary workaround is to remove or rename the newer firmware file, forcing fallback to the older version.

I've documented this issue on the Fedora forums: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/bluetooth-audio-stuttering-during-wifi-activity-on-rtl8852ce

2. What is the Version-Release number of the kernel:

6.13.5-200.fc41.x86_64

3. Did it work previously in Fedora? If so, what kernel version did the issue
   *first* appear?  Old kernels are available for download at
   https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/packageinfo?packageID=8 :

Yes, it worked correctly with kernel 6.11.4-301.fc41.x86_64. The issue first appeared with kernel 6.12.9-200.fc41.x86_64 and persists in all later kernels (including 6.13.5).

4. Can you reproduce this issue? If so, please provide the steps to reproduce
   the issue below:

Yes, 100% reproducible:
1. Boot Fedora 41 with kernel 6.13.5-200.fc41.x86_64 (or any 6.12+ kernel)
2. Connect any Bluetooth audio device (headphones, earbuds, speaker)
3. Start audio playback (music, video, etc.)
4. Perform any network activity (speedtest, downloads, browsing)
5. Observe Bluetooth audio stutters/drops during network activity
6. To verify it's a firmware issue, rename /lib/firmware/rtw89/rtw8852c_fw-1.bin
7. Reboot and repeat steps 2-4 - the stuttering will be gone with old firmware

5. Does this problem occur with the latest Rawhide kernel? To install the
   Rawhide kernel, run ``sudo dnf install fedora-repos-rawhide`` followed by
   ``sudo dnf update --enablerepo=rawhide kernel``:

Yes, I've tested with the latest Rawhide kernel and the issue persists as long as the rtw8852c_fw-1.bin firmware is present.

6. Are you running any modules that not shipped with directly Fedora's kernel?:

No, only standard modules included with Fedora's kernel.

7. Please attach the kernel logs. You can get the complete kernel log
   for a boot with ``journalctl --no-hostname -k > dmesg.txt``. If the
   issue occurred on a previous boot, use the journalctl ``-b`` flag.

I've created a GitHub repository with comprehensive diagnostic data: 
https://github.com/anfreire/rtw8852ce-bluetooth-debug

The repository includes:
- The diagnostic script used to gather data (rtw8852ce-debug.sh)
- Complete logs with the broken firmware (rtw8852ce-logs-broken-fw-0.27.97.0/)
- Complete logs with the working firmware (rtw8852ce-logs-working-fw-0.27.56.14/)

The logs clearly show the firmware crashes in the broken version and their direct correlation with Bluetooth interruptions.

Reproducible: Always

Comment 1 shinebayar.gansukh 2025-04-19 06:01:40 UTC
I'm suffering from the exact same issue you're describing. Bluetooth audio started stuttering after kernel 6.12.x versions. I'm currently installing 6.11.11 kernel manually.
I've opened this https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2341650 ticket while ago. It seems your post contains lot more useful information than mine. Thanks for your detailed post. This feels like a punishment for buying a Lenovo.

Comment 2 André Ferreira 2025-04-19 13:45:20 UTC
(In reply to shinebayar.gansukh from comment #1)
> I'm suffering from the exact same issue you're describing. Bluetooth audio
> started stuttering after kernel 6.12.x versions. I'm currently installing
> 6.11.11 kernel manually.
> I've opened this https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2341650 ticket
> while ago. It seems your post contains lot more useful information than
> mine. Thanks for your detailed post. This feels like a punishment for buying
> a Lenovo.

Thank you for your message—it's reassuring to know that others are encountering the same issue.

I completely understand your frustration. This persistent problem has significantly impacted my user experience, and despite our efforts to report and document it, it seems to have received limited attention. I've even considered selling my Lenovo device due to this ongoing issue.

I appreciate you sharing your Bugzilla ticket. By consolidating our reports and findings, we can hopefully bring more visibility to this matter.

In the meantime, I've developed a temporary workaround that addresses the Bluetooth audio stuttering. This script reverts the firmware to a known stable version (0.27.56.14), which has been effective in mitigating the issue:

Temporary Workaround:
https://github.com/anfreire/rtw8852c-fedora-fix

Please note that this is not an official solution but a stopgap measure until an official fix is released. I hope this helps, and let's continue to collaborate to bring this issue to the attention of the developers.

Comment 3 Dr. Isaac Martínez 2025-05-27 04:08:32 UTC
Same issue here! 
I'm using a Dell Inspiron 5645 with the rtw8852ce WiFi/Bluetooth chipset. Unfortunately, this issue makes Fedora quite difficult to use for everyday tasks such as listening to music or participating in Zoom calls. I hope a fix can be found soon. Thank you for your continued work on this.

Comment 4 Edmund Kasprzak 2025-06-09 13:20:59 UTC
Same here on Fedora 42 (ThinkBook 16 AMD).
This makes actually impossible to work (like calls) using Bluetooth headphones.

Comment 5 electrenator2000 2025-06-14 18:41:45 UTC
Can confirm this is also an issue on Manjaro (25.0.3 Zetar) machines with a rtw8852ce (specifically using a ThinkPad E14) running kernel 6.14.6-2 with the `rtw8852c_fw-1.bin` driver (from linux-firmware 20250508.788aadc8-1). Going to the older driver by renaming the newer one does also fix this stuttering issue there.

Comment 6 Cetera 2025-07-05 15:50:29 UTC
Exactly the same problem (Bluetooth stuttering when using Wifi) & same fix for me (stay on rtw8852c_fw.bin.xz driver, don't use rtw8852c_fw-1.bin.xz or rtw8852c_fw-2.bin.xz).

Dell Inspiron 5645 on Fedora 42, kernel 6.15.4

Comment 7 Tom 2025-07-15 12:20:21 UTC
Can confirm I have the same problem: BT mouse Logitech MX Master 2s lagging when Wifi is heavily used.
I'm using a Gigabyte B650M D3HP AX motherboard which has the Realtek® Wi-Fi 6E RTL8852CE module.
Reverting to the rtw8852c_fw.bin.xz fixes the issue.

Comment 8 Edmund Kasprzak 2025-07-15 21:43:13 UTC
Just some additional info, as there were already 4 upgrades since the one only one firmware that kind of works (0.27.56.14).

All of the further ones:

rtw8852c_fw-1.bin  0.27.122.0 (available in repos)
rtw8852c_fw-2.bin  0.27.125.0 (available in repos)
rtw8852c_fw-2.bin  0.27.128.0 (from linux-firmware git)
rtw8852c_fw-2.bin  0.27.129.1 (linux-firmware git)

are completely broken (meaning, when there is a network activity, especially upload, bluetooh connection is practically unusable).

Comment 9 kostiantyn.synytsia@gmail.com 2025-08-16 11:57:54 UTC
Hi, I struggle from exactly the same issue :(

My setup:
Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9
Wireless module: RTL8852CE
Kernel: 6.15.9-201.fc42.x86_64
Problematic firmware: rtw89/rtw8852c_fw-1.bin

I've found this wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Network_configuration/Wireless#RTW89 and tried testing different combinations of the available options for kernel modules. Options tested: rtw89_pci - disable_clkreq (Y/N), disable_aspm_l1 (Y/N), disable_aspm_l1ss (Y/N); rtw89_core - disable_ps_mode (Y/N). After each option's value change I did (not sure that all actions were necessary): 
 - sudo modprobe -rv rtw89_8852ce rtw89_core
 - sudo modprobe -v rtw89_8852ce
 - sudo dracut -f --regenerate-all
 - reboot
 - Verify the result
Long story short: tested 16 combinations of value Y/N, none of which helped 

Solved with the workaround (In reply to André Ferreira from comment #2)
> Temporary Workaround:
> https://github.com/anfreire/rtw8852c-fedora-fix

However, it didn't fully fixed the issue and I had to use Arch wiki's solution in combination with older firmware.

This laptop feels like a disaster..

Comment 10 Shyam Jos 2025-10-17 06:55:09 UTC
I can confirm the same issue with my Asus laptop 
Device : 6c:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8852CE PCIe 802.11ax Wireless Network Controller (rev 01)
# System Details Report
---

## Report details
- **Date generated:**                              2025-10-17 12:23:51

## Hardware Information:
- **Hardware Model:**                              ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ASUS TUF Gaming F16 FX608JH_FX608JH
- **Memory:**                                      16.0 GiB
- **Processor:**                                   13th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-13450HX × 16
- **Graphics:**                                    Intel® Graphics (RPL-S)
- **Graphics 1:**                                  NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 5050 Laptop GPU
- **Disk Capacity:**                               2.0 TB

## Software Information:
- **Firmware Version:**                            FX608JH.306
- **OS Name:**                                     Fedora Linux 42 (Workstation Edition)
- **OS Build:**                                    (null)
- **OS Type:**                                     64-bit
- **GNOME Version:**                               48
- **Windowing System:**                            Wayland
- **Kernel Version:**                              Linux 6.16.11-200.fc42.x86_64

Comment 11 Adam Williamson 2025-12-02 02:31:41 UTC
This message is a reminder that Fedora Linux 41 is nearing its end of life.
Fedora will stop maintaining and issuing updates for Fedora Linux 41 on 2025-12-15.
It is Fedora's policy to close all bug reports from releases that are no longer
maintained. At that time this bug will be closed as EOL if it remains open with a
'version' of '41'.

Package Maintainer: If you wish for this bug to remain open because you
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Thank you for reporting this issue and we are sorry that we were not 
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to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it against a later version 
of Fedora Linux, you are encouraged to change the 'version' to a later version
prior to this bug being closed.

Comment 12 Samyak Jain (RedHat) 2025-12-16 18:58:14 UTC
Fedora Linux 41 entered end-of-life (EOL) status on 2025-12-15.

Fedora Linux 41 is no longer maintained, which means that it
will not receive any further security or bug fix updates. As a result we
are closing this bug.

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