YaST is failing to set up wi-fi (wlan0) interface correctly.

Hi - I have ran into a sudden unexpected failure on Yast2's part in setting up my wi-fi interface that I need help with. I am running OpenSuSE Leap 15.2 on my laptop, x64 bit version. I have had no problems with the wi-fi interface up until yesterday. I have a dual boot system where I can boot up Windows 10 on this laptop also. Windows 10 does NOT have any problems with the wi-fi interface so I can be pretty certain this is not a hardware failure. My problem began with either one of two events, the first being I had just updated my laptop with a bunch of updates, didn't keep track of what was installed, and cannot say for certain that the updates are the culprit. Second, I then attempted to use Yast to set up my wi-fi (wlan0) to use my Android phone as a mobile hotspot. (this is something I very rarely do, but was necessary in order to run a zoom session for a neighborhood meeting) The only thing I did in Yast was to scan for and change the access point so that my laptop would use my mobile phone instead. Everything else remains the same, account user name, password, encryption etc. And it failed! I couldn't figure out why so gave up and tried to reset Yast to use the access point that I normally use in my house, and that too failed in the same way. I got no idea why, I have rechecked all my setting in Yast and nothing else has changed or been touched. I even compared all the Yast settings for the wlan0 interface with another laptop that works, and no differences were found other than hostname. Lots of Googling has enabled me to find a workaround and get the wlan0 interface working, but it is a bit squirrelly  and not exactly a repeatable sequence of commands to get the interface working again. FYI I use a dhcpd service to get an IP address for my laptop, but even setting it up with a static IP address still results in Yast not getting the interface to work. The workaround is as follows - After attempting to set up the wlan0 interface with Yast, I execute the following two commands to see if the interface is working and whether I have an IP address -

marcslaptop:/var/log # iwconfig wlan0 wlan0     IEEE 802.11  ESSID:off/any             Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=0 dBm              Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off           Encryption key:off           Power Management:on            marcslaptop:/var/log # ifconfig eth0: flags=4099  mtu 1500         ether 38:d5:47:31:54:0f  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)         RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)         RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0         TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)         TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

lo: flags=73  mtu 65536         inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0         inet6 ::1  prefixlen 128  scopeid 0x10<host>         loop  txqueuelen 1000  (Local Loopback)         RX packets 22  bytes 2640 (2.5 KiB)         RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0         TX packets 22  bytes 2640 (2.5 KiB)         TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

wlan0: flags=4099  mtu 1500         ether e4:a7:a0:46:83:e0  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)         RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)         RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0         TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)         TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

As you can see, no joy. So my next step is to see if the wlan0 NIC can hear anything -

marcslaptop:/var/log # iwlist wlan0 scan wlan0     Scan completed :           Cell 01 - Address: 00:12:17:A1:B0:10                     Channel:1                     Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)                     Quality=32/70  Signal level=-78 dBm                       Encryption key:on                     ESSID:"hamshack"                     Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s                               24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s                     Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s                     Mode:Master                     Extra:tsf=000000630301e649                     Extra: Last beacon: 3420ms ago                     IE: Unknown: 000868616D736861636B                     IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C                     IE: Unknown: 030101                     IE: Unknown: 2A0100                     IE: Unknown: 2F0100                     IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1                         Group Cipher : CCMP                         Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP                         Authentication Suites (1) : PSK                     IE: Unknown: 32040C121860                     IE: Unknown: DD06001018020004           Cell 02 - Address: 98:DE:D0:F9:93:CA                     Channel:6                     Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)                     Quality=70/70  Signal level=-21 dBm                       Encryption key:on                     ESSID:"ChamberlinCupola"                     Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s                               24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s                     Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s                     Mode:Master                     Extra:tsf=0000004db69159e4                     Extra: Last beacon: 3144ms ago                     IE: Unknown: 00104368616D6265726C696E4375706F6C61                     IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C                     IE: Unknown: 030106                     IE: Unknown: 2A0100                     IE: Unknown: 2F0100                     IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1                         Group Cipher : CCMP                         Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP                         Authentication Suites (1) : PSK                     IE: Unknown: 32040C121860                     IE: Unknown: 0B0506001D0000                     IE: Unknown: 2D1AFE1917FFFF000001000000000000000000000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 3D1606051700000000000000000000000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 7F080400080000000040                     IE: Unknown: DD760050F204104A0001101044000102103B00010310470010D96C7EFC2F8938F1EFBD6E5148BFA8121021000754502D4C494E4B10230005415033303010240006313233343536104200033030311054000800060050F2040001101100054150333030100800022008103C0001031049000600372A000120                     IE: Unknown: DD090010180206000C0000                     IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101840003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00                     IE: Unknown: 46057208010000           Cell 03 - Address: 88:DC:96:41:72:9F                     Channel:11                     Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)                     Quality=70/70  Signal level=-34 dBm                       Encryption key:on                     ESSID:"EnGeniusAP"                     Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s                               9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s                     Bit Rates:24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s                     Mode:Master                     Extra:tsf=0000000cf0f00dbe                     Extra: Last beacon: 3036ms ago                     IE: Unknown: 000A456E47656E6975734150                     IE: Unknown: 010882848B960C121824                     IE: Unknown: 03010B                     IE: Unknown: 0706555320010B1E                     IE: Unknown: 2A0100                     IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1                         Group Cipher : CCMP                         Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP                         Authentication Suites (1) : PSK                     IE: Unknown: 32043048606C                     IE: Unknown: 2D1AAD0103FFFF000000000000000000000100000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 3D160B080400000000000000000000000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 4A0E14000A002C01C800140005001900                     IE: Unknown: 7F080100000000000040                     IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101000003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00                     IE: Unknown: DD0900037F01010000FF7F           Cell 04 - Address: BC:30:7D:F6:54:5E                     Channel:52                     Frequency:5.26 GHz (Channel 52)                     Quality=53/70  Signal level=-57 dBm                       Encryption key:on                     ESSID:"DIRECTV_WVB_24100A9C"                     Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s                               36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s                     Mode:Master                     Extra:tsf=0000004db6437c22                     Extra: Last beacon: 2440ms ago                     IE: Unknown: 0014444952454354565F5756425F3234313030413943                     IE: Unknown: 01088C129824B048606C                     IE: Unknown: 030134                     IE: Unknown: 050B0203000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 2D1ACE0117FFFFFFFFFEFFFFFFFF1F000001000000000018E6E71900                     IE: Unknown: 3D16340D0500000000000000000000000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101010003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00                     IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1                         Group Cipher : CCMP                         Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP                         Authentication Suites (1) : PSK                     IE: Unknown: DD0B002686010300DD00000101                     IE: Unknown: DD220050F204104A00011010440001011049000600372A00012010490006002686000101           Cell 05 - Address: 98:DE:D0:F9:93:C9                     Channel:149                     Frequency:5.745 GHz                     Quality=70/70  Signal level=-31 dBm                       Encryption key:on                     ESSID:"ChamberlinCupola_5G"                     Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s                               36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s                     Mode:Master                     Extra:tsf=0000000016bac041                     Extra: Last beacon: 560ms ago                     IE: Unknown: 00134368616D6265726C696E4375706F6C615F3547                     IE: Unknown: 01088C129824B048606C                     IE: Unknown: 050400010000                     IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1                         Group Cipher : CCMP                         Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP                         Authentication Suites (1) : PSK                     IE: Unknown: 0B050000010000                     IE: Unknown: 2D1AEF0917FFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 3D16950D0000000000000000000000000000000000000000                     IE: Unknown: 7F080400080000000040                     IE: Unknown: BF0CB259810FFAFF0000FAFF0000                     IE: Unknown: C005019B000000                     IE: Unknown: C30402020202                     IE: Unknown: DD310050F204104A000110104400010210470010D96C7EFC2F8938F1EFBD6E5148BFA812103C0001031049000600372A000120                     IE: Unknown: DD090010180200001C0000                     IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101840003A4000027A400004243BC0062326600                     IE: Unknown: 46057208010000

So yes, wlan0 can hear OK, AND AMAZINGLY sometimes this is all that it takes to get wlan0 working which I check by executing -

marcslaptop:/var/log # ifconfig eth0: flags=4099  mtu 1500         ether 38:d5:47:31:54:0f  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)         RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)         RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0         TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)         TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

lo: flags=73  mtu 65536         inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0         inet6 ::1  prefixlen 128  scopeid 0x10<host>         loop  txqueuelen 1000  (Local Loopback)         RX packets 22  bytes 2640 (2.5 KiB)         RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0         TX packets 22  bytes 2640 (2.5 KiB)         TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

wlan0: flags=4163  mtu 1500         inet 192.168.10.10  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.10.255         inet6 fe80::e6a7:a0ff:fe47:83e0  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>         ether e4:a7:a0:46:83:e0  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)         RX packets 315  bytes 33055 (32.2 KiB)         RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0         TX packets 136  bytes 39494 (38.5 KiB)         TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

But if ifconfig does not report that wlan0 got an ip address assigned to it, then I drop a bigger hammer, which so far always works -

marcslaptop:/var/log # ip link set wlan0 up

So why am I now having to execute these manual steps after using Yast to set up wlan0? Can't say that looking through log files has been very helpful either and I am starting to get a bit out of my league here. I just want to be able to rely on Yast to set up my network interfaces. I haven't tried setting eth0 yet, will await for any helpful ideas first, before spinning my wheels with eth0.      Thanks as always, in advance, for any help offered, I much appreciate it especially when I have wandered off into some sort of quagmire like this issue that suddenly sprung up on me!     Marc C. -- *"The Truth is out there" - Spooky* *_   _   .   .   .       .   .   .   _   _       .   _   _   _   _   .       .   .   .           _   .   .       .           .   _   _       .   _       _   _   .   .   .       .   _   _   .       _   .   .   _       .   _   _           _   _       .   _       .   _   .       _   .   _   . * Computers: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the user Marc. His mission: to explore strange new hardware. To seek out new software and new applications. To boldly go where no Marc has gone before! (/This email is digitally signed and the electronic signature is attached. If you know how, you can use my public key to prove this email indeed came from me and has not been modified in transit. My public key, which can be used for sending encrypted email to me also, can be found at - https://keys.openpgp.org/search?q=marc@marcchamberlin.com or just ask me for it and I will send it to you as an attachment. If you don't understand all this geek speak, no worries, just ignore this explanation and ignore the signature key attached to this email (it will look like gibberish if you open it) and/or ask me to explain it further if you like./)