No wireless interfaces after update

[LieToPurify3]

After I updated my 9.10 laptop this morning, no wireless interfaces show up. Ifconfig / iwconfig show only my lo and eth0 interfaces, but not my ath0 interface. I can get online if i use my ethernet jack, but just no wireless. I had madwifi running on my atheros chipset. Could the update have broken that and I have to reinstall the madwifi drivers?

Asus eee 900ha Ubuntu 9.10
2.6.31-17-generic kernel

UPDATE:

At Grub, I have the choice of booting into the 2.6.31-17, -16, -15, or -14 kernel. When I boot into the -16 kernel, the wifi works fine. I tried booting into back into the -17 kernel and it just doesn't work there. I've tried disabling, then enabling the wireless in bios, but that hasn't worked either.

[Yazwho]

Good evening, I am having the same problem. I have a Dell laptop with the 3945ABG chipset. The wireless was showing as disabled when using 'lshw -C network', although there were no errors in the normal places (dmesg etc) Going back to -15 fixed the problem. Looks like there is a problem with the upgrade to -17? Linux ubuntu 2.6.28-15-generic #52-Ubuntu SMP Wed Sep 9 10:48:52 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Yazwho]

To add more colour to my problem. Its actually2.6.31-17 that I'm having a problem with, where the wireless is working with 2.6.28-15. Although annoyingly in the older version sound or the laptop build in mouse pad are not working. Sigh.

Anyway, here is the output of various commands for both the working and nonworking configurations. Hope it helps!

Not working

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat uname.log2
Linux ubuntu 2.6.31-17-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP Thu Dec 10 17:01:44 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat ifconfig.log2
eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1d:09:59:8b:93  
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
          Interrupt:17 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:240 (240.0 B)  TX bytes:240 (240.0 B)

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat iwconfig.log2
wlan0     IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:""  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Tx-Power=0 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat dmesg.log2
[   34.380665] iwl3945: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection driver for Linux, 1.2.26ks
[   34.380668] iwl3945: Copyright(c) 2003-2009 Intel Corporation
[   34.381318] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[   34.381333] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[   34.454002] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 23 802.11a channels
[   34.454005] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 3945ABG
[   34.454156] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: irq 30 for MSI/MSI-X
[   34.485686] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-3945-rs'

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat lshw.log2
  *-network DISABLED
       description: Wireless interface
       product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:0c:00.0
       logical name: wmaster0
       version: 02
       serial: 00:1c:bf:36:bc:ac
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list logical ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwl3945 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abg
       resources: irq:30 memory:f1fff000-f1ffffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express
       vendor: Broadcom Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:09:00.0
       logical name: eth1
       version: 02
       serial: 00:1d:09:59:8b:93
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.99 firmware=sb v3.04 latency=0 multicast=yes
       resources: irq:31 memory:f1bf0000-f1bfffff

Working

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat uname.log
Linux ubuntu 2.6.28-15-generic #52-Ubuntu SMP Wed Sep 9 10:48:52 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat ifconfig.log
eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1d:09:59:8b:93  
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
          Interrupt:17 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:240 (240.0 B)  TX bytes:240 (240.0 B)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1c:bf:36:bc:ac  
          inet addr:192.168.1.104  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::21c:bfff:fe36:bcac/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:6624 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:5546 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:6797939 (6.7 MB)  TX bytes:885124 (885.1 KB)

wmaster0  Link encap:UNSPEC  HWaddr 00-1C-BF-36-BC-AC-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat iwconfig.log
wlan0     IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:"BensWireless2"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: 00:90:D0:E4:64:A5   
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   
          Retry min limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr=2352 B   
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=79/100  Signal level:-55 dBm  Noise level=-92 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat dmesg.log
[   24.769212] iwl3945: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection driver for Linux, 1.2.26ks
[   24.769215] iwl3945: Copyright(c) 2003-2008 Intel Corporation
[   24.769329] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[   24.769343] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[   24.769384] iwl3945: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 3945ABG
[   24.769925] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: irq 2297 for MSI/MSI-X
[   24.826497] iwl3945: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 23 802.11a channels
[   24.829624] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-3945-rs'
[   26.246372] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode

ben@ubuntu:~$ cat lshw.log
  *-network
       description: Wireless interface
       product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:0c:00.0
       logical name: wmaster0
       version: 02
       serial: 00:1c:bf:36:bc:ac
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list logical ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwl3945 ip=192.168.1.104 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abg
       resources: irq:2297 memory:f1fff000-f1ffffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express
       vendor: Broadcom Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:09:00.0
       logical name: eth1
       version: 02
       serial: 00:1d:09:59:8b:93
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.94 latency=0 multicast=yes
       resources: irq:2296 memory:f1bf0000-f1bfffff

[Yazwho]

Comparing the two output from dmesg, looks like there is a problem in the startup, as this line is missing from the non working output...

[   26.246372] iwl3945 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode

[SteveDee]

Similar problem on my Dell Inspiron 500m

Booting with kernel 2.6.31-15 works OK, but with 2.6.31-16 WiFi only comes up 1 in 5 boots/restarts.

I just updated to 2.6.31-17 as the bug fix list mentioned iwlwifi several times, but it looks like this is just as bad. Its probably a timing issue.

[slakkie]

Please check if you have all the correct kernel packages installed, eg linux-headers-generic and/or -backports etc. It sounds like that, had the same myself.

[Yazwho]

Thank you for your reply, though what would be the correct packages? I installed the wireless backports package, but simply installing had no effect. Is there configuration involved? Or do I need to downgrade the install and then re-upgrade?

[pwabrahams]

I wondered if I was missing something obvious. Now, after reading this thread, I see that I wasn't. Reverting from the -17 kernel to the -16 kernel caused the wireless to come right back up.

I'm eagerly awaiting a simple fix for this, perhaps loading some kernel module. I suppose that eventually the kernel itself will get fixed.

[LieToPurify3]

Same here pwabrahams. At least it's not just you.

[drpjkurian]

Hi everybody

The madwifi drivers has to be recompiled after every major updates namely the kernel updated. So it can be solved by recompiling the madwifi. No need to install it again.

Dr Kurian