[karmic, starling] fix for wireless failures?

[tlroche]

summary: My girlfriend's starling runs UNR 9.10 pretty well, *except* that it occasionally loses wireless entirely. This can be kludged, but not the same way (procedures below). Is there a more permanent fix?

details:

This nearly-new starling (model=star1, System76=2.4.4) shipped with jaunty. I attempted to upgrade it to karmic using Update Manager per the wiki directions but failed , so I did a fresh install of karmic and System76 which worked. Since then the starling has run fine, except that, every few weeks, it loses wireless entirely: no connections in Network Manager, wireless LED goes off.

This can be kludged, but not the same way. Sometimes

1. Twiddle the hardware WiFi/3G switch: pull it to the right, release,let it pop back.
2. Shutdown.
3. Restart.

works, sometimes not. Other times

1. Cable in starling, wait for autoconnect.
2. System>Administration>System76 Driver>Install Drivers>Install
3. Shutdown.
4. Restart.

works, sometimes not. Today I did the first procedure, which failed, then the second procedure, which failed, then the first procedure again, which worked.

Is there a more permanent fix?

[PatrickVogeli]

when this happens, you may try doing, in a terminal:

sudo service network-manager restart

[thomasaaron]

Kernel updates should no longer break the Starling's wireless in 9.10. So running the System76 Driver probably isn't necessary.

You had the right idea with moving the wireless/3G switch ONCE to the right, releasing it and rebooting.

It sounds like the switch is accidentally getting toggled... maybe in the carrying case or something.