11.04 (Natty) Ralink rt2800pci unstable when using skype

**maiko_666** · May 12th, 2011

Hello, this is my first post here, but I think my story can be helpful

I have a Gateway 52 series (5214u to be precise) and it uses Ralink RT2700ELNA wireless card. I have been using 9.04 for a while and it worked fine out of the box. After updating to natty, the wireless would just stop working after some time (especially when using skype - after one or two days on).

I have tried several things, including blacklisting the following modules:

Code:

blacklist rt2x00usb
blacklist rt2x00lib
blacklist rt2800usb
blacklist rt2860sta
blacklist rt2800lib

As suggested in http://www.laptops-drivers.com/asus/...1005-1008.html (if you own a Gateway like mine, you might have understood that we use a similar wifi card than the EeePc)

This improved stability, but did not work.

I tried the following workarounds:
- installing WICD : WICD could not connect
- connecting directly with wpa_supplicant : same problem

When the problem occurs, I have:

Code:

$ dmesg
[134515.870050] ieee80211 phy0: wlan0: No probe response from AP MYROUTERMAC after 500ms, disconnecting.
[134520.020360] cfg80211: All devices are disconnected, going to restore regulatory settings
[134520.020369] cfg80211: Restoring regulatory settings
[134520.020376] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
[134520.031096] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2412 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031102] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031105] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2417 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031109] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031111] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2422 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031114] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031117] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2427 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031120] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031122] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2432 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031125] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031128] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2437 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031131] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031133] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2442 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031136] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031139] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2447 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031142] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031144] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2452 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031147] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031149] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2457 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031152] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031155] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2462 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031158] cfg80211: 2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031160] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2467 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031163] cfg80211: 2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031166] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2472 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031169] cfg80211: 2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031171] cfg80211: Updating information on frequency 2484 MHz for a 20 MHz width channel with regulatory rule:
[134520.031174] cfg80211: 2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @  KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031178] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
[134520.031180] cfg80211:     (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[134520.031183] cfg80211:     (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031186] cfg80211:     (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031189] cfg80211:     (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031191] cfg80211:     (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[134520.031194] cfg80211:     (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)


[91586.964014] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[91587.250062] phy0 -> rt2x00queue_write_tx_frame: Error - Arrived at non-free entry in the non-full queue 0.
[91587.250068] Please file bug report to http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com.
[91588.360197] phy0 -> rt2x00queue_write_tx_frame: Error - Arrived at non-free entry in the non-full queue 0.
[91588.360203] Please file bug report to http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com.

and also

Code:

$ cat /var/log/syslog

May 10 23:40:36 feliposo kernel: [91325.990057] ieee80211 phy0: wlan0: No probe response from AP MAC after 500ms, disconnecting.
May 10 23:40:41 feliposo wpa_supplicant[950]: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=MAC reason=0

May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Config: added 'ssid' value 'mcasa'
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'WPA-PSK'
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Config: added 'psk' value '<omitted>'
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: nm_setting_802_1x_get_pkcs11_engine_path: assertion `NM_IS_SETTING_802_1X (setting)' failed
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: nm_setting_802_1x_get_pkcs11_module_path: assertion `NM_IS_SETTING_802_1X (setting)' failed
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Config: set interface ap_scan to 1
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state:  disconnected -> scanning
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo wpa_supplicant[950]: Failed to initiate AP scan.
May 10 23:40:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state:  scanning -> disconnected

then

May 10 23:41:14 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <warn> (wlan0): link timed out.
May 10 23:41:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <warn> Activation (wlan0/wireless): association took too long.
May 10 23:41:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 5 -> 6 (reason 0)
May 10 23:41:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <warn> Activation (wlan0/wireless): asking for new secrets
May 10 23:41:59 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state:  scanning -> disconnected
May 10 23:42:02 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 6 -> 9 (reason 7)
May 10 23:42:02 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <warn> Activation (wlan0) failed for access point (mcasa)
May 10 23:42:02 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> Marking connection 'Auto mcasa' invalid.
May 10 23:42:02 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <warn> Activation (wlan0) failed.
May 10 23:42:02 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 9 -> 3 (reason 0)
May 10 23:42:02 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 0).
May 10 23:42:10 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 3 -> 2 (reason 0)
May 10 23:42:10 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 0).
May 10 23:42:10 feliposo NetworkManager[751]: <info> (wlan0): taking down device.
May 10 23:42:16 feliposo kernel: [91425.950085] phy0 -> rt2800_wait_wpdma_ready: Error - WPDMA TX/RX busy, aborting.

Then I decided to start using rt2860sta - the driver provided by Ralink and it magically works!

The only problem is that when I try

Code:

$ sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

I get only channels 1-11 working (the US regulatory domain). As I need all channels in order to be able to connect to european hotspots, I found the only way to work around this problem is to compile the driver by myself, so:

first, we go to Ralink website for linux drivers

http://www.ralinktech.com/support.php?s=2

The, we have to download RT2860PCI/mPCI/CB/PCIe(RT2760/RT2790/RT2860/RT2890)

Why that if my card is RT2700ELNA ? It is because I found that it is just an alias for the RT2790

Then, we need some basic stuff to compile that

Code:

$ sudo apt-get install build-essential
$ sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic

Then we just follow the Ralink README (following is the simplified version):

Code:

1> $tar -xvzf 2010_07_16_RT2860_Linux_STA_v2.4.0.0.tgz
    go to "./2010_07_16_RT2860_Linux_STA_v2.4.0.0" directory.
    
2> In Makefile
	do not change, it is ok already

3> In os/linux/config.mk 
	   Please set 'HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=y' and 'HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y'.

4> $sudo make

5.1> $sudo mkdir /etc/Wireless
     $sudo mkdir /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA			

5.2> $sudo cp RT2860STA.dat  /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA/RT2860STA.dat

Don't worry about the configuration file, people at ralink left it with all channels open.

Finally, in order to install the driver:

Code:

$sudo rm /lib/modules/2.6.38-8-generic/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/rt2860sta.ko
      $sudo cp ./2010_07_16_RT2860_Linux_STA_v2.4.0.0/os/linux/rt2860sta.ko

reboot and it will work!

Thanks for the ubuntu team for packin rt2860sta version 2.1.0.0 instead of 2.4.0.0, that is the one we just compiled!

PS: By the end of the process you will have:

Code:

$ sudo iwlist ra0 channel
ra0       14 channels in total; available frequencies :
          Channel 01 : 2.412 GHz
          Channel 02 : 2.417 GHz
          Channel 03 : 2.422 GHz
          Channel 04 : 2.427 GHz
          Channel 05 : 2.432 GHz
          Channel 06 : 2.437 GHz
          Channel 07 : 2.442 GHz
          Channel 08 : 2.447 GHz
          Channel 09 : 2.452 GHz
          Channel 10 : 2.457 GHz
          Channel 11 : 2.462 GHz
          Channel 12 : 2.467 GHz
          Channel 13 : 2.472 GHz
          Channel 14 : 2.484 GHz

Great, isn't it?

**maiko_666** · May 14th, 2011

Just found that the solution above does not provide VPN support, what is a pain.

If you try to compile the module with cfg80211 support it fails (damn crappy code, I could not find the problem)

I am staging the following workaround (3,3 days uptime and no crash, it seems to be ok)

Code: