Elusive Driver for Intel 6205 Wireless

[DSim]

I just installed 12.04 on a Dell Latitude 6520 with the Intel 6205 wireless chip. The install process asked for "iwlwifi-6000g2a-6.ucode", however the only related file on intelwirelesslinux.org is "iwlwifi-6000g2a-ucode-17.168.5.3.tgz", which contains the previous version - "iwlwifi-6000g2a-5.ucode". I'm on kernel vmlinuz-3.2.0-26-generic, btw.

I've done quite a bit of searching and haven't found the file, but I have found modinfo dumps of people's systems in forum messages that show it.

Could someone please let me know where to find it? It's the only thing left to get the system running flawlessly.

[chili555]

The required firmware is installed by default. If your wireless isn't working, something else is wrong. Please post:

rfkill list all
dmesg | grep iwl
ls /lib/firmware/ | grep iwlwifi

What are your symptoms?

[DSim]

The required firmware is installed by default. If your wireless isn't working, something else is wrong. Please post:

rfkill list all
dmesg | grep iwl
ls /lib/firmware/ | grep iwlwifi

What are your symptoms?

I failed the morale check and left the system at work for the weekend. The (proprietary) file I'm looking for was prompted for (on removable media) early on in the install process. I've done enough research to know it just needs to be copied into /lib/firmware (IIRC) once I find it.

Wireless is definitely not working right now. I'll be happy to run the commands you listed when I'm in front of the machine on Monday, but I'm pretty confident things would work if I can find the "-6" ucode version.

Thanks for the response, good to see another Ubuntu supporter here in SC!

[chili555]

I will be interested in your results. This may or may not prove to be relevant: http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-w.../msg88962.html

> > We don't really know, but it was really just due to a bug in the driver,
> > it should use MODULE_FIRMWARE with the latest released rather than the
> > latest testing version -- there's a patch in our queue to fix that.

We may find this driver parameter useful:

parm:           ucode_alternative:specify ucode alternative to use from ucode file (int)

All this speculation of course, depends on your findings.

[DSim]

I will be interested in your results. This may or may not prove to be relevant: http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-w.../msg88962.html

Yes, I think it is - I'm a bit curious as to why that version hasn't been pushed to the intelwirelesslinux.org repository, it's been over three months since that post.

We may find this driver parameter useful:

parm:           ucode_alternative:specify ucode alternative to use from ucode file (int)

All this speculation of course, depends on your findings.

If I don't have the "-6" version by Monday morning, I'll try that - I was unaware of that parameter, I've never set up wireless on Linux before. Thanks!

[chili555]

I'm a bit curious as to why that version hasn't been pushed to the intelwirelesslinux.org repository, it's been over three months since that post.

I wonder if it's in the compat-wireless suite. linux-backports-modules-cw or some such in Synaptic.

I was unaware of that parameter, I've never set up wireless on Linux before.

I'm not exactly sure how to use it; something like:

sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi
sudo modprobe iwlwifi ucode_alternative=iwlwifi-6000g2a-5.ucode

I'd try that and check:

dmesg | grep iwl

Complaints? Errors? Success?

Then we could write a conf file to make it permanent.

[sunbird]

I just did a fresh install of 12.04 on a Thinkpad x220 and got the same dialog box during the install. I just continued without the driver. My wireless works, but not reliably on the 5ghz band. It connects fine to the 2.4ghz band.

I'm wondering if I should give this a try:

I wonder if it's in the compat-wireless suite. linux-backports-modules-cw or some such in Synaptic.I'm not exactly sure how to use it; something like:

sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi
sudo modprobe iwlwifi ucode_alternative=iwlwifi-6000g2a-5.ucode

I'd try that and check:

dmesg | grep iwl

Complaints? Errors? Success?

[chili555]

My wireless works, but not reliably on the 5ghz band. It connects fine to the 2.4ghz band.

A long-standing bug for this driver. Please try instead:

sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi
sudo modprobe iwlwifi 11n_disable=1

Yeah, I know, no N speeds. If it helps, we'll write a conf file.

[sunbird]

A long-standing bug for this driver. Please try instead:

sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi
sudo modprobe iwlwifi 11n_disable=1

Yeah, I know, no N speeds. If it helps, we'll write a conf file.

Hmmm... the thing is, I think I get N speeds currently on the 2.4 ghz band, so I'd rather not disable it. Is there any hope for a fix at some point? Is there a bug report that I can watch/contribute to?

Thanks!

[chili555]

I'd look here: http://bugzilla.intellinuxwireless.o...ug.cgi?id=2368

Or here, generally: http://bugzilla.intellinuxwireless.org/

Intel is the developer of the driver:

$ modinfo iwlwifi
filename: /lib/modules/3.2.0-26-generic-pae/updates/cw-3.3/iwlwifi.ko
alias: iwlagn
license: GPL
author: Copyright(c) 2003-2011 Intel Corporation <ilw@linux.intel.com>
version: in-tree:
description: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux