wireless issues with WPA2 due to distance

[Oxyris]

Went back to school and found that my "new" (to me anyway) laptop can't connect to wifi. It works if it's close to the router but past 30 or so feet it doesn't pick it up. Apparently I have the same issue in my house, I just didn't notice because it's much smaller (though because I've been messing with it so much it has stopped working unless I'm in the same room as the router) than a big university.

Some info if needed:


sudo lshw -C network
[sudo] password:
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: 82566MM Gigabit Network Connection
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 19
bus info: pci@0000:00:19.0
logical name: eth0
version: 03
serial: 00:1d:72:8e:26:f7
capacity: 1Gbit/s
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=e1000e driverversion=1.5.1-k firmware=0.3-0 latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
resources: irq:42 memory:f8200000-f821ffff memory:f8225000-f8225fff ioport:1840(size=32)
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN [Kedron] Network Connection
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
logical name: wlan0
version: 61
serial: 00:13:e8:a3:95:03
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwl4965 driverversion=3.2.0-29-generic-pae firmware=228.61.2.24 latency=0 link=no multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abgn
resources: irq:44 memory:f7f00000-f7f01fff
ubuntux61tablet:~$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11abgn ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=14 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off

eth0 no wireless extensions.

ubuntux61tablet:~$

[chili555]

Please open a terminal and do:
sudo modprobe -r iwl4965
sudo modprobe iwl4965 11n_disable=1Any improvement?

[Oxyris]

Please open a terminal and do:
sudo modprobe -r iwl4965
sudo modprobe iwl4965 11n_disable=1Any improvement?

Yes, it started working almost immediately. I'll check to make sure it's working in different buildings and then I'll modify the prefix. Thank you.

[chili555]

then I'll modify the prefix. How so? There is a right, effective way to do it. What are you planning?

[Oxyris]

How so? There is a right, effective way to do it. What are you planning?
I meant change the title of the post to solved. Sorry for the confusion.


P.S. I'm not usually a technical user but if you don't mind, could you explain what I just did to my computer?

[chili555]

You asked that the wireless driver iwlwifi be removed and then be reloaded with a parameter '11n_disable.' As you might see, it disables N speed capability. It is the subject of a long-standing bug.

What I was driving at is that the parameter disappears on reboot unless you take steps to make it persistent, which I assume you want. Please open a terminal and do:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.confAdd a single line:
options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1Proofread, save and close gedit. If you don't have the text editor gedit, use leafpad, kate or any other text editor.

You should be all set.

[Oxyris]

To make sure: I rebooted my computer earlier am I supposed to
sudo modprobe -r iwl4965
sudo modprobe iwl4965 11n_disable=1
Then do this

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf
Or can I get away with just starting at the second part?

[chili555]

Once you have written the file /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf, then the driver parameter will be loaded automatically with no further action on your part. Once it's written, reboot and you are permanently all done.

[Oxyris]

Once you have written the file /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf, then the driver parameter will be loaded automatically with no further action on your part. Once it's written, reboot and you are permanently all done.

Well, it was working and now it's not. I'll see what else I can do to fix it but thanks a bunch for your help.

[chili555]

Let's be sure there are no typos in the file:
cat /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.confLet's also see if the parameter got accepted:
cat /sys/module/iwlwifi/parameters/11n_disable

[Oxyris]

Let's be sure there are no typos in the file:
cat /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.confLet's also see if the parameter got accepted:
cat /sys/module/iwlwifi/parameters/11n_disable

Results:


@ubuntux61tablet:~$ cat /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf
options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1
@ubuntux61tablet:~$ cat /sys/module/iwlwifi/parameters/11n_disable
cat: /sys/module/iwlwifi/parameters/11n_disable: No such file or directory

[chili555]

Ole Dr. Chili makes an occasional error. I'm sorry. Please do:
sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/iwl4965.conf Add a single line:
options iwl4965 11n_disable=1Proofread, save, close and reboot and let me hear your forgiveness and a good report.

[Oxyris]

It seems to be working okay for now. I have to start it up with the hard switch off then turn on the wifi but that's just a minor inconvenience.