11.04 Natty wireless issue - Acer - Device not ready

[abisdad]

Hi - I've tried looking through other posts but haven't found a solution as yet, so sorry to put this one out there...

I've an Acer TravelMate TM8372T with 802.11 a/b/g/n and have had 10.10 on which worked fine before, but then windows stuffed up, and my IT dept re-imaged it with Win 7 After I reinstalled and upgraded to 11.04 I cannot get wireless on 11.04 (but on Win 7, it works fine!)...

Initially my wireless light was off.

According to the drop down networking icon initially it was

wireless turned off

but after trying the Fn+F3 button a few times and the wireless button that changed, so it now states

Wireless Networks device not ready

although sometimes it changes for a second to

Connect to hidden network & Create new wireless network

while pressing the Fn+F3, but changes back too fast to select...


I have also ticked Enable Wireless in the list too.


I typed lspci and had this:

01:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6200 (rev 35)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM57760 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe (rev 01)

If I do ifconfig I can see:

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:27:10:0x:0x:0x
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)

which I take to mean that I have an device which is recognized.


I have run Addition Drivers, but it tells me there are no proprietary drivers in use on the system.


I can get the wireless LED to come on by entering

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

and to go off using

sudo ifconfig wlan0 down

but this doesn't help me to connect.


I have also tried

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

but that didn't seem to do anything.


I've set up a Wireless Network Connection with a WPA & WPA2 Personal key, which I copied from another Ubuntu machine I have, and I have double checked the key, but I don't think this is relevant as the Network drop down list still has

Wireless Networks device not ready

grayed out.


I think that my card has been found and drivers installed, but is somehow turned off. If anyone can help me I'll be very grateful.

Thanks,

Rob.

UPDATE 14/5/2011.

Still not working, but I've found that if you do a sudo rfkill list all, then it shows:

0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no

If I use the Fn+F3 button, while watching the output from "rfkill event" I see it change to:

13053645xx.xxxxxx: idx 0 type 1 op 2 soft 0 hard 0
13053645xx.xxxxxx: idx 2 type 1 op 2 soft 0 hard 0
13053645xx.xxxxxx: idx 2 type 1 op 2 soft 0 hard 0
13053645xx.xxxxxx: idx 0 type 1 op 2 soft 1 hard 0

(Do this by opening two different Terminal screens, and run "sudo rfkill event" in one, and then you can do other rfkill commands in the other one, while watching the output in the first screen.)

It's as if it is being turned on, but then something is automatically re-soft blocking almost immediately I unblock it, by either using the "Fn+F3" or "sudo rfkill unblock all".


Please help as it's a bit embarrassing, I'm trying to get a class of gifted kids into linux on desktops and their teacher can't even connect to the wireless!


UPDATE 15/5/2011.

Just read this post: "Wireless disabled by hardware switch" bug? - Natty and have got this output for "dmesg | grep iwl":

rob@robtintech:~$ dmesg | grep iwl
[ 15.925638] iwlagn: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, in-tree:
[ 15.925643] iwlagn: Copyright(c) 2003-2010 Intel Corporation
[ 15.925717] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 15.925728] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 15.925766] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Detected Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6200 AGN, REV=0x74
[ 15.942097] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: device EEPROM VER=0x436, CALIB=0x6
[ 15.942102] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Device SKU: 0Xb
[ 15.943197] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 24 802.11a channels
[ 15.943283] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: irq 41 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 16.068803] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: loaded firmware version 9.221.4.1 build 25532
[ 16.083562] ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-agn-rs'
[ 199.600594] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to enable radio.
[ 200.095805] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Failing on timeout while stopping DMA channel 1 [0xa5a5a5a2]
[ 200.101538] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Failing on timeout while stopping DMA channel 3 [0xa5a5a5a2]
[ 200.107182] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Failing on timeout while stopping DMA channel 4 [0xa5a5a5a2]
[ 200.112915] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: Failing on timeout while stopping DMA channel 6 [0xa5a5a5a2]
[ 245.597524] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to disable radio.
[ 247.674860] iwlagn 0000:01:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to enable radio.

...and this for: "lsmod | grep -e acer -e wmi"

rob@robtintech:~$ lsmod | grep -e acer -e wmi
snd_rawmidi 25269 1 snd_seq_midi
acer_wmi 23123 0
sparse_keymap 13666 1 acer_wmi
snd_seq_device 14110 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd 55295 13 snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec ,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,s nd_seq_device

Still think something is turning it off all the time...

Any suggestions gratefully considered...

[chili555]

Please let us see:

sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi
sudo rfkill unblock all
rfkill list all

Does your wireless work now? We can amend two files and make it permanent.

[abisdad]

Chili555 - you're magic! I thought it was something easy! I'm now using the link, instead of copying stuff to post by USB!

rob@robtintech:~$ sudo rfkill unblock all
rob@robtintech:~$ sudo rfkill list all
2: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

So how do I make this permanent? (and what did you just get me to do?)

Also will this affect my wired LAN when I get back to work?

Thanks again!

Rob.

[herry12]

Wow.... Nice Tips. These tips are ver useful. Thanks for sharing this informative information. Please keep sharing more and more information.

Thanks
Have a nice time ahead.


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[chili555]

So how do I make this permanent? (and what did you just get me to do?)

sudo su
echo "blacklist acer-wmi" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
gedit /etc/rc.local

Add one line above Exit 0

rfkill unblock all

Proofread, save and close gedit.

exit

I got you to remove the mis-behaving acer-wmi module that is supposed to recognize the press of the wireless key and translate its meaning to the kernel. It sometimes doesn't work so well, so we simply remove it. I doubt it will have any effect on wired ethernet.

[abisdad]

Hi Chili555, did that:

blacklist.conf:

# Added with typo by Rob 15/5/2011 to fix wireless as per chili555

backlist acer-wmi

******* N.B. I've edited this the next morning to highlight typo in RED - moral = got to bed earlier... ********

and in rc.local

# Added by Rob 15/5/2011 to fix wireless as per chili555
rfkill unblock all

then rebooted, but still didn't work until I did:

sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi
sudo rfkill unblock all

Sorry, but any other ideas how to make it permanent?

Thanks,

Rob - being dragged to bed by grumpy, loving wife - it's 03.15am! Check again tomorrow...

[vycas]

Please let us see:

sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi
sudo rfkill unblock all
rfkill list all

Does your wireless work now? We can amend two files and make it permanent.

Hey Chilli, I need your help. I had the same issue with acer-wmi blocking my sony-wifi in software switch. I followed your commands:

sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi
sudo rfkill unblock all
rfkill list all

and it worked, and i could see my wireless and it was working and everything was working and fine.

In order to make it permanent i then did

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

added line in the end

blacklist acer-wmi

sudo gedit /etc/rc.local
rfkill unlock all

and when i rebooted. I do not see any phy0 in 'rfkill list all' output and there is no wireless option in panel.

It seems my drivers are gone or what i do not know.

Here is the current rfkill list all output:

vycas@vycas-VPCYA15FG:~$ rfkill list all
1: sony-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
2: sony-bluetooth: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
3: hci0: Bluetooth
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

Also the lspci output (it sees the ath9k wireless)



vycas@vycas-VPCYA15FG:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 02)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller (rev 06)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 05)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio (rev 05)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 05)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev 05)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 05)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev a5)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller (rev 05)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 4 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 05)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller (rev 05)
00:1f.6 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem (rev 05)
02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications AR8131 Gigabit Ethernet (rev c0)
ff:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers (rev 02)
ff:00.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder (rev 02)
ff:02.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 (rev 02)
ff:02.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Physical 0 (rev 02)
ff:02.2 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved (rev 02)
ff:02.3 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved (rev 02)
vycas@vycas-VPCYA15FG:~$


It worked with those 3 commands. The moment i tried to make it permanent. it messed up.

Vycas

[wildmanne39]

Hi, so it is not working at all now? this

rfkill unlock all

should have been this

rfkill unblock all

Thank you

[wildmanne39]

Hi, so it is not working at all now? this

rfkill unlock all
should have been this

rmmod -f ath5k
rfkill unblock all
modprobe ath5k

Thank you

[vycas]

Hi, so it is not working at all now? this

rfkill unlock all
should have been this

rmmod -f ath5k
rfkill unblock all
modprobe ath5k

Thank you

Ok i tried the

modprobe ath9k (since i have ath9k)

it reinstalled the phy0 and then i did the sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi

and it works, but only for few minutes after that it just looses too much packets. I pinged my router and it lost 70% of packets and i am literally 2 feet away from it.

After rebooting acer-wmi always appears, so i have added these commands in following sequence in /etc/rc.local

sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi
sudo modprobe ath9k

My wifi shows internet is connected, but it doesn't work. ping works but its too slow and latency is way too high.

Vycas