Ubuntu
gnome-nettool package

Wifi instability

Asked by jcglt

I refer to my former threads : 132492 and 133714 with the following system :

jean-claude@jean-claude-laptop:~$ sudo lshw -C network
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: 191 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
       vendor: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]
       physical id: 4
       bus info: pci@0000:00:04.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: 02
       serial: 00:23:5a:e1:a8:7e
       size: 10MB/s
       capacity: 100MB/s
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=sis190 driverversion=1.3 duplex=half latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=MII speed=10MB/s
       resources: irq:19 memory:d4407000-d440707f ioport:1080(size=128)
  *-network
       description: Wireless interface
       product: AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter
       vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
       logical name: wlan0
       version: 01
       serial: 00:25:d3:0c:1d:6b
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath5k ip=192.168.1.100 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bg
       resources: irq:18 memory:d4100000-d410ffff
  *-network DISABLED
       description: Ethernet interface
       physical id: 1
       logical name: vboxnet0
       serial: 0a:00:27:00:00:00
       capabilities: ethernet physical
       configuration: broadcast=yes multicast=yes
jean-claude@jean-claude-laptop:~$

With 10.04-1LTS Lucid Lynx I have suffered in the past few months of severe Wifi instability, tried to replace "network-manager" by "wicd" with no lasting improvement, tried to add "wifi radar" then removed it. I was running a Linux 2.6.32-26-generic kernel.
I eventually reinstalled 10.04LTS-1 from DVD yesterday, which reloaded the 2.6.32-24 kernel, working nicely then same day the autoupdate process loaded 2.6.32-25, working nicely too.
Today the autoupdate process loaded the 2.6.32-26-generic kernel and the Wifi instability came back : deconnections after a few minutes with difficulty to reconnect.
I removed this 2.6.32-26 by Ubuntu Tweak and rebooted the computer with a Wifi working nicely again, I don't know for how much time ?

My intentions are "not allow the update again to 2.6.32-26" until I get a better understanding of the situation.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu gnome-nettool Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
jcglt
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Theodotos Andreou (theodotos) said : 		#1

Try "sudo aptitude install linux-image-2.6.32-26-generic=". This will "hold the package in its current version

Revision history for this message
jcglt (jcjglt) said : 		#2

Thanks for your answer but there seems to be a misunderstanding : I do not want anymore to update to 2.6.32-26 as I suspect - without any proof - this kernel to be at the origin of my wifi problems. What does your proposed "sudo aptitude install linux-image-2.6.32-26-generic=" command ? Does it install -26 kernel or does it forbid it ?
What I will do in the future is try any update like a possible 2.6.32-27 kernel and further updates. If they work properly use them and keep the last properly working kernel in a /boot/old_kernel subdirectory, just in case things are getting wrong again.
By the way an other French Ubuntu user of 10.10 experienced similar problems with an Atheros chip, he reinstalled 10.04 from DVD, upgraded his kernel to -25 but not higher and is now satisfied with his wifi connectivity.

Revision history for this message
jcglt (jcjglt) said : 		#3

Trying to still improve the stability of my connexion I read the following bug report :

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/lucid/+source/network-manager/+bug/373680

and I replaced my "network-manager 0.8-0ubuntu3" packet by "0.8-0ubuntu3+volanin1" found there :

https://launchpad.net/~volanin/+archive/ppa

The effect of the "volanin1" patch to "network-manager" seems to be that it stops the periodic scanning of the network (every minute) to find a better SSIS, which could be one cause of frequent disconnections. The minus side is that it cancels roaming ability but I don't need it when I am connected to my usual network. I close my computer now and will restart, hoping it reconnects.

Revision history for this message
jcglt (jcjglt) said : 		#4

Well, I restarted my computer, it connected easily and 3 hours later is still connected with a very steady connexion. For the first time for months I have the feeling that I may have found the solution to the very iritating problem of this unsteady Wifi connexion.

Revision history for this message
jcglt (jcjglt) said : 		#5

Waiting for a fix to this bug which affects "network-manager" with a severe instability of wifi connexion I consider that its replacement by

 "network-manager 0.8-0ubuntu3+volanin1"

has temporarily and without total satisfaction solved my problem.