Ubuntu
gnome-nettool package

Aspire 5100 updated to 11.4 lost wireless connection

Asked by Martin

Updated my Acer Aspire 5102WLMi from 10.10 to 11.4 and lost wireless connection unless my laptop is very close to my router (less than 2mtrs) any further away it cannot see any wireless connections at all.
Re-boot into 10.10 wireless is no problem.

Please ask if you need more information. (Readout is while connected sat next to router)

martin@martin-Aspire-5100:~$ sudo lshw -C network
[sudo] password for martin:
Sorry, try again.
[sudo] password for martin:
  *-network:0
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
       vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
       physical id: 1
       bus info: pci@0000:06:01.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: 10
       serial: 00:16:d4:13:8c:71
       size: 10Mbit/s
       capacity: 100Mbit/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=8139too driverversion=0.9.28 duplex=half latency=64 link=no maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 multicast=yes port=MII speed=10Mbit/s
       resources: irq:21 ioport:a000(size=256) memory:c0210000-c02100ff
  *-network:1
       description: Wireless interface
       product: AR2413 802.11bg NIC
       vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:06:02.0
       logical name: wlan0
       version: 01
       serial: 00:16:ce:7f:cf:63
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath5k driverversion=2.6.38-8-generic firmware=N/A ip=192.168.1.2 latency=168 link=yes maxlatency=28 mingnt=10 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bg
       resources: irq:22 memory:c0200000-c020ffff
martin@martin-Aspire-5100:~$

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Ubuntu gnome-nettool Edit question
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Martin
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Revision history for this message
Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#1

Try doing an update:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-upgrade

HTH.

Revision history for this message
Martin (martin-amery) said : 		#2

Is that a normal update because I have been updating now for about a month hoping for a wireless update.
Ran your command and got

martin@martin-Aspire-5100:~$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-upgrade
[sudo] password for martin:
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security InRelease
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security Release.gpg
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty InRelease
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security Release
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty InRelease
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates InRelease
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty InRelease
Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg
Get:1 http://extras.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg [72 B]
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates Release.gpg
Get:2 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B]
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates Release
Get:3 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,351 B]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main i386 Packages
Ign http://linux.dropbox.com maverick InRelease
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse i386 Packages
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted TranslationIndex
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main i386 Packages
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main i386 Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse i386 Packages
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted TranslationIndex
Hit http://linux.dropbox.com maverick Release.gpg
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Sources
Get:4 http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages [1,228 B]
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main i386 Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse i386 Packages
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted TranslationIndex
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://linux.dropbox.com maverick Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en
Hit http://linux.dropbox.com maverick/main i386 Packages
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Translation-en
Ign http://linux.dropbox.com maverick/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Translation-en
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Translation-en
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en
Ign http://linux.dropbox.com maverick/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://linux.dropbox.com maverick/main Translation-en
Fetched 2,849 B in 2s (1,033 B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
sudo: apt-upgrade: command not found
martin@martin-Aspire-5100:~$ ^C

Revision history for this message
Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#3

My bad, that should be:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

When you say 'you lost wireless connection', do you mean not seeing any ESSID's or the difficulty to connect to a certain ESSID?

Revision history for this message
Martin (martin-amery) said : 		#4

When I normally connect my wireless icon can see my Router plus up to another 5 local wireless systems.

If I move my laptop away from my router to another room say 6 - 8 meters away I loose connection and cannot see any other systems. The wireless manager just keeps looking.

Some times even when as close as 2 meters the signal keeps coming and going.

I have been told that its a known problem with a driver, so I have been waiting for a fix for about 4 weeks - - please see below

(Have a read of this https://lkml.org/lkml/2011/5/5/152

I looks like it might be a kernel bug, a regression. They are aware of it (it's dated 5th May 2011).
Thst would make sense if the same card and driver worked in 10.10 but not in 11.04.
Same card and driver as you, and by the looks of it same kernel 2.6.38.

Might have to sit tight for a fix to come down from on high.)

Revision history for this message
Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#5

Can you try booting on the Classic GNOME environment instead of Unity and try observing your wireless connectivity.

HTH.

Revision history for this message
Martin (martin-amery) said : 		#6

Booted into classic n - result just the same from 4-5 meters away no wireless services available see screenshot ( Cant find how to add screenshot or attach)

Out of interest booted into 10.10 this shows that 4 plus my wireless services are available !

Revision history for this message
Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#7

Try using madwifi it does the trick.

Perform the following commands from your Terminal:

sudo su
apt-get install subversion
cd /usr/src
svn checkout http://madwifi-project.org/svn/madwifi/trunk madwifi
tar cfvz madwifi.tgz
cd madwifi
make && make install

echo "blacklist ath5k" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
echo "ath_pci" >> /etc/modules

modprobe ath_pci

Then reboot and observe the changes on your wireless connection.

sudo reboot

HTH.

Revision history for this message
Martin (martin-amery) said : 		#8

Result of above

martin@martin-Aspire-5100:~$ sudo su
[sudo] password for martin:
Sorry, try again.
[sudo] password for martin:
root@martin-Aspire-5100:/home/martin# sudo su
root@martin-Aspire-5100:/home/martin# apt-get install subversion
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libapr1 libaprutil1 libsvn1
Suggested packages:
  subversion-tools db4.8-util
The following NEW packages will be installed
  libapr1 libaprutil1 libsvn1 subversion
0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 1,165 kB of archives.
After this operation, 3,641 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Abort.
root@martin-Aspire-5100:/home/martin#

It just replies abort after I select "Y"

Revision history for this message
Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#9

After 'sudo su', can you try:

sudo apt-get install subversion libapache2-svn

?

Revision history for this message
Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#10

Simply pressing 'Y' would confirm you want to install the application. Can you retry the process again.

Revision history for this message
Martin (martin-amery) said : 		#11

Hi thanks - it may have solved the issue, its looking ok but not sure if its stable - I have to go now but will confirm tonight if the problems fixed
thanks

Revision history for this message
Martin (martin-amery) said : 		#12

Just to say thanks for your help on this problem.
The above looks like its solved the issue as I can now connect in all the rooms in my house, thanks very much.
Martin

FYI
Just a note the network connections manager in 11.04 doesn't show as strong a signal as the network manager in 10.10 in the same locations.