Ubuntu
gnome-nettool package

Dell XPS 13 with Centrino 6230 won't connect to WIFI

Asked by David Brunson

I have recently started using Ubuntu 12.04 (with Wubi) on a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230. I installed Ubuntu while logged into the wifi network at my school, and everything went fine. I could also log in to my home wifi network with no problems using Ubuntu on the XPS. A couple of days later, I had to restart the XPS in windows to access something that I couldn't get to with the Ubuntu installation. When I rebooted the computer back into Ubuntu, I couldn't connect to my home wifi network. I went back to school, reinstalled Ubuntu, and had the exact same problem the next week. The wifi worked great at school and at home until I had to reboot into Windows, and from then on I could not access wifi in Ubuntu. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the wireless card, as I have plugged in a USB wifi card (Netgear) and I can access my home wifi. I thought maybe it was a driver issue, but that doesn't explain why it worked until I restarted the computer. I am stumped. I would appreciate any thoughts or advice...

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Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#1

In Windows' device manager, disable the device's ability to wake up the system as well as the power management.

Make sure that "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is UNchecked in the Power Management tab for your wireless device in Windows.

I suspect that you are encountering a Windows issue here, NOT an Ubuntu issue...

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#2

Can you give the output of:

sudo lshw -C network; lsb_release -a; uname -a; sudo rfkill list; dmesg | grep -i firm

Thanks

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David Brunson (dsbrunso-9) said : 		#3

Andrew, I put the output of the commands you asked for below. Mark, I made the setting changes you asked for, but it didn't allow me to get connected on the linux side. Today I was able to connect my computer, running ubuntu, to the wifi network at school without having to reinstall ubuntu. This evening when I got home, I can get on my home network. So, it appears that as long as I first log into my school network, without restarting the computer into windows at any point, I can get on other networks later. I don't know what could be causing this. Andrew FYI: the output below was retrieved while I was connected to my home network. Thank you both for your help, and sorry I have been delayed getting the information you requested (finals are coming up so things are getting very busy).

sudo lshw -C network:

*-network
       description: Wireless interface
       product: Centrino Advanced-N 6230
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
       logical name: wlan0
       version: 34
       serial: 88:53:2e:cb:f6:5b
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwlwifi driverversion=3.2.0-29-generic firmware=18.168.6.1 ip=192.168.1.105 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abgn
       resources: irq:47 memory:f0500000-f0501fff

lsb_release -a:

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

uname -a:

Linux ubuntu 3.2.0-29-generic #46+kamal5~DellXPS-Ubuntu SMP Sun Jul 29 18:49:08 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

rfkill list:

1: phy0: Wireless LAN
 Soft blocked: no
 Hard blocked: no
8: hci0: Bluetooth
 Soft blocked: yes
 Hard blocked: no

dmesg | grep -i firm:

[16212.292594] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: Loaded firmware version: 18.168.6.1

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MikeCamel (mike-hingston) said : 		#4

I've just linked this to an existing bug, because a number of us are seeing the same. It seems to be AP-dependent (some work fine).

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask David Brunson for more information if necessary.

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