Intel 6000 series Wireless does not work

[Ike Panhc]

Wireless Controller: Intel 8086:422c (Kernel module iwlagn.ko)

Intel wireless controller can be detected, driver is loaded, but clicking network manager shows no access point. The testing lab has at least 5 APs as I can see them using other systems. I am suspecting it might be caused by loosing antenna, but I don't have other system to compare the test result.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Boot the system
2. Click network manager
3. Look for available AP for wireless connection

Expected result:
Available APs are listed, select the best one to make connection.

Actual result:
No AP can be seen.

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

The attach says it can not find the firmware. But we have version 4 firmware there.

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 335056 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-3.ucode
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 149652 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 150100 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-3945-2.ucode
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 187608 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-4965-1.ucode
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 187972 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-4965-2.ucode
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 345008 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 353240 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 337400 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-5150-2.ucode
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 459992 2009-11-30 19:29 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

cherry-pick the following commit will solve the firmware issue

commit fcbaf8b06da385c73cb6218f079e9ddba9ee9f7c
Author: Wey-Yi Guy <email address hidden>
Date: Fri Aug 21 13:34:18 2009 -0700

    iwlwifi: change IWL6000_UCODE_API_MAX to v4

    uCode version changed to v4 for 6000 series

    The additional parameter added to v4 is providing current tx power for
    each chain in tx statistics portion of "statistics notification"
    command.

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

After solving the firmware issue, sometimes the wifi works but sometimes not. The attachment is the kernel output when the wifi is not functional.

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

After cherry-pick the following commit, the wifi works fine.

commit 2c2f3b33888419fb9e7d015b9dc67b9db4437efa
Author: Tomas Winkler <email address hidden>
Date: Fri Jun 19 13:52:45 2009 -0700

    iwlwifi: unify iwl_setup_rxon_timing

    This patch unifies setup_rxon_timing funcions
    of AGN and 3945. HWs differ only in supported maximal
    beacon interval. This is reflected in hw_paras.max_beacon_itrvl

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

There are i386 kernel image at http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp496496/

This kernel image build from lastest karmic tree and cherry-pick the above two commit

[David Chen (david.chen)]

Hi Ike,

Thanks for the fix, I tried your test kernel, the problem can be fixed.

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

This problem does not affect linux-lucid, so set to invalid.

As to Karmic kernel, Reinette Chatre (Maintainer of iwlwifi) suggests we shall use v2.6.32 kernel to enable iwl6000, not to backport patches to v2.6.31-stable [1]. so set to wont fix.

[1] http://lkml.org/lkml/2009/12/16/204

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

The another solution for karmic to use iwl6000 is to install linux-backports-modules-karmic. We have reports that ubuntu kernel v2.6.31-16-generic works fine with its linux-backports-modules on iwl6000.

[Ike Panhc (ikepanhc)]

An fix for above comment: The *major* solution for karmic on iwl6000 is to install linux-backports-modules-karmic.