NetworkManager applet is not responding to anything, but keeps prompting me for wireless password

[Dima Ryazanov]

I got a notification saying I was disconnected from the wireless network. I don't actually need wireless since I have a wired connection. However, the applet won't let me turn off wireless: clicking "Enable Wireless", "Disconnect", "Edit Connections..." etc. has no effect. Every few minutes, I get prompted to enter the wireless password - which is really annoying.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: network-manager-gnome 0.9.4.1-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-25.40-generic 3.2.18
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-25-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Jun 18 16:14:41 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
IpRoute:
 default via 172.16.40.1 dev eth0 proto static
 172.16.40.0/24 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 172.16.40.104 metric 1
 192.168.72.0/24 dev vmnet8 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.72.1
 192.168.128.0/24 dev vmnet1 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.128.1
NetworkManager.state:
 [main]
 NetworkingEnabled=true
 WirelessEnabled=true
 WWANEnabled=true
 WimaxEnabled=true
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: network-manager-applet
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
nmcli-dev:
 DEVICE TYPE STATE DBUS-PATH
 eth0 802-3-ethernet connected /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/1
 wlan0 802-11-wireless disconnected /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/0
nmcli-nm:
 RUNNING VERSION STATE NET-ENABLED WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE WWAN
 running 0.9.4.0 connected enabled enabled enabled enabled disabled

[Dima Ryazanov (dima-gmail)]

I killed and restarted nm-applet; no difference, it's still stuck.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Bas Roufs (basroufs)]

My problem is quite similar to the one of Dima, the colleague who has filed this bug. That's why, I have "confirmed" it.
In several preceding Kubuntu editions, KNetworkManager functioned quite well - both wired and wireless. Unlike Dima, I often need wireless connections at the machine I am working on right now: a HP Pavlion dm 1 netbook, 32 bits, Kubuntu 12.04 along with KDE 4.8.4. With this configuration, I do have difficulties getting reliable WIFI connections. Often, the system keeps "configuring the interface" or "setting the network-address". Sometimes, the system keeps asking for a password already given in several times. Like in the case of Dima, this even happens when I am working with a wired connection.

By means of a few "workarounds" I do get connected via WIFI - however, it sometimes costs a lot of time and effort.

A few indications elsewhere at the internet possibly aim at a Linux Kernel problem. Someone who replied my question on this issue at the Kubuntu user forum, replied:
> I *think* I read something yesterday which said that the problem was in the kernel and that upgrading the kernel to
> version *-26 got the problem solved.
So far, I did not find exactly the article he may be pointing at. However, a few recent comments on WICD point in the same direction: see https://launchpad.net/wicd, under the heading "Recent posts".
Those comments aim at similar password and connection problems when using WICD - a package with the same functionality as KNetworkmanager.
Now, I am working with WIFI - with no interruptions so far. Before the reboot preceding this session, I did download and install a bunch of updates. However, I am not sure whether I already installed version *-26 of the kernel or anything else with a relevant bug fix. I will report my findings here after a few days.

[Jeffrey Tees (jeff-tees)]

I have also observed the behaviour noted by Bas Roufs with Network Manager in KDE.

Ubuntu 12.04 64bit, KDE from standard ubuntu repos. Updates current as of today.
Kernal version 3.2.0-27-generic

In xfce, unity and Gnome I sometimes loose my connection and am unable to reconnect without switching wireless off and on again, (itself a bit of a bug).

However with KNetworkManager this turns into a nightmare of constant prompts for the network code even though the interface is configured for 'system wide' with the network code entered in the settings for that connection and long waits while 'configuring the interface' - merely 'switching it off and on again' doesn't solve the issue. A Total reboot also didn't solve it either.

Just encountered it again (prompting this entry) my solution was to log out of KDE and into XFCE whereupon the wireless connected immediately in XFCE.