Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter has poor range

[Jim Tarrant]

My Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter will only connect to my WiFi base station if it's very close to it. When connected, if I move about 5 metres away, the connection drops.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-4.2.0-38-generic 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1-generic 4.2.8-ckt10
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-38-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.21
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun Jun 12 08:26:48 2016
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-06-01 (10 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20160217.1)
SourcePackage: linux-lts-wily
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
---
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.21
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jim 2165 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: jim 2165 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-06-01 (11 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20160217.1)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 5542
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-38-generic root=UUID=7d2bd334-80d7-4869-8ca2-849d7a1dcd3c ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1-generic 4.2.8-ckt10
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.2.0-38-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.2.0-38-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.22
Tags: trusty
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-38-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 08/11/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: V1.03
dmi.board.name: JV50TR
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Rev
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrV1.03:bd08/11/2009:svnAcer:pnAspire5542:pvr0100:rvnAcer:rnJV50TR:rvrRev:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 5542
dmi.product.version: 0100
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Jim Tarrant, thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command only once, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:
apport-collect 1591631

[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

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[penalvch (penalvch)]

Jim Tarrant, could you please provide the full router manufacturer, model, and firmware version?

[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

Product name: BT Home Hub 3.0B
Firmware version: V100R001C01B036SP05_L_B. Last updated 16/11/13
Board version: VER.D
Wireless connections: Enabled (b/g/n, 20M, WPS Enabled)
Wireless security: WPA and WPA2
Wireless channel: Automatic/11
Software variant: 05_L_B
Boot loader: 1.0.37-106.5

[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

I upgraded the bios to V1.09 but the problem still remains.

[Jim Tarrant (jim-tarrant)]

jim@jdt-CELSIUS-H700:~$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
[sudo] password for jim:
V1.09
01/18/2010
jim@jdt-CELSIUS-H700:~$

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Jim Tarrant, in order to allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue, at your earliest convenience, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D ? Please keep in mind the following:
1) The one to test is at the very top line at the top of the page (not the daily folder).
2) The release names are irrelevant.
3) The folder time stamps aren't indicative of when the kernel actually was released upstream.
4) Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds .

If testing on your main install would be inconvenient, one may:
1) Install Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, and Y are the first two numbers of the kernel version, and Z is the release candidate number if it exists.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Also, you don't need to apport-collect further unless specifically requested to do so.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report Status Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]