[jaunty] no wlan with Acer Aspire One 110L [workaround available]

[ullix]

This netbook runs well on wlan with Easy Peasy, and did before also with Ubuntu 8.04. I have no wlan and can't get it activated with Jaunty beta1.

On starting (from a install on a USB stick) I see no network connections and not even an option to enable wireless. Starting Hardware Drivers from the system menu shows 'Alternate Atheros "madwifi" driver' available with a grey button in front. At the bottom it says 'A different version of this driver is in use'. After clicking Activate, the grey button changes to the blue cicular arrow, and the bottom text now reads 'The driver was just disabled, but is still in use'. Huh? Before is said that a different driver was in use.

No recommendation for any further steps to take. So I rebooted.

After rebooting the exact same situation as I began with, see above. Quite a pity regression.

[Rafael Gattringer (rafael.gattringer)]

Does the information on https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne provide you with a workaround?

[Hugo (hugo1000)]

No workarounds work. With alpha6 it worked with both ath5k and madwifi (and fail after a while with both drivers) and now it just never works at all, not with ath5k, not with ath_pci that ships by default and not with the lastest snapshot of madwifi. Serious regression here.

[Kit Plummer (kitplummer)]

FWIW, I have AA1 with a swapped at network card (Broadcom). It didn't work either.

[jshein (jason-shein)]

I have this working by doing the following:

1: Add the following lines to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

blacklist ath_pci
blacklist ath_hal
blacklist acer_wmi

2: Add the following line to /etc/modules

ath5k

3: Install the linux-backports to get the latest ath5k driver

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-jaunty

4: Remove any currently installed modules

modprobe -r ath5k acer_wmi ath_pci ath_hal

5: Install the ath5k modules

modprobe ath5k

At this point you should be good to go.

[Hugo (hugo1000)]

I can confirm that the workaround posted by jshein works for me. Thanks a lot!

I could not follow jshein's step 4 and 5 (module ath_hal was in use) but a reboot can replace those 2 steps, if you followed the previous ones.

[Joe (lubuntu-joe)]

I can also confirm that the workaround works for me. Thanks jshein!

[mikes-rus (mikes001-p)]

I have this problem only when boot from liveCD
when I upgrade my 8.10 to 9.04, wifi work fine without any problems.

[Michael Devenish (mdevenish)]

I did a fresh install of Jaunty netbook remix beta on my Acer Aspire One 110 (8 GB SSD) then used a wired network connection to install all the latest updates. After rebooting, the wifi worked straight away without any problems.

[ullix (ullix)]

mikedev:
Could you please be more specific with respect to the "latest updates" installed - in particular, was it updates only on a default installation, or did you activate any additional repositories? Which repositories have you activated?

I have the very same netbook (still running Easy Peasy successfully on it) but booting it from a fully updated USB stick does result in exactly the same non-working scenario as I have originally reported. Ethernet works, but no wlan.

[Michael Devenish (mdevenish)]

ullix:
I applied the updates to the default Jaunty netbook remix beta and didn't activate any additional repositories. I have main, universe, restricted and multiverse repositories activated. Under Ubuntu updates, I have jaunty-security and jaunty-updates selected.

Its running kernel 2.6.28-11-generic. The linux-restricted-modules is version 2.6.28-11.15. All I did different from the default install was to format the SSD and storage expansion as ext4.

Please let me know if you need any further details.

[Iain (iain-beeston)]

I can also confirm that on an acer aspire one A110 my wifi works out of the box under jaunty. I'm using the latest Jaunty netbook remix (UNR) version. Let me know if you'd like any more details.

[ullix (ullix)]

Putting Jaunty RC netbook remix on an USB stick and booting into live system on my Acer Aspire One does bring wlan up out-of-the-box, which fixes my original bug report.

As far as I can see from lsmod, we are now back to the very same settings as we had with Intrepid? But some further clean-up seems to be warranted:

The ath_pci modul is blacklisted, but the HardwareDrivers program still offers that proprietary madwifi driver, and appears to be allowing activation. When you click the Activate button, HardwareDrivers states that the 'driver is activated and in use' (which lsmod does confirm) but nothing changes - the wlan is still driven by ath5k_pci according to the NetworkManager applet. In fact, there is no option offered by HardwareDrivers or other to inactivate the still active ath5k_pci. When ath5k is removed manually with rmmod the wlan becomes unavailable despite ath_pci being 'in use'.

Since the madwifi driver is not working, it should not even be offered, but when it is offered, one should be able to switch into it. And then also away from it.

[Andrew Simpson (andrew-simpson)]

Upgrading 8.10 lpia to 9.04 lpia (beta/rc) with Network Manager on Acer Aspire One.

No ath5k module present before, or after upgrade. This may have been because the linux-backports-modules package was uninstallable in 8.10 lpia.

Manually installed linux-backports-modules-jaunty as per the workaround. This pulled in a whole lot more related packages (that I failed to note the names of) and made the ath5k module available.

Now boots into wifi, without any manual changes to blacklists or etc/modules required.

[fMg (feelmyglock)]

When i try to install the ath5 modules it says that the module hasn't been found...

I need some help please.

[icedfusion (icedfusion)]

Installed jaunty netbook remix from the img release (why an img and not an iso is beyond me) - but, everything apart from the SDHC card readers work out of the box!!

Very happy with this on my acer one now!

[Steph (rapaille-stephane)]

Hello

I was uder Intrepid and I upgraded to Jaunty with the automatic upgrade.
I lost the Wifi also. So I tried the workaround.

At the end of the install of linux backports, I got the message "E: /var/log/apt/ directory not existing"

I tried to launch ath5k.

I receive the following message: "FATAL : Module ath5k not found."

Could you please help?

[Andrew Simpson (andrew-simpson)]

derek lou:
Have you installed 'linux-backports-modules-jaunty'? You may need to enable the backports repository to do this.

[Nologin (nologinplease)]

This workaround almost works for me... when checking nm-tools I get:

- Device: wlan0 ----------------------------------------------------------------
  Type: 802.11 WiFi
  Driver: ath5k
  State: disconnected
  Default: no
  HW Address: 00:22:68:B7:E3:3A

  Capabilities:

  Wireless Properties
    WEP Encryption: yes
    WPA Encryption: yes
    WPA2 Encryption: yes

  Wireless Access Points

... so ath5k is loaded but disconnected? Did I do something wrong? The LED does burn (or blink) but that's about it.

[Nologin (nologinplease)]

Well nevermind... shutting down my Aspire One for a few hours solved the problem apparently :) Don't know why though.

[franx (franx)]

I've been struggling to get my atheros wireless workinng on my aspire 150. Tried /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and all I keep getting is 'permission denied' Im really new to linux and it might be smthg silly but can anyone explain why I'd be getting permission denied with the workkabouts suggested here.
Thanks

[franx (franx)]

yipee! I've found a workaround thanks to http://snapshots.madwifi-project.org/ I've learnt that with linux 'look hard enough and I'll get it!'

[Justin Alan Ryan (justizin)]

Howdy..

I'd like to note that a fresh install using the USB Netbook installer works without applying the updates available after install. I've examined the currently available updated packages and am unclear exactly where the problem is.

It's pretty annoying how the update manager will pop up every single time you touch apt, but that's probably another bug. ;)

This is certainly not a fix, but for any distressed netbook owners reading this thread, just hang off the updates until they include a fix for this bug.

[David Hughes (dghughes)]

Acer Aspire One, which came with Windows XP Home installed on it
MFG.DATE:0812 110-1588

Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 Jaunty
2.6.28-11-generic

lspci shows: "Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)"

-I start with a fresh install
-Restricted wireless driver activated
-Reboot
-Try Ethernet cable, OK
-Update Manager "your system is up-to-date"
-Refresh Update Manager, many updates!
-Update complete
-Refresh Update Manager, more updates
-Update again
-"your system is up-to-date"
-No WiFi network adapters listed under Wireless in Network Manager
-"Atheros Communications" listed using lspci command
-Reboot - no change

 Tried jshein's suggestion above which I swear worked last time, maybe it was on 8.10
 No errors but no change

-Restart network sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart ...no change
-Reboot system
-No change
-Restricted Drivers Atheros driver was not active, I set it to active
-"Wireless Networks" appears as an option greyed out under the tray network icon

-Tried to create a connection to my home wireless network using "Add" in Network Connections - nothing

-Right-clicked tray icon and "Enable Wireless" is there with a check mark in the box

-I disconnect the wired Ethernet cable

-Right-click "Connect to hidden wireless network" (my own, not hidden)
-Enter my router's SSID and the WPA2 password
-Tray icon animated; a green ball, a grey ball with a circular moving blue swirl (green ball means transmitting?)
-Window appears "Authentication Required by wireless network"
-Click connect again
-Tray icon animated
-"Authentication Required by wireless network" appears again
- I cancel it

[David Hughes (dghughes)]

 Correction, that should have been "Network Connections" not "Network Manager" sorry for the confusion it may have caused anyone.

 Anyway, after pasting the above notes I look at the tray icon (blue bars) left click it and see my SSID there with a strong signal.

 Click it, I'm prompted for my WPA2 password, I enter it and the balls turn green and it connects in seconds!

 It works.

[Colin (colin-thecoven)]

I would like to try out the changes to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf but it is 'read only' and doesn't let me chmod it!! Any thoughts on how I can edit the .conf file.

Thanks

[jshein (jason-shein)]

Colin: Try editing the file with sudo and your preferred editor

$ sudo vim /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
$ sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

[Richard Pineger (richm4n)]

I prefer using the Gnome text editor as root as follows:

Bring up a Run dialog by pressing <alt> + F2
Type:
   gksu gedit
 (and use File > Open)

Or directly type:
  gksu gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Enter your password when prompted to edit the file as root user.

[Colin (colin-thecoven)]

Thanks for the advice guys...all sorted

[Kelly Harding (kelly-harding)]

Not sure if this is related to this, but it could well be.

Get wifi dropouts with the ath5k driver if I try to transfer median/large files over it. Using WPA2/TKIP.

Might be an issue with 2.6.28-13 kernel?

[Kelly Harding (kelly-harding)]

Going back to 2.6.28-11 didn't fix it.

Neither did blacklisting ath_pci or ath_hall.

Get 'Currupted MAC on input' also when transferring by SFTP, not sure if thats related.

[James Aspnes (aspnes)]

Wireless on my Acer Aspire One mostly stopped working after upgrading to 2.6.28-13. Switching to 2.6.28-11 or 2.6.30 hasn't helped. The wireless card is detected, and I can even get a list of access points, but it won't associate with any of them.

So far the only workaround I have found is to boot to Windows XP, where everything works just fine.

[James Aspnes (aspnes)]

Deleting the previous network connections in network-manager and recreating them seems to have fixed the problem for me.

[oneindelijk (oneindelijk)]

Wireless didn't work for me with Intrepid 8.10, after cable-connected upgrade to Jaunty 9.04 Wireless did work fine out of the box. Since yesterday after update, it's not working anymore.
I've tried the work-around mentioned above but to no avail.
(Acer Aspire One 110L).

Wireless is not available as an option in the networkmanager.
Before today, sometimes I would have problems connecting which seemed to be related to my own machine and not to the WAP. The workaround I used for that was by installing first wicd and then network-manager again.
This time, this didn't work as apt-get tried to get newer versions from the servers.
I dropped the version from my usb stick in the cache and reinstalled network-manager this way, but still it doesn't work...

[mnokel (mnokel)]

now after upgrading to 9.10 wlan doesn't work any more!!

[Scrawny (scrawnyguns)]

I installed Ubuntu 9.10 on an Acer Aspire One ZG5... everything seems to be working fine except for the wireless. I hate it when bugs are spasmodic and sometimes unpredictable. But I think I might know what could be the cause to my woes.
At work I connect to a 128-bit WEP encrypted wireless network. The wireless app seems to pick that up fine (signal strength isn't an issue)...
At home I connect to a WPA encrypted wireless network... The wireless app cannot pick that one up. It did initially (once)... but not now. My XP laptop picks it up fine and I usually sit less than 10 metres away from the router/AP.

Maybe it's something to do with WPA support on ubuntu? Does anyone else with 9.10 and an aspire one have similar issues?

[Kelly Harding (kelly-harding)]

2009/11/4 Scrawny <email address hidden>:
> I installed Ubuntu 9.10 on an Acer Aspire One ZG5... everything seems to be working fine except for the wireless. I hate it when bugs are spasmodic and sometimes unpredictable. But I think I might know what could be the cause to my woes.
> At work I connect to a 128-bit WEP encrypted wireless network. The wireless app seems to pick that up fine (signal strength isn't an issue)...
> At home I connect to a WPA encrypted wireless network... The wireless app cannot pick that one up. It did initially (once)... but not now. My XP laptop picks it up fine and I usually sit less than 10 metres away from the router/AP.
>
> Maybe it's something to do with WPA support on ubuntu? Does anyone else
> with 9.10 and an aspire one have similar issues?
>

I didn't have such troubles when I put a clean install of 9.10 on my AAO ZG5.

Perhaps worth giving consideration to a clean install? I know with
debian based distros it isn't usually needed, but I find
it helpful sometimes to do so.

I connect happily to WPA/WPA2 routers at home and elsewhere fine.

kelly

[Scrawny (scrawnyguns)]

Actually, you're right... darn
I noticed another wifi network at work (down the back of the warehouse) that's used for scanners and it's on a WPA2 network. That popped up in the network list.

I still can't get the one at home to work though!!!

Surely there must be something easy-peasy that I've missed.

[ullix (ullix)]

I have some complains re the use of karmic on my Acer Aspire One 110L (with the 8GB SSD) but the wlan does work reliably! I have done a complete reinstall once the final karmic came out, but wlan did work well before.

However, i use WEP only (due to some old WEP-only hardware). With that caveat my original bug is fixed.

The wlan adapter in the different Acer Aspire Ones may be different. Mine comes up by lspci as:
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

[Justin Alan Ryan (justizin)]

My WLAN is working on 9.10 (karmic), after the world's messiest upgrade - my fault - from 9.04. I would say the situation is approximately the same on 9.10, though I've less exposure.

Some strategies I've stumbled upon made it more stable on 9.04, and may be informative as to the underlying problem:

  - When I have no networks listed, I use the gnome tool to create an ad-hoc network called "temp". When I unsleep, this network typically is selected, which is annoying, but less so than no wifi. This also leads me to believe that userspace software may have something to do with this rather elusive problem, as the availability of *some* wifi option seems to greatly increase the chances of, within a few seconds, having some actually based on signals received by the antenna.

  - The above seems most commonly to fail when I change physical locations, for some reason anytime I walk a few blocks to the cafe or pub and unsleep, I have no network.

  - In almost, if not absolutely every other case, this is solved by one or both of:
     * Shut down the system, remove battery and unplug AC momentarily, restore and boot.
     * Restore defaults in Acer BIOS - at boot, F2, then F9, confirm, F10, confirm.

[Scrawny (scrawnyguns)]

Ok... I thought it was something easy-peasy and it was something easy peasy... Let's just say that the problem existed between the keyboard and chair.
:o(

(Long ago, when I set up my wireless network - I set it to not broadcast the SSID - forehead slap for me - All works fine now).

[David Tombs (dgtombs)]

This bug report is being closed due to the reporter's comment regarding this being fixed with an update.

For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.