1814:0301 Wireless PCI device MAC address changes

[Aleem Hossain]

I have just installed Ubuntu 9.10 and have a Edimax EW-7128G wireless PCI adapter

The MAC address and device name change between reboots, e.g.:
wlan0 00:1f:1f:51:7a:56
wlan1 00:1f:1f:53:7a:56
wlan2 00:1f:1f:43:7a:56

The MAC address change is making it impossible to, for example, control access to my home network using MAC filtering.

WORKAROUND: grab the WIreless PCI card "device" and "vendor" IDs using lspci -nn
add a rule to /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules that reads:

SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTRS{vendor}=="0x[vendor_id]",
ATTRS{device}=="0x[device_id]", NAME="wlan0"

(Where [vendor_id] and [device_id] are the IDs you picked up from lspci)

This ensures that the card is always wlan0.

Then I have written a script that runs at boot which assigns the desired MAC address to wlan0:
ifconfig wlan0 down
ifconfig wlan0 hw ether ma:ca:dd:re:ss
iwconfig wlan0 up

---
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: mythbox 1268 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf9ffc000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'VIA VT1708S'
   Components : 'HDA:11064397,104383a1,00100000'
   Controls : 21
   Simple ctrls : 13
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Frequency: Once a day.
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=cc73d09e-dabd-45a3-b071-3fa25a4ec358
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=f39e45a3-933d-44c7-a424-e40fec4e21e4 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.36-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Regression: No
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-firmware 1.34
Reproducible: No
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
Tags: lucid networking needs-upstream-testing
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 05/08/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0403
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P5KPL-AM IN/GB
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0403:bd05/08/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5KPL-AMIN/GB:rvrX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

This additional info may be useful. Running dmesg I see:

udev: renamed network interface wlan0 to wlan2

[Philip Muškovac (yofel)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Unfortunately, we can't fix it without more information.

Please run the following command which will attach necessary information:

apport-collect 478297

Bear in mind that you may need to install the python-launchpadlib package from the universe repository with 'sudo apt-get install python-launchpadlib'. Additionally, when prompted to give apport-collect permissions for Launchpad you will need to give it at least the ability to "Change Non-Private" data as it will be adding information to your bug report.

If you cannot use apport please at least add the following information (pay attention to lspci's additional options):
First run the following commands:
1) uname -a > uname-a.log
2) dmesg > dmesg.log
3) sudo lspci -vvnn > lspci-vvnn.log
4) cat /proc/version_signature > version.log
then attach the files separately to the bug report (not pasted into comments or tar/zip-ed).

For your reference, the full description of procedures for kernel-related bug reports is available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/KernelTeamBugPolicies. Thanks in advance!

[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: mythbox 1873 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf9ffc000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'VIA VT1708S'
   Components : 'HDA:11064397,104383a1,00100000'
   Controls : 21
   Simple ctrls : 13
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d036b85b-c72a-4dd7-b5bc-ff31e5a145a4
InstallationMedia:

MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=62bb3e96-4567-435d-9ae9-801676538ea8 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.31-14-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.24
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin mythtv plugdev sambashare
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1920): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1920): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (nautilus:2019): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:2044): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (gnome-panel:2018): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -6 and height 24
dmi.bios.date: 05/08/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0403
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P5KPL-AM IN/GB
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0403:bd05/08/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5KPL-AMIN/GB:rvrX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

Whilst you ponder this, I have found a workaround:

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
grab the WIreless PCI card "device" and "vendor" IDs using lspci -nn
add a rule to /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules that reads:

SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTRS{vendor}=="0x[vendor_id]",
ATTRS{device}=="0x[device_id]", NAME="wlan0"

(Where [vendor_id] and [device_id] are the IDs you picked up from lspci)

This ensures that the card is always wlan0.

Then I have written a script that runs at boot which assigns the desired MAC address to wlan0:
ifconfig wlan0 down
ifconfig wlan0 hw ether ma:ca:dd:re:ss
iwconfig wlan0 up

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

it's a bit of a hack, but it works for now...still, a fix if it is a bug would be better

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Hi Aleem,

This bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? Can you try with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If it remains an issue, could you run the following command from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux 478297

Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

    [This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

Hi,

Yes, it is still an issue (though I have been using the workaround I describe above, so it hasn't been bothering me). I will try to get the latest development release installed to see if it is still an issue; but my time to meddle with such things is limited at the moment, so it might take me a while to get round to it.

Cheers,
Aleem

[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

apport information

[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[Aleem Hossain (i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount)]

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[penalvch (penalvch)]

Original Reporter Aleem Hossain -> https://launchpad.net/~i-admin-aleemhossain-co-uk-deactivatedaccount