NM can't reconnect to Wi-Fi after interruption; restarting network-manager fixes it -- Broadcom BCM43XG

[mike]

Binary package hint: network-manager

Description: Ubuntu 9.10
Release: 9.10
network-manager:
  Installed: 0.8~a~git.20091013t193206.679d548-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 0.8~a~git.20091013t193206.679d548-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 0.8~a~git.20091013t193206.679d548-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

This issue was present in 8.04 and 8.10, I kept hoping it would be resolved.

I have an excellent wifi-n connection until my wireless home phone rings and then the wifi goes down and the network manager starts showing the spin cycle. Normally any interruptions to the connection will reconnect, i.e. I turn the router off etc, but in this case, if the phone rings for more that a few seconds the wifi stops trying to reconnect apparently.

I can understand it timing out, but what must be a bug is that manually clicking in NM on the visible SSID has no affect, it just tells me the network is disconnected and appears to make no attempt to reconnect. I then usually try pretending it is hidden connection and I try opening it, this does not work either. I have even tried deleting the connection and re entering it but still I cannot get wifi back.
I normally just reboot the machine, I will do some tests now and attach the results, however this will take a while as I will have to reboot each time to post the results!

[mike (ubuntu-holmesfamily)]

The syslog appears to me to indicate that some permissions do not allow the password to be recovered after a disconnect event as it eventually gives up on cocacola and tries my neighbors GTWE1 network

Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): device state change: 4 -> 5 (reason 0)
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1/wireless): access point 'cocacola' has security, but secrets are required.
... repeated a few times

Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Marking connection 'cocacola' invalid.
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) failed.
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): device state change: 9 -> 3 (reason 0)
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): deactivating device (reason: 0).
Nov 28 09:36:15 mike-desktop wpa_supplicant[978]: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Nov 28 09:36:18 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) starting connection 'Auto GTWE1'
Nov 28 09:36:18 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): device state change: 3 -> 4 (reason 0)
Nov 28 09:36:18 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
Nov 28 09:36:18 mike-desktop NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...

[mike (ubuntu-holmesfamily)]

I found a short cut once it gets screwed up, the following works
sudo /etc/init.d/network-manager restart

and this does not make a difference
sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

[Thomas Hood (jdthood)]

Hi. Has this bug been fixed in Ubuntu 12.04?

[Thomas Hood (jdthood)]

Compare bug #418346.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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