Network manager takes down wireless router at startup

[Helge Stenström]

Binary package hint: network-manager

After upgrade to Ubuntu 9.10, the wireless network often doesn't work after the computer is started, restarted, or waken up from standby. The worst thing is that the wireless router/ADSL modem is affected, so that a wire-connected desktop, using Windows on the same router looses internet access too. When a hardware WLAN switch button is pressed on my laptop, so that WLAN is turned off, the other computer regains internet access after a little while.

The failure occurs in 25 to 75 % of start attempts (my guess). If the network connection is successful, it will remain so, until the computer is restarted or set in standby for a while.

When the failure occurs, a click is heard from the ADSL box; probably a relay. I haven't found anything in the log of the ADSL box that looks suspicious.

When the failure occurs, there is rotating symbol in the notification area, declaring attempts to reconnect. The SSID of the Wlan AP is mentioned. I suppose this is from network-manager-applet.

I don't know which log files in the computer to look for strange things.

ADSL WLAN modem/router: Thomson SpeedTouch 780.

Computer: HP Compaq nx7000, using intel ipw2100 for WLAN. CPU: Centrino.
OS: Ubuntu 9.10
network-manager: 0.8~a~git.20091013t193206.679d548-0ubuntu1

I have mostly used Gnome, but have seen the same problem in KDE, I think.

The bug could be in some other package, of course, but network-manager is my best guess.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Thomas Hood (jdthood)]

This must be (have been) a problem with the router or a hardware problem.