ath5k slow on small transfers

[Erik]

I am unable to browse the web using the ath5k driver in lucid's standard kernel. Using wget or scp to transfer big files (audio/video) works at the expected speed (for 54Mbps wireless -> 18Mbps -> 2,2 MBps).

I do believe this is unrelated to #369005 because I do not see the "unsupported jumbo" messages in my logs.

Using the net5211 driver with ndiswrapper both browsing and wget/scp work at the expected speed .

I have tried (in this order):
1) using the ath5k module from linux-backports-modules-compat-wireless--2.6.36-2.6.32-27-generic. This makes no difference.
2) booting the kernel & ath5k module from linux-image-2.6.35-22-generic available in lucids archive. This makes no difference.
3) booting the kernel from linux-image-2.6.32-27-generic with pcie_aspm=off as suggested in https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13892. This makes no difference either.

I am currently downloading the newest lucid mainline kernel (2.6.35-rc1) to try that.

If I can deliver more information please tell me what (and how).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.32-27-generic 2.6.32-27.49
Regression: No
Reproducible: Yes
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-27.49-generic 2.6.32.26+drm33.12
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-27-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/dsp2', '/dev/dsp', '/dev/dsp1', '/dev/snd/by-id', '/dev/snd/controlC2', '/dev/snd/pcmC2D0c', '/dev/snd/controlC0', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D0c', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p', '/dev/snd/by-path', '/dev/snd/controlC1', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0c', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0p', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer', '/dev/sequencer2', '/dev/sequencer'] failed with exit code 1:
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'IXP'/'ATI IXP rev 2 with ALC250 at 0xc0003400, irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC250 rev 2'
   Components : 'AC97a:414c4752'
   Controls : 33
   Simple ctrls : 21
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'Modem'/'ATI IXP Modem rev 2 at 0xc0003800, irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Silicon Laboratory Si3036,8 rev 15'
   Components : 'AC97m:53494c2f'
   Controls : 3
   Simple ctrls : 3
Card1.Codecs.codec97.0.mc97.1.1:
 1-1/0: Silicon Laboratory Si3036,8 rev 15

 Extended modem ID: codec=1 LIN1
 Modem status : GPIO MREF ADC1 DAC1 PRE(ADC2) PRF(DAC2) PRG(HADC) PRH(HDAC)
 Line1 rate : 8000Hz
Card2.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:2 'U0x46d0x9c1'/'USB Device 0x46d:0x9c1 at usb-0000:00:13.2-3.4, high speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:09c1'
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card2.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
   Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum
   Capture channels: Mono
   Limits: Capture 0 - 3072
   Mono: Capture 1537 [50%] [24.00dB] [on]
Date: Sat Jan 8 22:16:58 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=02a43955-21c6-465c-8e90-88dc5c6263de
MachineType: TOSHIBA Satellite M40
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcCmdLine: root=/dev/sda2 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=C
 SHELL=/bin/bash
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-firmware 1.34.1
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
SourcePackage: linux
WpaSupplicantLog:

dmi.bios.date: 10/26/05
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: 1.30
dmi.board.name: SB400
dmi.board.vendor: ATI
dmi.board.version: Rev0.4b
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: ATI
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvr1.30:bd10/26/05:svnTOSHIBA:pnSatelliteM40:pvrPSM44E-00X017DU:rvnATI:rnSB400:rvrRev0.4b:cvnATI:ct1:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Satellite M40
dmi.product.version: PSM44E-00X017DU
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA
---
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=C
 SHELL=/bin/bash
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic i686
UnreportableReason: The running kernel is not an Ubuntu kernel
UserGroups: adm admin audio cdrom dialout dip disk floppy lpadmin netdev plugdev video

---
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=C
 SHELL=/bin/bash
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic i686
UnreportableReason: The running kernel is not an Ubuntu kernel
UserGroups: adm admin audio cdrom dialout dip disk floppy lpadmin netdev plugdev video

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

With the mainline kernel it takes a long time ot get associated with the AP (see the attached dmesg) but it finally did. I have tried adding the report to this bug with "apport-collect -p linux 700486" but I could not get signed into Launchpad correctly from the laptop on wireless. So i tried via the wired interface, which I had to bring up first.

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

Looks like nothing was added, so it seems the mainline kernel 2.6.35-rc1 has the same problem. Because nothing seems to have been added I have manually created the minimal required logs. Attaching them one by one.

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

Information about the wireless: The Access Point is a Belkin Wireless G Router (partnumber F5D7230fd4). The wireless is encrypted using WPA-PSK and the access point has MAC-address filtering turned on. Because it works OK with ndiswrapper I assume that using WPA-PSK and MAC address filtering does not have to degrade the performance, but maybe it impacts the ath5k driver, so I thought I would mention it.

I have also tried both with and without WPA-PSK and with and without MAC address filtering in the router. The browsing breaks as soon as WPA-PSK is used. Without encryption the browsing is OK although it is somewhat slower compared to net5211 & ndiswrapper (1,6MBps vs 2.2MBps for ndiswrapper). MAC address filtering on/off makes no noticeble difference. This testing was done with the ubuntu kernel (not mainline). I did an ifdown wlan2 after every test, and before reconfiguring the laptop and the router if needed, and ifup wlan2 before each test (no reboots).

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Hi Erik,

If you could also please 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.]

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

Hi Jeremy,

I already tested with a mainline kernel. I had just not deleted the "needs-upstream-testing" tag. I have done so know. I have just started the laptop to see whether I manage to submit complete logs with apport-collect -p linux 700486 this time. But the logs will be somewhat contaminated, because I will have to do a sudo ifdown of the wlan, and a sudo ifup of the wired lan interface to be able to login to launchpad and submit the data.

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

Hmm, the bug-report from apport-collect reads:

Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=C
 SHELL=/bin/bash
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic i686
UnreportableReason: The running kernel is not an Ubuntu kernel
UserGroups: adm admin audio cdrom dialout dip disk floppy lpadmin netdev plugdev video

So it seems that because I am testing with the mainline kernel I cannot submit with apport-collect.

I I have created fresh uname-a.log, version.log, dmesg.log and lspci-vnvn.log files and will attach them.

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

I forgot to explicitely state that with the mainline kernel the wireless is slow too for small transfers, just as with Ubuntu's kernel. On top of that with the mainline kernel it takes a few minutes to associate with the AP.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Erik (lnchpd-elaan)]

For anybody seeing this bug, I found the solution. I revisited the issue today because I wanted to get rid of the ndiswrapper+net5211.inf workaround. I found out that I needed to add nohwcrypt to the ath5k options as described in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/568090.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Erik, 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? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

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

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available (not the daily folder) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.13-rc5

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Erik, this bug report is being closed due to your below e-mail regarding you no longer have the hardware. 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.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Erik C.J. Laan
Date: Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Bug 700486] Re: ath5k slow on small transfers
To: Bug 700486 <email address hidden>
Cc: "Christopher M. Penalver"

Christopher,

I don't have this hardware anymore, so I can't do any testing. I'll close the bug.

Erik