[Vostro 3550] Wireless appears to be broken

[Jeff Lane ]

Doing certification testing of 11.10 on the Vostro 3550 (6938). It appears that wireless is not working on this machine. According to nmapplet, wireless is merely disconnected, however, wi-fi doesn't appear to actually scan or find any available APs.

ubuntu@201012-6938:~$ nmcli dev wifi list
SSID BSSID MODE FREQ RATE SIGNAL SECURITY ACTIVE
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$ nmcli con status
NAME UUID DEVICES DEFAULT VPN
Wired connection 1 256cc98a-270d-4f02-8b0e-4462da16884e eth0 yes no
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$ nmcli nm wifi on
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$ nmcli con status
NAME UUID DEVICES DEFAULT VPN
Wired connection 1 256cc98a-270d-4f02-8b0e-4462da16884e eth0 yes no
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$ nmcli dev wifi list
SSID BSSID MODE FREQ RATE SIGNAL SECURITY ACTIVE
ubuntu@201012-6938:~$

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-12-generic-pae 3.0.0-12.20
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic-pae 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu 1535 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7c00000 irq 50'
   Mixer name : 'Intel CougarPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:111d76d1,102804b3,00100205 HDA:80862805,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 18
   Simple ctrls : 10
Date: Sun Oct 16 18:07:00 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=9b6f4e5f-d5e5-43e0-a4ba-05a840f6b190
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Vostro 3550
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic-pae root=UUID=3abbeea1-ba77-4ad6-8c60-0778d3d378aa ro quiet splash initcall_debug vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-12-generic-pae N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-12-generic-pae N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/04/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: X19
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: X19
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrX19:bd01/04/2011:svnDellInc.:pnVostro3550:pvrNotSpecified:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvrX19:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Vostro 3550
dmi.product.version: Not Specified
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

This was working on 11.04

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

AR9285 should be working per bug 838352.

@Jeff
Can you take a look at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/838352/comments/11 and see if it helps?

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

Marc, can you check the link that Anthony provided above and see if that resolves the wi-fi issue on this machine?

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Jeff, he posted a link to a comment I made on the same bug as this one. Resetting the bios worked again to regain wireless network access. However, something is going amiss if I have to keep resetting the bios.

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

Marc,
Yeah... :( I read the comment but didn't notice it was YOUR comment until after I'd already sent that :)

Needless to say, I agree with you. You should not have to be resetting things in BIOS to make wireless work on each boot.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Marc,
Can you confirm this same machine does or doesn't have the issue on 11.04? Because this bug looks like a BIOS issue, and we had the same issue with earlier BIOS versions but has since been fixed later on. So this could be a BIOS regression.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

Marc, can you reply to Anthony's question, please?

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Anthony,
Looks like 11.04 has the same issue. No wireless networking until the bios is reset.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Then it's likely a BIOS issue, since the issue also appear on 11.04. Are we using BIOS version X19 now?

I found that Dell posted a BIOS A08 on 9/28/2011 for Vostro 3550 (http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/DriverDetails/DriverFileFormats?DriverId=R314625), how about giving it a shot?

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

Can you please check if wireless works with the updates BIOS?

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Anthony, I tried updated from X19 to A08, but I'm seeing a message that X19 is protected. Any thoughts on how to get around this?

[James M. Leddy (jm-leddy)]

Hi Anthony,

I'm not to familiar with bios updates on dell hardware. Do you know how to answer the question in comment #12?

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Consulted Dell about the BIOS update failure and hinted that it is related to ODM. Will ask ODM for help on this issue.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

ODM told us that:
1. we need to add the /forceit parameter to the flash command
2. we flash the BIOS under DOS

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Anthony,

Still getting the "X19 version is protected, can't to be flashed" (exact wording) under DOS with the /forceit parameter. Not sure how to update the BIOS.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

ODM told us to use the 3550.bat in the attached zip file to update the BIOS.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

Marc, can you try using the file Anthony provided, please?

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

@Anthony, I'm seeing an error when I try to flash the bios: "Error: Problem getting flash information"

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

This is what ODM Wistron replied:
<quote>
It’s BIOS ID protect.
Please use tool at the attached.
Firstly, please ME locked(M+ power button) then fpt.bat command to flash on pure DOS.
</quote>

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

 when you power on the system, press "M + power button" to boot the machine, then run the batch file to update the bios.

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Thanks Anthony,

That works in updating the BIOS on this system. However after doing so, it can only see 1 network (that has the strongest signal). Also, the fan is stuck on high and every key press causes the system to beep.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Reply from ODM:

<quote>
The System is on Manufacture mode , please press Fn+X on the POST.
</quote>

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

After pressing Fn+X, keyboard operates normally. Wifi can still only access an AP that is about 10ft away (and it shows low signal), it does not "see" any other AP.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Perhaps it's related to wifi antenna? Can you open the case and reference the attached photo.

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Wifi antenna seems to be okay, it's connected to the wireless chip.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Marc, let's see if the white and black antenna are reversed.
But back to the original issue, which is Wireless networking is disabled in BIOS, does the new BIOS fix it?

[Marc Legris (maaarc-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Black and white antennas match up with the card. BIOS does fix the original issue, however the signals from APs are much "dimmer" then with other wireless systems

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

Probably a hardware issue, not 100% sure it is the fault of the wifi card but we can rule it out by swapping with a known good one.

System 201101-6951 in our lab has the same wifi device. Marc, do you mind swapping in the wifi card with this one?

Thanks.

[Greg Vallande (gvallande)]

Hi All,

    I've successfully tested 11.10 on 201012-6938 with the wireless interface from 201101-6951 and I was able to connect to the lab wireless points (for test) and also the office wireless access point.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

A hardware issue, based on Greg's comments