8086:4232 Wireless not connecting on bootup in 12.04 (Intel Wifi Link 5100)

[Gerhard Radatz]

Sometimes after booting Ubuntu, the wireless connection is not operational (e.g. ping in a console window shows nothing), although the network manager icons shows that connection is established.
It is more likely (almost 100%) to happen if the machine hasn't been used for several days (which suggests to me it has something to do with obtaining dhcp leases). And even with the steps below, sometimes the wifi will work from the beginning as expected.

However, steps that increase the chances to reproduce it are:
* boot into ubuntu.
* turn off wifi with the rfkill switch
* sudo rm /var/lib/dhcp/dhclient*
* reboot the system. At the GRUB screen, turn on the rfkill switch again, so that wifi is enabled at boot time
* log into ubuntu. network manager will show a "wifi connected" icon (which is not the whole truth).
* open up a console window and type "ping www.ubuntu.com". Nothing will be shown on the console

Tested with linux-image-3.4.0-030400-generic_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_amd64.deb. For now, wifi seems to work with this kernel.

WORKAROUND: * turn off rfkill switch. Wait until network manager popped up a message saying "wifi disconnected"
* turn it on again

WORKAROUND: * boot with wifi disabled by the rfkill switch
* turn it on only *after* having logged in to your session

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-24-generic 3.2.0-24.37
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: gerhard 1713 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA:
 country FR:
  (2402 - 2482 @ 40), (N/A, 20)
  (5170 - 5250 @ 40), (N/A, 20)
  (5250 - 5330 @ 40), (N/A, 20), DFS
  (5490 - 5710 @ 40), (N/A, 27), DFS
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf3300000 irq 50'
   Mixer name : 'IDT 92HD81B1C5'
   Components : 'HDA:111d76d5,102802bc,00100302'
   Controls : 17
   Simple ctrls : 9
Date: Sun May 13 18:12:45 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=9fc9c470-eae6-42b2-866f-1d9624231d42
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Vostro 1520
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=de_AT:de
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 VESA VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-24-generic root=UUID=c96c1670-2008-4f2e-8e8e-a1506df46b97 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-24-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-24-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/27/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0T808J
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd10/27/2009:svnDellInc.:pnVostro1520:pvrNull:rvnDellInc.:rn0T808J:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Vostro 1520
dmi.product.version: Null
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Gerhard Radatz, thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Unfortunately, we cannot work on this bug because your description didn't include enough information. You may find it helpful to read "How to report bugs effectively" http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html. We'd be grateful if you would then provide a more complete description of the problem.

We have instructions on debugging some types of problems at http://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingProcedures

At a minimum, we need:
1. the specific steps or actions you took that caused you to encounter the problem,
2. the behavior you expected, and
3. the behavior you actually encountered (in as much detail as possible).

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.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.

Please let us know your results. Thanks in advance.

[Gerhard Radatz (gerhard-radatz)]

The problem is, that sometimes after booting Ubuntu, the wireless connection is not operational (e.g. ping in a console window shows nothing), although the network manager icons shows that connection is established.
It is more likely (almost 100%) to happen if the machine hasn't been used for several days (which suggests to me it has something to do with obtaining dhcp leases).

Since the situation does not always happen, I had some trouble to figure out how to exactly reproduce the problem:
And even with the steps below, sometimes the wifi will work from the beginning as expected.

However, steps that increase the chances to reproduce it are:
* boot into ubuntu.
* turn off wifi with the rfkill switch
* sudo rm /var/lib/dhcp/dhclient*
* reboot the system. At the GRUB screen, turn on the rfkill switch again, so that wifi is enabled at boot time
* log into ubuntu. network manager will show a "wifi connected" icon (which is not the whole truth).
* open up a console window and type "ping www.ubuntu.com". Nothing will be shown on the console

Steps to get wifi operational if it does not work after bootup:
* turn off rfkill switch. Wait until network manager popped up a message saying "wifi disconnected"
* turn it on again

Alternative:
* boot with wifi disabled by the rfkill switch
* turn it on only *after* having logged in to your session

Notes:
* deleting the dhcp lease seams to be essential to reproduce the fault (well, almost always). If the system boots up and can re-use the current lease, wifi will work properly from the start.

The attached syslog contains several boot cycles. In some of them (e.g. the first one) the wifi did not initialize properly, in some others (e.g. the last one) it did.

I will also try to install a mainline kernel and report back then.

[Gerhard Radatz (gerhard-radatz)]

Tested with linux-image-3.4.0-030400-generic_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_amd64.deb. For now, wifi seems to work with this kernel.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Marking Triaged Low as mainline tested and multiple WORKAROUNDs.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Gerhard Radatz, when you updated to the 12.04.3 enablement stack, is this issue addressed?

[Gerhard Radatz (gerhard-radatz)]

Christopher,
As stated in comment #4, wifi does work correctly now.
In the meantime I have upgraded my laptop to Ubuntu 13.04.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Gerhard Radatz, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/998805/comments/7 regarding this being fixed with an update. 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.