Cannot set auto access point for wlan0

[Peter T Hayward]

I use a broadcom 4306 card and have it working with dapper (bcm43xx module) after using fwcutter on my bcm driver file. At system boot it doesn't find the access point. I have to log in and tell it to connect using 'sudo iwconfig wlan0 ap auto'. It always connects this way, but never connects during boot.
In breezy I used ndiswrapper and it usually connected at boot, but not always.
My signal level is high (only 1 metre away from base). I boot Windows too and it always connects, but sometimes a delay of 5 mins after boot.

[Scott James Remnant (Canonical) (canonical-scott)]

Kernel driver bug.

[Peter T Hayward (energonic)]

I am now using the 2.6.15-23 kernel with Dapper 6.06 beta on an Intel Mac Mini with atheros 5006 wireless card. It will not connect unless I *manually* enter 'iwconfig ath0 channel 1' to kick off the channel scan.
My interfaces file just sets a static IP, etc., and explicitly identifies the ap for ath0 (unfortunately it still does not search).
I have tried 'pre-up iwconfig ath0 channel 1' but this is ignored.

It seems the problem I originally identified is still there, together with inability to initiate channel scan on the atheros card, in the 23 kernel.

[MrZaius (cragos)]

The original symptoms described in this bug are still present in Hardy for me. Can confirm on two different computers with two different cards. Any fixes in sight?

For more information, here's a post I made on the subject to my LUG:
> Unlike competently designed systems such as Maemo (where seemless
> 802.11 functionality matters a wee bit more than Ubuntu powered
> laptops with wireless), Ubuntu causes far more problems running over a
> wireless connection (regardless of the card) than it does over a
> physical connection. The myriad poorly designed frontends to iwspy are
> similarly inadequate and, if you'll forgive the repetition, incredibly
> poorly designed. Don't even get me started on Xandros, and the Eee's
> half-assed attempt to find a better solution to the aforementioned
> problem.

You know, I should probably just ask the list about this:

I've got a well defined interfaces file (follows in the PS), but
neither my Ubuntu laptop nor my Ubuntu desktop manages to create a
wireless link on boot. It brings up the interface, but it doesn't
actually establish comms with my Tomato-powered AP. However, when I
just run a simple "ifdown wlan0;ifup wlan0" on either PC, it
establishes a good, reliable link and hits the DHCP server with nary a
hiccup.

Anyone got an easy fix? I'll gripe and moan until the universe dies
its heat death about the age and maturity of Linux not being reflected
at all in luser-friendly GUI wifi configuration out of the box (or
until it's fixed), but this should be what those apps are doing under
the hood, and even it's not working right.

Thanks,
Sean Crago
Kathmandu

PS: Here's my interfaces file. Pretty much the same on both boxes:
# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
# and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

# The loopback network interface
auto wlan0 eth0 lo
iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-driver wext
wpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
wpa-proto WPA
wpa-ssid 001601842AEE
wpa-psk MD5_hash_of_my_WPA2-AES_key

iface eth0 inet dhcp

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Per a decision made by the Ubuntu Kernel Team, bugs will longer be assigned to the ubuntu-kernel-team in Launchpad as part of the bug triage process. The ubuntu-kernel-team is being unassigned from this bug report. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeamBugPolicies for more information. Thanks.