Atheros card works with neiher ath5k nor madwifi since Intrepid

[Sebastian Kaps]

Binary package hint: linux-backports-modules-intrepid

Hi!

I have an Allnet ALL0281 PCI WiFi card with an Atheros chipset:
00:06.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

Until recently, I used Ubuntu 8.04 with the madwifi driver that I compiled myself and I had no problems with this setup.
Now since updating to Intrepid, the card became completely useless, since I can't get it to work with neither ath5k nor madwifi.

Here's the full story:
I'm running the 2.6.27-7-server kernel and the linux-backports-modules-intrepid-server package.
Sometimes the ath5k module from the backports package works flawlessly for a few hours and then suddenly fails with this:
kernel: [24909.010009] ath5k phy0: noise floor calibration timeout (2412MHz)
(...hundreds more...)

Neither rebooting nor turning the machine off and on again helps in this situation. When I reboot and reload the module, it looks like this;
kernel: [ 230.923743] cfg80211: Using static regulatory domain info
kernel: [ 230.923753] cfg80211: Regulatory domain: US
kernel: [ 230.923757] (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
kernel: [ 230.923763] (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 2700 mBm)
kernel: [ 230.923768] (5170000 KHz - 5190000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 2300 mBm)
kernel: [ 230.923773] (5190000 KHz - 5210000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 2300 mBm)
kernel: [ 230.923778] (5210000 KHz - 5230000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 2300 mBm)
kernel: [ 230.923783] (5230000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 2300 mBm)
kernel: [ 230.923788] (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 3000 mBm)
kernel: [ 230.923793] cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: US
kernel: [ 230.986034] ath5k_pci 0000:00:06.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
kernel: [ 230.986097] ath5k_pci 0000:00:06.0: registered as 'phy0'
kernel: [ 231.042007] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'pid'
kernel: [ 231.043081] ath5k phy0: Atheros AR5213A chip found (MAC: 0x59, PHY: 0x43)
kernel: [ 231.043088] ath5k phy0: RF2112B 2GHz radio found (0x46)
kernel: [ 231.405818] ath5k phy0: noise floor calibration timeout (2412MHz)
kernel: [ 231.405830] ath5k phy0: can't reset hardware (-11)
kernel: [ 236.759457] ath5k phy0: noise floor calibration timeout (2412MHz)
kernel: [ 236.759469] ath5k phy0: can't reset hardware (-11)
kernel: [ 237.086305] ath5k phy0: noise floor calibration timeout (2412MHz)
kernel: [ 237.086318] ath5k phy0: can't reset hardware (-11)

I don't even get the wlan0 device then.
I tried compiling a custom 2.6.28-rc2 kernel and using this one, hoping the ath5k-situation would become better, which it didn't.
So ath5k is currently broken, at least for me.

I then downloaded the current svn version of madwifi-ng as well as wpa_supplicant-0.6.5 (since Intrepid's wpa_supplicant doesn't know -D madwifi anymore).
I compiled the whole stuff and the kernel module works, as far as I can tell.
But now I can't connect to my access point anymore.
I threw out all the wpa-* settings from /etc/network/interfaces and put them into a wpasupplicant.conf:
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=root
ap_scan=1

network={
        proto=WPA2
        key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
        pairwise=CCMP TKIP
        group=CCMP TKIP
        ssid="WLAN"
        psk="my_secret"
}

Now when I bring up the ath0 interface and then run "wpa_supplicant -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -i ath0 -D madwifi" I get this:
CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
Trying to associate with <ap mac> (SSID='WLAN' freq=2412 MHz)
Associated with <ap mac>
WPA: 4-Way Handshake failed - pre-shared key may be incorrect
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
Trying to associate with <ap mac> (SSID='WLAN' freq=2412 MHz)
Authentication with <ap mac> timed out.
CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
Trying to associate with <ap mac> (SSID='WLAN' freq=2412 MHz)
Authentication with <ap mac> timed out.
CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
Trying to associate with <ap mac> (SSID='WLAN' freq=2412 MHz)
Associated with <ap mac>
WPA: 4-Way Handshake failed - pre-shared key may be incorrect
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys

Needless to say, that I quadruple-checked for the PSK being correct.

I'm currently back to running a cable through my apartment :-(

Any help is aprreciated.

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

I have an Aspire One (AR2425 chip), and *was* experiencing this occasionally - but not since upgrading to the 2.6.27-10 / -11 kernel and linux-backports-modules from intrepid-proposed. I hesitate to say "fixed", since I could never reproduce reliably, but it seems worth a try for other people experiencing the same problem.

[Sebastian Kaps (spambucket)]

Initially I was able to get the card working again with madwifi and a self-compiled version of wpasupplicant, though it showed a rather bad performance (the rate often dropped to 1 MBit for a link that usually does 54 MBit).
Since 2.6.28-rc4 the card runs quite okay with the ath5k module - I get occasional "ath5k phy0: unsupported jumbo" errors in the log und the rate sometimes drops to 1 MBit for a short time, but the link stays up.
So I'm back to building my own kernels again...

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

Changing source package from metapackage to real package.

[rafmav (rafmav)]

wpa_passphrase is bugged: so If you have generate your psk key with it, the passphrase entered is wrong, and the connection is rejected.
I generated the psk key from my "essid" and my "passphrase" with another tool, on the internet (not secure but it was to check it) : the wifi connection runs immediately! the address: http://www.wireshark.org/tools/wpa-psk.html
There is also a python script to generate an passphrase, not tried: http://www.juanjoconti.com.ar/files/python/fu/generator-psk.py.html

Please try what I did and tell me if your connection runs!

A few questions more:
- Are there other tools to generate the key ?
- Where is the bug with wpa_passphrase ?

PS: I used wpa_supplicant v0.6.9