Hardware rf kill switch not recognized (Sony Vaio Y11S1E)

[ralphb]

Binary package hint: wireless-tools

I'm using Kubuntu 9.10 with the stock Linux kernel and the wireless backports modules.

My Sony Vaio VPC-Y11S1E notebook uses an Atheros AR9285 chip that is supported by the ath9k driver. The notebook also has a physical slider switch that can be used to enable/disable wireless functionality. But no matter what the position of the switch is, wireless is always disabled:

root@lynx:~# rfkill list
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
        Soft blocked: no
        Hard blocked: yes
root@lynx:~# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated
          Tx-Power=off
          Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off

Consequently, there is no way to get wireless networking up and running on this model.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Mar 28 21:27:41 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
Package: wireless-tools 29-2ubuntu6
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/usr/bin/tcsh
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.58-generic
SourcePackage: wireless-tools
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic x86_64
XsessionErrors:
 (firefox:2106): GLib-WARNING **: g_set_prgname() called multiple times
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:2120): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed

[ralphb (dev-endlos)]

The actual error is in kernel module sony-laptop and has been fixed in kernel 2.6.33.

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

I have the same bug (with Ubuntu 10.04 and kernel 2.6.32-22-generic)

Also, mine only occured after a failed attempt at suspending the machine (suspend worked fine, but it didn't manage to wake up again).

Also, my Windows 7 installation now also reports the wireless as being turned off!! Sucks.

Machine: Sony Vaio X VPCX11S1E

[David A (davi-d-a)]

A very similar thing just happened to me with Ubuntu 10.04, kernel 2.6.33-02063305-generic and an HP EliteBook 8540p laptop.

I put the machine into suspend, and an hour or so later revived it. It failed to wake up properly and I had to manually power-cycle it. Since then, the WiFi/wireless interface is not working. Linux can see it and read serial number, TX power, etc, but nm-tool shows it as "State: asleep" and "lshw -c network" shows it as "network disabled".

I don't have Windows so I can't check the status there. But I can tell you that my WiFi is now totally non-operational.

[David A (davi-d-a)]

For the record, I was able to get my WiFi operational again by simply suspending then resuming the laptop. It happens about once a week when the laptop fails to resume and I have to power-cycle it (I suspend every evening).

[David A (davi-d-a)]

And it continues to occur with linux kernel 2.6.35-02063502-generic from the Kernel PPA.

[LuizJa (luizja)]

Hi i have an Acer Aspire 6930 with an Atheros wireless card.
Ubuntu 10.10
kernel 2.6.35-24-generic

And I have the same problem so I don't think is just a Vaio problem I guess is more like ubuntu one because a friend of mine has the same bug and he owns a netbook HP.

The way we unblock our wireless card is getting into windows to turn on the card again but should be a better way with out going out from Linux