8086:0888 iwlwifi intermittent loss of connectivity

[Leif Halldor Asgeirsson]

Every so often I lose connectivity. This is very similar to bug #984552. Tricky to reproduce because it doesn't seem to affect me quite as frequently as the reporter of #984552. I will post ping output showing packet loss the next time I experience the bug.

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
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: leifur 2160 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf3610000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'Intel PantherPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:14f1506e,17aa500b,00100003 HDA:80862806,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 14
   Simple ctrls : 6
Card29.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:29 'ThinkPadEC'/'ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw unknown'
   Mixer name : 'ThinkPad EC (unknown)'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 1
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card29.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Console',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
Date: Sun May 20 13:40:08 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=2e0ab63a-22d5-4905-aacf-bd56cd3ddeee
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MachineType: LENOVO 3259CTO
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/zsh
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-24-generic root=UUID=31973198-0164-4c56-b06e-301ca232fd38 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
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
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/06/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: H0ET24WW (1.06 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 3259CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrH0ET24WW(1.06):bd03/06/2012:svnLENOVO:pn3259CTO:pvrThinkPadEdgeE530:rvnLENOVO:rn3259CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 3259CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad Edge E530
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Leif Halldor Asgeirsson, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. Please be sure to confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu. ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily/current/ . If the issue remains, please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, if you could 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.

[Leif Halldor Asgeirsson (vikingurinn)]

I don't know whether I can test Quantal, as I need this machine to be fully functional. I'll test the mainline kernel though.

I should also add that when I moniter the bitrate of my wireless card (either with iwconfig or by going to 'Connection Information', the bitrate varies wildly. When I experience this bug, it sometimes goes back and forth between 1 Mb/s and some much higher number.

[Leif Halldor Asgeirsson (vikingurinn)]

Still experiencing the bug with the 3.4 mainline kernel; periods of around 20% packet loss

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Leif Halldor Asgeirsson, does anything improve using the linux-backports-modules-cw-3.3-precise-generic noted in https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-meta ?

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

This issue appears to be an upstream bug, since you tested the latest upstream kernel. Would it be possible for you to open an upstream bug report at bugzilla.kernel.org [1]? That will allow the upstream Developers to examine the issue, and may provide a quicker resolution to the bug.

If you are comfortable with opening a bug upstream, It would be great if you can report back the upstream bug number in this bug report. That will allow us to link this bug to the upstream report.

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel

[Leif Halldor Asgeirsson (vikingurinn)]

Filed upstream bug report at https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=43293

Should I still test using linux-backports-modules-cw-3.3-precise-generic ?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Leif Halldor Asgeirsson, as per http://download.lenovo.com/express/ddfm.html an update is available for your BIOS (2.54). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BiosUpdate , does it change anything?

If not, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful.

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette .

Thank you for your understanding.