Comment 0 for bug 1365844

Driver rtl8192c for a Realtek USB wireless card is buggy. I can connect to wifi, but soon the connection is dropped.

This particular bug has probably been around awhile. Others have reported it, though I cannot find such reports here in Launchpad even with a search.

A solution for this bug has already been found and published by programmers. I used this solution - it works. I will post it below in its entirety.

I am running Ubuntu 14.04. When I discovered this problem, I downloaded and tried Ubuntu 14.10-beta_1 and was surprised to see that it still has this bug. So I am reporting it now in the hopes that it will be fixed before the final 14.10 release.

OK, no more talk from me. Below is the info I found online, raw and uncut...

=================

Wireless Realtek chipsets that are running on the default rtl8192cu driver, often loses connection and run below their proper speed. That's because of a bug in the rtl8192cu driver.

For instance, this Realtek chipset is present in the Medion MD 86498 USB wireless dongle. The chipsets involved, are the RTL8192CU and the RTL8188CU.

Luckily there's a solution that'll make such a chipset run stable and fast, namely replacing the defective driver by a better one. This solution is necessary for the following operating systems:
- Ubuntu 12.04
- Linux Mint 13
- Ubuntu 14.04
- Linux Mint 17

This is how to do it:

1. First check whether the buggy driver rtl8192cu is active in your operating system.

Open a terminal window:

Click on the grey Ubuntu logo (Dash home). Query: terminal.
Click on Terminal.

Use copy/paste to transfer the following line into the terminal:

lsmod | grep rtl

Press Enter.

When you see one or more times rtl8192cu in the terminal output, then it's active. In that case proceed with step 2.

2. Disconnect your wireless connection (unplug the USB adapter that contains the Realtek chipset), and temporarily connect to the internet by means of an ethernet cable (or by means of another wireless chipset that does function well).

3. Now install some applications for building the right driver.

Open a terminal window:

Click on the grey Ubuntu logo (Dash home). Query: terminal.
Click on Terminal.

Type (use copy/paste):

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential dkms git

Press Enter and submit your password. Please note that the password will remain invisible, not even asterisks will show, which is normal.

Wait until the installation has completed.

4. Now download the source code of the right driver as follows. Copy and paste the following command line into the terminal:

git clone https://github.com/pvaret/rtl8192cu-fixes.git

Press Enter.

5. Set it up as a DKMS module:

Copy and paste into the terminal:

sudo dkms add ./rtl8192cu-fixes

Press Enter and if prompted, submit your password. Please note that the password will remain invisible, not even asterisks will show, which is normal.

6. Build and install the new driver:

Copy and paste into the terminal:

sudo dkms install 8192cu/1.9

Press Enter.

7. Refresh the module list:

Copy and paste into the terminal:

sudo depmod -a

Press Enter.

8. Blacklist the faulty driver:

Copy and paste into the terminal:

sudo cp ./rtl8192cu-fixes/blacklist-native-rtl8192.conf /etc/modprobe.d/

Press Enter.

9. Reboot your computer.

10. The problem should now be solved: disconnect the temporary ethernet cable and insert the Realtek device again.

With the following terminal command you can check whether the right driver is active now (copy and paste it into the terminal):

lsmod | grep 8192

Press Enter.

In the terminal output you should see that the new driver 8192cu is active. You should see no mention anymore of the old driver rtl8192cu.

Note: a possibly surprising side effect might be, that the light on your wireless card is blinking constantly now. That's normal: the light is blinking whenever data are being sent or received.

Source: https://github.com/pvaret/rtl8192cu-fixes

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-headers-3.13.0-24 3.13.0-24.47
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-35.62-generic 3.13.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-35-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.3
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: bob 1852 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: bob 1852 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: LXDE
Date: Fri Sep 5 14:02:05 2014
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=6d790ec4-ec3d-43a7-ab1a-c4b574e60673
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-05-20 (107 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140417)
MachineType: ASUS All Series
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-35-generic root=UUID=37f58aeb-6419-4ca6-a667-002bb0791572 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-35-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-35-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.5
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/07/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0803
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: H81I-PLUS
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0803:bd01/07/2014:svnASUS:pnAllSeries:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnH81I-PLUS:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: All Series
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUS