Acer Aspire 5520 atheros wifi doesnt work (Kernel 2.6.24-19-generic)

[fernando]

All the restricted drives are up and running, but the wifi connection simply doesn't appear in network-manager. As if it doesn't exist. But when listed its there.

Using Ubuntu 8.04.1 AMD 64 Desktop (Kernel 2.6.24-19-generic)

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. I have classified this bug as a bug in linux.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Please include the output of the command 'uname -a' in your next response. It should be one, long line of text which includes the exact kernel version you're running, as well as the CPU architecture.
2. Please run the command 'dmesg > dmesg.log' and attach the resulting file 'dmesg.log' to this bug report.
3. Please run the command 'sudo lspci -vvnn > lspci-vvnn.log' and attach the resulting file 'lspci-vvnn.log' to this bug report.
For your reference, the full description of procedures for kernel-related bug reports is available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeamBugPolicies . Thanks in advance!

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

[clovepower (mzattera)]

I'm doing some additions here since this bug looks dormient and I'm experiencing the same issue.

Note that it *MIGHT* be the WiFi card is disabled....meaning there is a special button on the keyboard to enable/disable WiFi but it doe snot work under Ubuntu, by default however the WiFi should be on (at least this is the case when Vista boots). I've no idea how to manually check and switch the WiFi on and off though...

[clovepower (mzattera)]

FYI the WiFi adapter appears to be recognized using 8.10 Alpha-4, I did not have a chance to test if it connects though. It appears in network configuration tools at least, together with a couple of unrecognized devices :-(

[clovepower (mzattera)]

Note the following...

[ 34.343958] ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
[ 34.547018] wlan: 0.9.4
[ 34.638626] ath_pci: 0.9.4
[ 34.639147] ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LK4E] enabled at IRQ 19
[ 34.639157] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:05:00.0[A] -> Link [LK4E] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 19
[ 34.639166] PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:05:00.0 to 64
[ 34.666707] wifi%d: unable to attach hardware: 'Hardware revision not supported' (HAL status 13)

Can this be the issue? My card is a AR242x (which should be some as AR57xx) but it appears HAL is not supporting this....is there a new version of HAL somewhere?

Maxi

[clovepower (mzattera)]

The very latest MadWiFi drivers madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-r3861-20080903 fix this.

[clovepower (mzattera)]

Please follow these instruction to have the Wireless to work on Aspire 5520:

http://madwifi.org/ticket/1192

The only thing the tutorial misses is that you must reboot after issuing the final modprobe command.

I do hope these new drivers will ship soon and be included in Ubuntu.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi cloverpower,

One of our kernel devs has packaged the madwifi drivers from the madwifi-hal-2008-08-15 branch and has made it available in his PPA for testing - https://edge.launchpad.net/~timg-tpi/+archive . It would be great if you'd be willing to test. For information on how to install a package from a PPA please refer to https://help.launchpad.net/Packaging/PPA . Thanks and let us know your results.

[clovepower (mzattera)]

Sorry but I can test only live distros, I'm not going to disrupt my working configuration: this is a PC I use for work and production.

[Joel (joel-microlord)]

Hi,
  I just installed the package madwifi-kernel-source_0.3862-1_all.deb that was found on the page https://edge.launchpad.net/~timg-tpi/+archive and my wifi is now displaying in network-manager and works. I am using the Intrepid Alpha version of Ubuntu.

-Joel

[clovepower (mzattera)]

I tested Intrepid alpha-6 Live CD and it's NOT working out of the box, even if HAL is enabled under proprietary drivers.

Is there anything I need to do for have this tested out or is this supposed to work out-of-the-box?

[Lars Christian Nygård (lars-snart)]

The source code is released and merged into kernel 2.6.27:
http://madwifi.org/wiki/news/20080929/hal-source-code-released

Try and see if it works. Blacklist the non-free drivers in /etc/modprobe.d/madwifi and unblacklist ath5k, then reboot.
It's under development, but in the near future I'll expect it to work out of the box. Ath5k for Atheros AR2524 worked for me in 2.6.27-4 but is broken again under 2.6.27-7. Dmesg actually says it's under development.

If the ath5k (or ath9k) doesn't work, then use the latest hal( remember to unblacklist it):

wget http://snapshots.madwifi.org/madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-current.tar.gz
tar -xzvf madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-current.tar.gz
cd madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-current
make
sudo make install
reboot

[Lars Christian Nygård (lars-snart)]

hmm... actually ath5k seems to work :-) (modified /etc/modprobe.d/madwifi)

root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# uname -a
Linux glossy 2.6.27-7-generic #1 SMP Fri Oct 10 03:55:01 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux

root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# cat /etc/modprobe.d/madwifi
## ath5k (mac80211)
#blacklist ath5k

## madwifi (non-free)
blacklist ath_hal
blacklist ath_pci
blacklist ath_rate_amrr
blacklist ath_rate_onoe
blacklist ath_rate_sample
blacklist wlan
blacklist wlan_acl
blacklist wlan_ccmp
blacklist wlan_scan_ap
blacklist wlan_scan_sta
blacklist wlan_tkip
blacklist wlan_wep
blacklist wlan_xauth

root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# modprobe -r ath_pci
root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# modprobe -r ath_rate_sample
root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# modprobe -r ath_hal
root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# modprobe ath5k
root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# dmesg
[22851.757637] ath_pci 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[22923.597554] ath5k_pci 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[22923.597589] ath5k_pci 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[22923.599925] ath5k_pci 0000:01:00.0: registered as 'phy0'
[22923.604733] ath5k phy0: Support for RF2425 is under development.
[22923.648670] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'pid'
[22923.772139] ath5k phy0: Atheros AR2425 chip found (MAC: 0xe2, PHY: 0x70)

root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# lspci
...
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

root@glossy:/etc/modprobe.d# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:"MyNet"
          Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: 00:11:55:39:67:EF
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=27 dBm
          Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2352 B
          Encryption key:EEEE-EEE-08 Security mode:open
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=85/100 Signal level:-46 dBm Noise level=-101 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

[Lars Christian Nygård (lars-snart)]

And another cool thing. The wifi on/off button actually works on my Compaq A960 laptop, except it doesn't change color to indicate if it's on or off.

[clovepower (mzattera)]

JFYI I updated Ubuntu 8.04.1 to Kernel 2.6.24-21-generic as suggested by Update manager and my WiFi stopped working.

I tried to re-build the mad wifi drivers I used before and they are not working any longer, nor are those build from latest mad wifi so I had to revert back to Kernel 2.6.24-19-generic to have the wifi to work again.

[clovepower (mzattera)]

Forgot the last one above. I probably did something bad in first instance, but after re-compiling madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-r3861 seems to work with Kernel 2.6.24-21-generic

[Przemek K. (azrael)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner.
There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test the current Ubuntu development version (10.04). If you can test it, and it is still an issue, we would appreciate if you could upload updated logs by running apport-collect 224498, and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

Also please note that madwifi has been dropped from the latest kernel in favour of ath5k and ath9k.

[clovepower (mzattera)]

It works out of the box with Karmic and

Linux set 2.6.31-20-generic #58-Ubuntu SMP Fri Mar 12 04:38:19 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux