Switch for wireless LAN doesn't work

[carsten]

This is on a Sony Vaio VGN-CR19VN.

When I start Kubuntu 8.10-rc with all current updates while the wireless switch is set to "off" I find no way to make wireless LAN on. KNetworkManager claims that it is disabled, no matter if it is switched on or off.

It works perfectly fine when I start the notebook while the switch is turned on.

This works on OpenSUSE 11.0 so I guess that in theory the kernel supports this. It also works on Windows XP and Windows Vista.

I guess that you need some more information, but I don't know what. Perhaps "lspci -vv" is already enough:

02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 1051
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx+
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 219
        Region 0: Memory at f6000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [c8] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
        Capabilities: [d0] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
                Address: 00000000fee0300c Data: 414a
        Capabilities: [e0] Express (v1) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
                DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 unlimited
                        ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE- FLReset-
                DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
                        RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
                        MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
                DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr+ FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr+ TransPend-
                LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <128ns, L1 <64us
                        ClockPM+ Suprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
                LnkCtl: ASPM L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
                        ExtSynch- ClockPM+ AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
                LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
        Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number a2-af-8b-ff-ff-77-1b-00
        Kernel driver in use: iwl3945
        Kernel modules: iwl3945

[carsten (cniehaus)]

I think this might also be important. The network is on (and working). Disabling it with the switch gives me this in /var/log/messages

Oct 29 19:59:23 ni-laptop kernel: [ 660.737921] iwl3945: Radio Frequency Kill Switch is On:
Oct 29 19:59:23 ni-laptop kernel: [ 660.737927] Kill switch must be turned off for wireless networking to work.
Oct 29 19:59:27 ni-laptop kernel: [ 664.369445] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
Oct 29 19:59:27 ni-laptop kernel: [ 664.419347] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
Oct 29 19:59:27 ni-laptop kernel: [ 664.479232] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
Oct 29 19:59:27 ni-laptop kernel: [ 664.643005] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
Oct 29 19:59:27 ni-laptop kernel: [ 664.659957] iwl3945 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
Oct 29 19:59:27 ni-laptop kernel: [ 664.808259] usb 1-1: USB disconnect, address 4

Turning it on again:

Oct 29 20:00:39 ni-laptop kernel: [ 736.604092] usb 1-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 5
Oct 29 20:00:39 ni-laptop kernel: [ 736.816263] usb 1-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

KNetworkManager still claims that is it disabled.

[carsten (cniehaus)]

This report on LKML seems related:

http://lkml.org/lkml/2008/10/31/37

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and help to improve Ubuntu.

This is a kernel bug, not a bug in wireless-tools; it has previously been reported as bug #193970. Marking this as a duplicate.