Wireless iwl3945 no longer working post-boot after upgrade (dell D620)

[Ryan]

Running 9.10 alpha 3 + updates. After upgrade to 2.6.31-5, at boot time, if the hardware killswitch was set to off at boot, turning it on later would not bring up the network. Previous kernel/udev/hal combo allowed turning the switch (and network) on/off at any time, and each state change would work. If the switch is on at boot time, the network will start properly.

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu karmic (development branch)
Release: 9.10
Codename: karmic

$ apt-cache policy linux
linux:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.6.31.5.16
  Version table:
     2.6.31.5.16 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages

$ apt-cache policy udev
udev:
  Installed: 145-1
  Candidate: 145-1
  Version table:
 *** 145-1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

# lspci -vv -s 0c:00.0
0c:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02)
 Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 1020
 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 28
 Region 0: Memory at ecfff000 (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: 41b1
 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 9d-d1-a7-ff-ff-77-1b-00
 Kernel driver in use: iwl3945
 Kernel modules: iwl3945

Can replicate on any boot - please let me know if any more output would help find the issue. Thanks.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Ryan,

I just want to clarify a bit here. First when the "killswitch is off" that implies that wireless should be enabled. Likewise when the "killswitch is on" wireless should be disabled. So I think what you're meaning to say for your situation is when the "killswitch was *on* at boot, turning it *off* later would not bring up the network . . . . If the switch is *off* at boot time, the network will start properly". Is that correct? If so, can you do the following to capture your dmesg output. . . Boot with the hardware killswitch on (ie wireless disabled), after the system boots flip the killswitch off (ie should enable wireless). Then capture your dmesg output and attach it here:

dmesg > dmesg.log

[Ryan (ubuntu-draziw)]

Hi Leann,

Your description/correction killswitch vs enable/disable is correct. dmsg shows nothing when moving the killswitch position. dmsg attached.

$ apt-cache policy linux udev
linux:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.6.31.6.17
  Version table:
     2.6.31.6.17 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
udev:
  Installed: 145-1
  Candidate: 145-1
  Version table:
 *** 145-1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ uname -a
Linux lt 2.6.31-6-generic #25-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 14 16:25:04 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

[Ryan (ubuntu-draziw)]

Another dmsg booting with killswitch disabled, (wireless works fine) then toggling a couple times post boot, where it properly turns wireless on/off.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Thanks Ryan,

I've got a laptop here with the same driver so am going to try and reproduce if possible. Thanks.

[volkris (volkris)]

In my case I had bios set such that the killswitch only controlled bluetooth; wifi was supposed to be always on.

The wireless monitor never saw the wifi device no matter what the setting of the killswitch. iwconfig saw it fine, though, so I was able to make wifi work by command line.

After seeing this bug I set the bios back to its default, with the killswitch controlling both bluetooth and wifi.

I then experienced the behavior described in this bug.

[Daniel Knittl-Frank (knittl)]

i'm affected by the same bug, i haven't tested yet what happens when booting with killswitch on/off, but will do today afternoon.

my laptop is the dell precision m4300 which has exactly the same hardware as a latitude d620.

turning bluetooth on/off work fine though

[Ryan (ubuntu-draziw)]

Matching with Chris in comment 5 - if it is an open AP, I have done
iwconfig wlan0 ap any
+
dhclient
And had it work (including wifi led) - but nm applet still shows wireless as grayed.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Guys,

I'm going to mark this as a duplicate to bug 430809 for now as it's been noted there what the fix needs to be. Please continue to track this issue at that report. Thanks.