iwlagn WLAN no longer works after upgrade to 2.6.31-17

[Jan Schneider]

After upgrading to 2.6.31-17, WLAN connections via the iwlagn chipset/driver don't work anymore. The wlan card is still detected, but no APs are detected anymore.
It's not a coincidental hardware problem, because it still works when booting into Windows. Trying to boot into 2.6.31-16 from the grub menu still doesn't restore the functionality though.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jan 3833 F.... knotify4
                      jan 3854 F.... kmix
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf6adc000 irq 21'
   Mixer name : 'Intel G45 DEVCTG'
   Components : 'HDA:111d76b2,1028024f,00100302 HDA:80862802,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 33
   Simple ctrls : 20
Date: Mon Dec 14 19:14:51 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=793b7c91-6a66-4c1b-a63d-44ba490663fb
MachineType: Dell Inc. Latitude E6500
Package: linux-image-2.6.31-17-generic 2.6.31-17.54
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=bf4ea0cc-a14c-49f1-8f2e-dc35f6c30a41 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-17.54-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.31-17-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.26
SourcePackage: linux
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-17-generic x86_64
WpaSupplicantLog:

dmi.bios.date: 12/18/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A11
dmi.board.name: 0NY667
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA11:bd12/18/2008:svnDellInc.:pnLatitudeE6500:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0NY667:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Latitude E6500
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[jarlostensen (ubuntu-jarlostensen)]

I am seeing exactly the same problem. I have an Intel 5300 AGN wireless card.

[Open Sense Solutions (opensense)]

same problem, with a 5100 card.

working under 2.6.31-16:
zcat /var/log/dmesg.2.gz | grep iwlag | cut -c 16-999
iwlagn: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, 1.3.27k
iwlagn: Copyright(c) 2003-2009 Intel Corporation
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100AGN REV=0x54
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 24 802.11a channels
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: irq 33 for MSI/MSI-X
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: loaded firmware version 8.24.2.12

not working under 2.6.31-17: (iwlist scanning works intermittently, but can't acquire dhcp address)
zcat /var/log/dmesg.1.gz | grep iwlag | cut -c 16-999
iwlagn: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, 1.3.27ks
iwlagn: Copyright(c) 2003-2009 Intel Corporation
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100AGN REV=0x54
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 24 802.11a channels
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: irq 33 for MSI/MSI-X
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: firmware: requesting lbm-iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: lbm-iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode firmware file req failed: -2
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: firmware: requesting lbm-iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: Loaded firmware lbm-iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode, which is deprecated. Please use API v2 instead.
iwlagn 0000:20:00.0: loaded firmware version 8.24.2.12

[Thanatos (aminute)]

Developed the same problem immediately after kernel update.

[Huaxu (huaxu-wan)]

The LBM doesn't package the 5000 V2 ucode in. There is a temporary workaround.

Goto http://intellinuxwireless.org/?n=Downloads, download the V2 uCode package iwlwifi-5000-ucode-8.24.2.12.tgz. Unpack it, cp iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode to /lib/firmware/ as lbm-iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode. Reload the iwlagn module or restart the system.

[Miguel (muchochini)]

I just realized this problem after updating. I am using 2.6.31-17 and having same issues as Jan.

My wireless card is a 5300 AGN.

[Jan Schneider (yunosh)]

I don't see this anymore with 2.6.31-18.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Jan,
     Thank you for the update.

Miguel / Huaxu / Thanatos,
      Would one of you care to verify that this is corrected with the 2.6.31-18 kernel?

Thanks in advance,

-JFo

[Miguel (muchochini)]

Hello Jeremy,

I just installed 2.6.31-18 from proposed sources. It boots up but It doesn't fix the issue for me. No matter what kernel I boot from, the card is detected but it's blind.

Only way I know to make it work is booting up the system with the card off and then turn it on after loggin in. I hope this detail helps finding a way to fix this issue.

It looks like 2.6.31-17 screwed something and now I don't find a way back, maybe I try uninstalling the kernel later and see if that way version 18 works.

Thanks,
Miguel

[jarlostensen (ubuntu-jarlostensen)]

Switched to a network with a D-LINK router in "WPA2 Only" mode, using TKIP & AES cipher and it now works...
  - previously I was on a LiveBox network that was using "just" WPA...

I have also upgraded to 2.6.31-18 (but not while on the LiveBox router so I can't tell if there are still problems with that.)

Unfortunately for the validity of regression testing of this problem I am not near the LiveBox where I first had the problem after the 17 upgrade so I can't check if that one's still not working.

[Miguel (muchochini)]

My network wireless card can not see any network at all. My home network is WEP.

[Miguel (muchochini)]

I just uninstalled 2.6.31-17 but nothing changed. I am not even sure if it is related to kernel space or user space.

[Miguel (muchochini)]

I tried to change iwlwifi-5000 microcode. I downloaded the latest version from the web and changed it for the one I had in /lib/firmware after backing it up.

 /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode

Rebooted but still didn't work :( This is what lsmod showed me:

$ lsmod | grep iwl
iwlagn 124896 0
iwlcore 133600 1 iwlagn
mac80211 210040 2 iwlagn,iwlcore
led_class 5256 2 iwlcore,sdhci
cfg80211 109144 3 iwlagn,iwlcore,mac80211

It shows the same thing when I started with wireless off and then I switch it on (which I insist, it makes it work). Everything here points to iwlagn.

Anyways, looking online, I found many people on the phorums having issues with Intel wireless cards. Many different ones, so it looks like the drivers are crap.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Miguel,
     I think, per your research, that we must conclude that your problem is a separate issue having to do with the driver on your particular hardware. You may need to approach the vendor about issues with it.

jarlostensen,
     Thank you for testing this. I understand that you were not able to duplicate entirely the environment that you initially saw the issue in, but I am glad you are in a good state now.

Jan,
      As you are the original reporter of this issue, and you have indicated that the -18 kernel has resolved the issue for you, I am closing this bug as Fix Committed, since this will be rolled into the next release.

Please feel free to reopen if you feel this is in error.

-JFo

[Miguel (muchochini)]

Well, mine was working when I first installed Karmic 9.10. After updating it, the wireless card refused to work from the beginning. I will open a new bug. Seriously, from my point of view, approaching Intel on this issue will be useless. I can always use Ndiswrapper, but I'll rather not.

I think, I will fill a new bug with my issue.

Thanks

[Jan Schneider (yunosh)]

Looks like I spoke too early. Indeed it seems to happen less often, but after a recent reboot, the card was down again, with no chance to revive it. So it seems like a hit and miss whether it works after a boot.

[Miguel (muchochini)]

Finally fixed my wireless card issues, I installed wicd instead of network manager. Everything works flawlessly:
- Wireless card is detected and sees all APs.
- I don't have TX errors and I don't loose signal or have to restart Network-Manager.

[jtheuer (mail-jtheuer)]

I want to try #5 but I have a 64bit system (in both, /lib64 and /lib are firmware files). Is the file compatible for 64bit systems, too? And why should its name be ibm-, the other files don't have this prefix.

[Dinesh (linux-future)]

Same issue for me. I'm on an Ad-Hoc network with WEP security and the card just wont work. It connects but it has a lot of "key 0 already used in uCode" errors and finally runs out of TX buffer and freezes the system. Reinstalled karmic and now its fine with the 14 kernel.

[RamonB (ramon-m)]

Had this issue too. Maybe this sounds stupid, but could you try this:
- Click left on the network manager symbol in the system tray.
- Check enable networking

Solved it for me, though I'm not sure if anything else I did before finding the option is required. If it doesn't work, try the only other thing I did:
sudo rmmod iwlagn
sudo modprobe iwlagn

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug was filed against a series that is no longer supported and so is being marked as Won't Fix. If this issue still exists in a supported series, please file a new bug.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.