Wireless Dropout - Tx aggregation enabled on ra (workaround: iwlwifi requires 11n_disable=1)

[Evan Carroll]

After repeated messages in syslog with "Wireless Dropout - Tx aggregation enabled on ra" the wireless connection drops but nm-applet shows the connection is maintained.

[ 1993.150229] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2027.374298] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2038.349962] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2067.814290] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2165.598224] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2213.412664] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2236.470968] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 6
[ 2270.489254] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2714.040308] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2753.314277] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2788.096691] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2934.442107] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0
[ 2993.274320] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:24:a5:d7:9e:5e tid = 0

[Simon (simon-redhat-bugs)]

After a period of time, the wireless simply stops functioning... NetworkManager
thinks its still connected.. but no network traffic works.
After a period of time (if left) sometimes it reconnects at G-54Mbit speed.. vs 'N' at around 270Mbit

The following are observed in dmesg:

[ 505.669220] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 555.202192] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 588.834218] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 617.740773] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 690.116581] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 742.430541] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 788.704026] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 801.676020] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 962.686813] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1015.634260] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1099.420837] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1107.568703] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1119.465765] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1147.984058] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1213.937449] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1239.211977] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1352.128153] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1428.874172] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1467.239910] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1501.816674] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1585.802417] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1638.777505] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1669.836635] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1706.886181] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0
[ 1733.298790] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:04:ed:bb:c6:fd tid = 0

Kernel; Linux greenback.local 3.2.2-1.fc16.x86_64 #1 SMP Thu Jan 26 03:21:58 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Some details as to the wireless adapter;

[ 5.214347] Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, in-tree:
[ 5.214441] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 5.214496] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 5.214542] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: pci_resource_len = 0x00002000
[ 5.214544] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: pci_resource_base = ffffc900058a0000
[ 5.214545] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: HW...

[Jim (jim-redhat-bugs)]

I have this problem too. I'm using Fedora 16 with all the latest updates. It seems to have stopped working properly in the last few days.
To get my connection backup I have to
systemctl restart NetworkManager.service

/var/log/messages is full of lines like
Feb 5 07:45:17 localhost kernel: [ 7143.937635] iwlwifi 0000:06:00.0: Tx aggregation enabled on ra = 00:26:5a:cc:6a:5d tid = 0

It is an incredibly annoying problem

kernel-3.2.2-1.fc16.x86_64

[Jim (jim-redhat-bugs)]

I think this is a duplicate of 785561

making a file
 /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf with a single line
 like this:
options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1
is a temporary fix

this line disables 11n and leaves things in g

There is also a thread from November 2011 on the kernel mailing list so why did this end up released when it's disastrous for anyone with this wifi card ?

[Jim (jim-redhat-bugs)]

see this discussion
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1111.3/00007.html

[Mike (mike-redhat-bugs)]

confirm this bug on kernel-3.2.2-1.fc16.x86_64.

[Jim (jim-redhat-bugs)]

yes the problem is with kernel-3.2.2-1.fc16.x86_64

[Simon (simon-redhat-bugs)]

An update released just then into 'updates' reports to fix this, update includes kernel-3.2.3-2.fc16.x86_64

[Simon (simon-redhat-bugs)]

Currently connected back at 243 Mb/s ... this bug is VERY reminiscent of something around this time last year that had the same work around 'options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1'

[John (john-redhat-bugs)]

kernel-3.2.3-2.fc16 should address this issue.

[Jim (jim-redhat-bugs)]

kernel-3.2.3-2.fc16.x86_64
appears to fix the problem
thank you

[Evan Carroll (evancarroll)]

I believe this is a continuation *but* not a duplicate of https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/876147

I previously had the following in /etc/modprobe.d/iwlagn.conf

options iwlagn 11n_disable=1

This made everything work for my Lenovo x200s. Then I upgraded and iwlagn was renamed to iwlwifi. Iwlagn was aliased to iwlwifi.conf however the options in the modprobe.d did not carry over. I had to rename the file to iwlwifi.conf (/etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf) and then change the contents to

options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1

This stops my iw card from going 802.11n but permits me to hold a steady connection.

[Evan Carroll (evancarroll)]

ie., during the upgrade from 11.10 to 12.04 perhaps /etc/modprobe.d/iwlagn.conf should be renamed to /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf with s/iwlagn/iwlwifi/g in the file. And, perhaps we should consider adding `11n_disable=1` to the file in the event no file is created: this problem is fix in kernel 3.3. We won't have to worry about it for 12.10.

[Seth Forshee (sforshee)]

What kernel are you running? Actually you should just run 'apport-collect 974838' to get this and a lot of other useful information attached to this bug. But the fix referred to by the Fedora bug has been in precise for a while now.

[Paul Szabo (psz-maths)]

After upgrading my home router from an old device with 802.11g(?) to
a model supporting 802.11n, I could not connect to wireless anymore,
could not even ping the router itself.

Noticing the line in /var/log/syslog and googling for
  ... iwlwifi ... Tx aggregation enabled on ra = ... tid = 0
I noticed this bug report. As suggested here, creating a file with
one line so:
  $ cat /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf
  options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1
allowed things to work just fine.

My kernel version:
  $ uname -a
  Linux psz-laptop 3.2.0-32-generic #51-Ubuntu SMP Wed Sep 26 21:32:50 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

---

I tried to use "apport-collect 974838" but it told me this bug was not mine.
Instead I attach extracts from /var/log/syslog:

syslog.old-without-802.11N
  Logs with the old 802.11g(?) router

syslog-bad
  Logs with new 802.11n router, cannot connect

syslog-good
  Logs with new 802.11n router and with 11n_disable=1 workaround

---

Cheers, Paul

Paul Szabo <email address hidden> http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/
School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sydney Australia

[rCX (rcx)]

Had the same problem and saw many "Tx aggregation enabled on ra" errors in syslog.
The suggested workaround ("options iwlwifi 11n_disable=1" in /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf) seems to fix this.

OS: Ubuntu 12.04
Kernel: 3.2.0-60-generic
Computer: Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 14
Wireless Card: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000