[Lucid] Network Manager Applet Wi-Fi icon always shows red exclamation mark

[Jeff Lane ]

Binary package hint: network-manager

[Impact]
Any users of network-manager (Ubuntu Desktop) with a broadcom chipset requiring the wl driver.

[Test Case]
1) run desktop
2) make sure the wifi signal level appears.

[Regression Potential]
This is a fix that has been in all releases since Maverick, well-tested and safe; it changes the behavior when the associated frequency isn't provided by the driver by looking through the available scanning frequencies to match the right Access Point. Regression potential is minimal since this online provides an alternative value to display via the applet in the event that no frequency / signal level is available by properly matching the AP when the driver doesn't provide the information expected.

----

Installed Lucid daily as of 15 March on a Lenovo S10 Netbook (Installed Desktop version, NOT UNE).

After installing the driver for my Broadcom wireless card via hardware-drivers, I connected to my router and surfed the internet while testing other things (FF, Empathy, etc)

I noticed that the wireless icon in indicatior area ALWAYS displays a grey wireless representation with a red exclamation mark.

This makes it look as though there is some error or problem though when I hover over the icon I get the message that I'm connected and have internet connectivity.

I disabled the wireless card and nothing changed... until I tried connecting, then I get the spinner, until Network-Manager decides it's not going to be able to connect, and the icon changes back to the Wi-Fi with Exclamation mark.

So, I right click and re-connect after turning the wireless card back on and I get a good connection and internet apps work, but the icon still gives me the glaring red exclamation mark
---
Architecture: i386
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
CheckboxSubmission: c6b545932e096d1399cbe286d164a9a5
CheckboxSystem: 174dd9663cefed283ef72538c1136ee0
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Gconf:

IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook-Remix 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.4)
IpRoute:
 192.168.1.0/24 dev eth1 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.1.4
 default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth1
Keyfiles: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Package: network-manager 0.8-0ubuntu2
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-19.28-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
RfKill:

Tags: lucid ubuntu-une
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-19-generic i686
UserGroups:

[Matt Goodall (matt-goodall)]

I'm seeing something similar using latest Lucid packages on a Dell Mini 10v with Broadcom wireless. However, the icon is only greyed-out with a red exclamation mark on my home network; at work the icon is as expected. In both cases I have a fully working network connection and the "Connection Information" window shows sensible information.

So, it seems to be affected by the network I'm connecting to: home is a Belkin router and a 192.168.0.x net, work is a Netgear router and a 192.168.1.x net. Both are authenticated using WPA/WPA2.

[Ethan Bissett (draimus-deactivatedaccount)]

I also have a Dell Mini 10v (running Lucid Netbook remix). At work when I connect to the primary wireless I get the "not connected" icon. If I use the visitor wireless at work the icon correctly shows connected status. At home the icon correctly shows connected status.

The primary AP at work is some sort of Linksys N router (I haven't found where they are hiding it yet). The visitor AP is a Linksys WRT54G. My home router is a Linksys WRT54g running dd-wrt.

[Ethan Bissett (draimus-deactivatedaccount)]

I forgot to add that when Network Manager shows it is disconnected when it really is, if you look at the drop-down menu with the Wireless Network selections, the Wireless Networks area also says it is disconnected.

[323232 (323232)]

Confirmed on a inspiron with broadcom sta driver.
Maybe related to the experience that it also takes app 15 tot 20 seconds to get the WPA connection after logon...

[Ethan Bissett (draimus-deactivatedaccount)]

Okay I was mistaken when it's in this weird connection state the Wireless Networks area says it is connected, it just won't say to what.

[Ethan Bissett (draimus-deactivatedaccount)]

However the tooltip shows the correct thing.

[323232 (323232)]

To be more precize

After login the network icon has a red exclamation sign,
After two seconds the ico starts the wave (trying to conect)
After 15 seconds the popup comes up stating that it has connected to my wireless network (enabled for all users in the networkmanager settings)
The the red exclamition shows up again in the icon.
The wireless connection is the only connection possible. The connection is OK (Im filling this in right now with the icon with the red exclamation in it)
Clikking on the ico a popup shows uo staing that the Wired Network and the Wireless Networ are disconnected.
Tried also previously to remove network and work with static ip/wpa etc in interfaces. This worked now and then. Mostly I had to restart /init.d/networking etc. Tried also a sleep command, although I am not hindered by any technical knowlodge it lookes like the interfaces and the association to a network are not right timed while booting.
Working on a fully updated Lucid by the way.

[323232 (323232)]

PS when I plu in the cable the wired connection comes up perfectly; the other icon shows up for the wired network withoud an exclamition sign.

[cosmix (cosm7x)]

This is also the case on a HP Mini 2140 with the Broadcom (wl) driver.

[323232 (323232)]

Another typical issue;
After loging out en login (to the same or a different user) the ico disappears (but the proces is runing-> when I give the command " nm-applet --sm-disable" the terminal returns -> An instance of nm-applet is already running. ** (nm-applet:1788): WARNING **: <WARN> constructor(): Couldn't initialize the D-Bus manager. The icon remains invisible.

The same thing happens when you boot the laptop and wait a few minutes before login.

[323232 (323232)]

Also typical:
Have defined in nmanager that eth0 (Cable) and eth1 (wireless) both connect automaticly.
Booting with the wired cable shows after loggin in the wireless search icon. After getting te message that the wireless connection is establihed the wired icon shows up. Both are active but after clicking on the nmanager icon only te auto ethernet is mentioned at te top of the popup. Auto eth1 is not mentioned at the top of the pop up.

Looks like al subscriders have the broadcom sta driver and have both 32 bit and 64 bit systems.

[323232 (323232)]

Also other issues with broadcom STA see Bug #488340

[323232 (323232)]

The stability of the connection is better since i defined the BSSID, MAC Adress and a static IP for the wireless conection in Networkmanager. It connects now wel but slow on boot, Got very incidental a drop of the connection. After the drop of the conection Netwerk Manager can not re associate the WPA connection This happened this morning again:
The daemon.log has the following entries.
(Changed the ssid name and the bssid manually

Apr 5 09:46:04 localhost wpa_supplicant[1047]: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Apr 5 09:46:04 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): supplicant connection state: completed -> disconnected
Apr 5 09:46:04 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): supplicant connection state: disconnected -> scanning
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): device state change: 8 -> 3 (reason 11)
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): deactivating device (reason: 11).
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <WARN> check_one_route(): (eth1) error -34 returned from rtnl_route_del(): Sucess#012
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost avahi-daemon[933]: Withdrawing address record for 192.168.123.100 on eth1.
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost avahi-daemon[933]: Leaving mDNS multicast group on interface eth1.IPv4 with address 192.168.123.100.
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost avahi-daemon[933]: Interface eth1.IPv4 no longer relevant for mDNS.
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) starting connection 'Auto SSID'
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): device state change: 3 -> 4 (reason 0)
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): supplicant connection state: scanning -> disconnected
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (eth1): device state change: 4 -> 5 (reason 0)
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth1/wireless): connection 'Auto SSID_xx' has security, and secrets exist. No new secrets needed.
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'ssid' value 'SSID_xx'
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'bssid' value '00:0c:f6:72:XX:XX'
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'WPA-PSK'
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'psk' value '<omitted>'
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: nm_setting_802_1x_get_pkcs11_engine_path: assertion `NM_IS_SETTING_802_1X (setting)' failed
Apr 5 09:46:20 localhost NetworkManager: nm_setting_802_1x_get_pkcs11_module_path: a...

[323232 (323232)]

The problems with the red exclamition sign and not showing the connection under wireless networks in the nm applet popup are still there.

There might also be a little typo in the nm applat popup;
It shows
Wired Network
disconnected
Wireless Network
Disconnect

Note the use of a non capital (d' for disconnected and a capital (D) for disconnect

[323232 (323232)]

bug 543921 might also be a duplicate (logon different user and ico disappears)

[323232 (323232)]

after login an logout and login (nm applet icon disappears) also follwing entry in xsession.errors:
** (nm-applet:1920): DEBUG: old state indicates that this was not a disconnect 0

[Guillaume Lanquepin-Chesnais (guyomel)]

Exactly the same problem with wl driver (broadcom STA) on Compaq 700EF for WPA2/AES connection.

[323232 (323232)]

The broadcom release notes mentiones
KNOWN ISSUES AND LIMITATIONS
----------------------------
#72238 - 20% lower throughput on channels 149, 153, 157, and 161
#76743 - Ubuntu9.04: Network manager displays n/w's with radio disabled
#76793 - Ubuntu9.04: STA fails to create IBSS network in 5 Ghz band
#81392 - Unable to transfer data over ad-hoc network created by NetworkManager (iwconfig OK)
#81452 - STA unable to associate to AP when PEAPv1-MSCHAPv2 authentication is used

Tried to find more about #76743 but did not succeed

[Reece (reece)]

The following is from my duplicate bug at https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/560191 .

The nm-applet icon and interface menu incorrectly indicate that the wireless interface is disconnected even when it is connected. (That is, it always indicates down.) This happens on 4/4 SSIDs I've tried. A screenshot is attached.

For clarity: The wireless interface works correctly; the only defect I observe is the lack of appropriate indication of an "up" interface. Selecting the SSID from the wireless menu initiates a connection and I get appropriate desktop notification upon connection and disconnection.

This is on a MacBook Pro 5,3 with a broadcom wireless card and the STA driver installed via Jockey, and has been observed in Lucid alpha 2 (i386), beta1 (i386), and beta2 (x86_64), all on a MacBook Pro 5,3.

[Reece (reece)]

Appears fixed.
I just (4/12 12:45Z) apt-get updated, upgraded, rebooted and the wireless icon issue is resolved. The nm-applet icon is correct and the listing shows the SSID under the associated network list (and not under the available networks as previously).

[323232 (323232)]

Still the same with a fully updated 64 bit system and broadcom sta
± exclamation in nm applet during a good connection
+ connection not mentioned under wireless networks (nm applet popop - upperfields
+ There might also be a little typo in the nm applat popup; It shows Wired Network / disconnected Wireless Network / Disconnect
+ Performance & stabilty issues - possibly WPA related (see above)

I am not sure if this is a networkmanager or broadcom sta driver issue (or both)

I would be a pleasure if the "importance" of the bug got determined (possibly medium give the fact that this issue might be an issue for many Dell laptops / Notebooks..)

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

Changed to Medium...

I too am not sure which this REALLY is being caused by, but I'm suspecting it's something between both, e.g. the STA driver not reporting correct information to network-manager, or network-manager not picking the right info from the STA driver.

If networking did not work at all, this would certainly be higher than medium, but for now, it's only an icon issue as network functionality, that I've seen at least, is unaffected.

And it DOES involve at least any system with a B43 based wireless card, so Dell, Lenovo, and whoever else is using that chipset.

For what it's worth, my main laptop has an Intel wireless card and the icon works fine with it.

Also, my Lenovo system has a broadcom BCM5906 PCIe copper card and the icon displays fine with that, so at least it's not a generic Broadcom issue, but limited to at least on Broadcom wireless chipset.

[323232 (323232)]

Thanx!
My chipset is
04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation Device [14e4:4353] (rev 01). It looks like this one is not officially supported yet ( http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README.txt).

Looking in the duplicate bugreports
542340 - BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller
560191 - BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller
These might be mentioned as supported.
Can not find any other details in this bugreport or in the duplicates

[Brad Crittenden (bac)]

I have this issue on a MacBook Pro 5,1 but only when connecting to the 5GHz portion of a dual-band access point. My card is:

04:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

After a brief discussion with cyphermox on Freenode, I looked into wicd-client.

My setup at home involves two APs, one is secured with WPA2, one is non-secured.

When connected to the non-secure AP which sits next to my desk, wicd-client shows 100% signal, and correctly shows a connection with a full green signal status bar.

When connected to the secure AP, on the other side of my house, wicd-client shows 30-40% signal and correctly shows a conection with a orange bar that is less than half full, indicating the weaker signal strength I'm getting from that AP.

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

apport information

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

apport information

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

apport information

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

apport information

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

apport information

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

apport information

[Reece (reece)]

Argh! Back to broken for me. There was a brief window two days ago in which my combination of kernel and packages enabled a working nm-applet icon and sound on my MBP 5,3. Neither is working now for 386 or amd64. I have no explanation for this short-lived success and regression.

[323232 (323232)]

My router had wireless settings for the B+G+N Network at 2.4 Ghz. The speed varied from 2 to 54 mbps.
My broadcom adapter is expected to be N capable.
Changed the router settings to G only at 2.4. Ghz

The network manager applet is working as it should be with the G only setting.
The icon without an exclamation sign doesn't disappear when I logout en login to the same of an other user
The network is mentioned under wireless networks
The speed looks stable at 54 mbps

So: al problems disappeared when i changed the routersetting to G only

I also tried N only; It worked but all aboved mentioned problems remained the same. So the problems might be related to wireless N Networking

[323232 (323232)]

A little bit to enthousiastic:
disappearing nm applet icon is still an issue
when
+ boot
+ login account a
+ icon is there
+ logout account a
+ login account b
+ icon is there
+ logout account b
+ login account a
+ no more applet
+ logout account a
+ login account b
+ no more nm applet

so. if you login an account for the second time during a session the nm applet account dusappears

[Andrzej Kłapeć (solidslash)]

Yup, switching from N to G in router's settings fixes it. However, it should be somehow done by the system, not the hardware.

[323232 (323232)]

And the icon is also not here when you boot, wait a few minutes before login en login (with the router on G only)

[Scott Evans (scottsweb)]

I am also having this same issue (icon incorrectly displays that I am not connected to the network when I actually am) on a Compaq Mini 311c that uses a Broadcom wireless card as well. I took the advice here and dropped the router down to G only and the icon correctly displays my connection now. This seems to be an issue with the draft-n spec and the Broadcom driver?

[ChrisTomalty (christomalty-deactivatedaccount)]

This bug is present on a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop with Lucid up-to-date. My wireless card is a Broadcom Wireless G hooked up to a Wireless N router. It started happening immediately after I installed the Wireless N router (after having had, of course, a Wireless G). Upon mouseover, the network manager confirms that I am connected to the router.

[Rajesh Verma (verma-r-kumar)]

I have the same problem with Dell Inspiron 1420 having Lucid.
You can try following steps (worked for me):
1) sudo rmmod -f dell-laptop
2) Add "blacklist dell-laptop" in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

[Rajesh Verma (verma-r-kumar)]

After blacklisting "dell-laptop" module, please restart your system.

Although removing/blacklisting "dell-laptop" module is just a workaround, but if it works for Dell laptops, then we can say there is some problem with dell-laptop module. So, need to wait for the update on dell-laptop or fix in kernel itself.

[323232 (323232)]

Put the router back to N, tried the workaround (blacklisting) and the problem persists, so the workaroud does not work for me.

[BandD (swords-into-plowshares)]

I'm seeing this same problem on a ralink rt2800 wireless n pci card. So I don't think it is limited to soley broadcom chipsets. It was working fine on an Lucid (10.04) system before the most recent round of kernel updates etc.

[ubuntu.jason (ke7tdy)]

hey all~
wow oh wow....i'm glad to know i'm not alone in this issue. like most everyone here, i have a broadcom wireless chip in my hp pavillion tx2510us laptop.

i CAN connected to the internet (and my thruput seems fairly good to me) but half the time the network manager applet doesn't even load and the other half of the time, it says that i have no wireless connection [no wireless card yet im online lol]

i have a fully updated 64 bit edition of ubuntu 10.04. this is more an annoyance in my book but if there's a fix i'd love to know....
~j

[Rajesh Verma (verma-r-kumar)]

Have you tried with wicd?

[ubuntu.jason (ke7tdy)]

rajesh~
what's wicd? is it a different 'network manager' ?
~j

[Rajesh Verma (verma-r-kumar)]

Yes. WICD stands for Wireless Interface Connection Daemon. You can try connecting the wireless connection with wicd. And if you have dell, then also remove/blacklist "dell-laptop".

[Zebedee Russell-Marr (zebedee-rm)]

Also confirmed on HP Pavilion DV2 1112AU running 10.04 Desktop Edition

[ubuntu.jason (ke7tdy)]

rajesh~
wow man that fixed the problem right up! that wicd applet works great, looks nicer and well....works lol
so now can i safely remove the default 'network manager' applet? i would assume so....just always good to ask the gurus lol
thanks!
~j

[Rajesh Verma (verma-r-kumar)]

Jason,

I belive removing "network manager" should not affect anything especially wicd because these are replacements to each other. But sometimes, it may affect. If you face any such problem, then try reinstalling wicd.

Also please check this bug #357395 before uninstalling network manager.

[philip550c (philip550c)]

I am having the same problem, alienware (dell) m11x laptop with broadcom wireless N with Lucid x64. I only have the problem with Netgear wireless N routers. Also the connection is much slower than it is supposed to be, with my N connection only connecting at 2 mb/s and the G connecting at 54 mb/s.

[Dinesh (linux-future)]

Problem exists for me too. I'm on a Dell 1764 with a Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)

I'm using the STA driver for the wireless card.

[jack_teagarden (jangofett481)]

I have the same problem.... Dell Inspiron 1525 with a Broadcom BCM4312 wireless card 802.11b/g, used in conjunction with the STA wireless driver on a Linksys WRT160N wireless N router that's broadcasting both G and N wireless. Wireless connection works completely fine, which the applet confirms on mouse over, but it still shows an exclamation mark. I recall that on install there were two possible drivers, but after installing the STA driver I can only access that one in the restricted hardware manager.

[Ivars Strazdiņš (ivars-strazdins)]

Is there any update on this bug?
I have the same problem even since I installed and started to use 802.11n network.
Running up to date Lucid on HP 6510b with Broadcom Corporation BCM4328 802.11a/b/g/n (rev 03) network controller.
PCI ID: 14e4:4328 (rev 03)

[Andrzej Kłapeć (solidslash)]

Apparently it seems to be fixed on the up-to-date Maverick installation. I don't have the red exclamation mark any more.
Using bcmwl-kernel-source 5.60.48.36+bdcom-0ubuntu5 and network-manager 0.8.1+git.20100810t184654.ab580f4-0ubuntu2

[Geo Carncross (geocar)]

Report: Fixed in Maverick beta. 5.60.48.36+bdcom-0ubuntu5 and 0.8.1+git.20100810t184654.ab580f4-0ubuntu2 as well.

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (cyphermox)]

As per the comments above, this was fixed in commits upstream which made it in Maverick, so I've marking this as Fix Released.

[superphoenix (hongchengni)]

Would you backport the fix to Lucid? Thanks!

[Troy R. (dsm-iv-tr)]

Another request for Lucid backport, please.

[Ilya G. Ryabinkin (ileyka)]

Yet another request. Please, fix!

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (cyphermox)]

This must have been commit http://cgit.freedesktop.org/NetworkManager/NetworkManager/commit/?id=4880cc68b2e1a6580f30318c660c2f669b8f5708; marking it as requiring work to be backported to Lucid.

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (cyphermox)]

Lucid has been EOL for desktop for a while, so I'll mark this as Won't Fix. I'm sorry we couldn't get to it :(