NetworkManager doesn't start scanning after hardware-switching on Wi-Fi -- Broadcom BCM4312 wl, ssb

[olivier]

1) Version
Description: Ubuntu 11.10
Release: 11.10

Using a HPmini1000 laptop.

2)
network-manager:
  Installé : 0.9.1.90-0ubuntu5.1
  Candidat : 0.9.1.90-0ubuntu5.1
 Table de version :
 *** 0.9.1.90-0ubuntu5.1 0
        500 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.9.1.90-0ubuntu3 0
        500 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main i386 Packages

3) What happens
When turning on hardware switch for wifi, the network manager doesn't recognise the hardware (greyed entries for wifi).

4) What I expected
I expected it to recognise the wifi equipment and start scanning for wifi networks.

5) More info

Strangely enough, while reporting this bug (on a wired connection), the network manager started detecting wifi again.
I rebooted, and the bug came again.
I started reporting the bug, and the wired connection started again.

6) a few logs:

--------------- When there is a bug--------
/var/log/syslog says:

May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <info> WiFi now enabled by radio killswitch
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <info> (eth1): bringing up device.
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <error> [1336426418.772051] [nm-device-wifi.c:3046] real_update_hw_address(): (eth1): unable to read hardware address (error 19)
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <error> [1336426418.791858] [nm-device-wifi.c:486] wireless_get_range(): (eth1): couldn't get driver range information (19).
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc wpa_supplicant[16499]: nl80211: 'nl80211' generic netlink not found
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc wpa_supplicant[16499]: Could not read interface eth1 flags: No such device
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc wpa_supplicant[16499]: Failed to initialize driver interface
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <error> [1336426418.804444] [nm-supplicant-interface.c:570] interface_add_cb(): (eth1): error adding interface: wpa_supplicant couldn't grab this interface.
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: dbus_g_proxy_cancel_call: assertion `pending != NULL' failed
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <info> (eth1): supplicant interface state: starting -> down
May 7 23:33:38 matga-umpc NetworkManager[611]: <warn> Trying to remove a non-existant call id.
May 7 23:33:39 matga-umpc avahi-daemon[614]: Joining mDNS multicast group on interface eth2.IPv6 with address fe80::225:56ff:fe5c:62a3.
May 7 23:33:39 matga-umpc avahi-daemon[614]: New relevant interface eth2.IPv6 for mDNS.
May 7 23:33:39 matga-umpc avahi-daemon[614]: Registering new address record for fe80::225:56ff:fe5c:62a3 on eth2.*.
May 7 23:33:48 matga-umpc kernel: [31877.112227] eth2: no IPv6 routers present
---------------

ifconfig result:

-------------- When there is no bug ------------
root@matga-umpc:/home/matga# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:25:b3:5c:d8:a5
          inet adr:192.168.2.4 Bcast:192.168.2.255 Masque:255.255.255.0
          adr inet6: fe80::225:b3ff:fe5c:d8a5/64 Scope:Lien
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
          Packets reçus:1116 erreurs:0 :0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:1270 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:3
          collisions:0 lg file transmission:1000
          Octets reçus:990687 (990.6 KB) Octets transmis:352377 (352.3 KB)
          Interruption:42

eth2 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:25:56:5c:62:a3
          inet adr:192.168.2.20 Bcast:192.168.2.255 Masque:255.255.255.0
          adr inet6: fe80::225:56ff:fe5c:62a3/64 Scope:Lien
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
          Packets reçus:2 erreurs:0 :0 overruns:0 frame:1830
          TX packets:161 errors:36 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 lg file transmission:1000
          Octets reçus:640 (640.0 B) Octets transmis:33809 (33.8 KB)
          Interruption:16 Adresse de base:0xc000

lo Link encap:Boucle locale
          inet adr:127.0.0.1 Masque:255.0.0.0
          adr inet6: ::1/128 Scope:Hôte
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
          Packets reçus:20 erreurs:0 :0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:20 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 lg file transmission:0
          Octets reçus:1520 (1.5 KB) Octets transmis:1520 (1.5 KB)
--------------

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: network-manager 0.9.1.90-0ubuntu5.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-19.33-generic 3.0.27
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-19-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
Date: Tue May 8 09:38:40 2012
ExecutablePath: /usr/sbin/NetworkManager
Gconf:

IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
IpRoute:

Keyfiles: Error: [Errno 2] Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
NetworkManager.state:
 [main]
 NetworkingEnabled=true
 WirelessEnabled=true
 WWANEnabled=true
 WimaxEnabled=true
ProcEnviron: PATH=(custom, no user)
SourcePackage: network-manager
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Dietmar (dschabus)]

For me, the problem began without touching the hardware switch, I merely turned off wifi in network manager. To me, this issue seems related to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/network-manager/+bug/997114 , since "airplane mode" was turned on when I turned wifi off.

Once on, I cannot turn "airplane mode" back off, and consequently I can't turn wifi on. Found a workaround here http://askubuntu.com/questions/119195/cannot-disable-airplane-mode

sudo rfkill list all
shows that wifi is blocked

sudo rfkill unblock all
will unblock it. After that, wireless works again. Until you turn it off via network manager, or turn on "airplane mode", then the problem reappears.

[Sergey (orbitgray)]

Hi All,

I've had same issue with NM and Broadcom BCM4312 and b43 driver.
Usually I used 'iwlist wlan0 scanning' to make NM to wake up. But today I tried to play with configuration and it helped.

I've changed INACTIVE_TIMEOUT default value 1 to 10 in
/etc/conf.d/NetworkManager
(sorry I'm Gentoo user and not sure if it is in the same folder in Ubuntu)