Bug 4215

Summary: Network connection continually dropping out with certain access points (iwl3945 module, reason=3).
Product: Mageia Reporter: Edward d'Auvergne <true.bugman>
Component: RPM PackagesAssignee: Olivier Blin <mageia>
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX QA Contact:
Severity: normal    
Priority: Normal CC: lebarhon, marja11
Version: 1   
Target Milestone: ---   
Hardware: x86_64   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Source RPM: drakx-net CVE:
Status comment:
Attachments: The dmesg messages when access point association is successful.

Description Edward d'Auvergne 2012-01-21 15:51:31 CET
Description of problem:

The iwl3945 kernel module (or possibly the firmware) has problems with certain access points.  This was first reported as a kvpnc problem (https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1931), though that appears to be a side affect of this bug.  With some access points, the connection is perfect.  With others, it disconnects and reconnects about every minute.  This looks identical to the problems reported at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/548992.  I often see the "wlan0: deauthenticating from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx by local choice (reason=3)" in the dmesg output.  My hardware is:

# lspcidrake -v | grep 3945
iwl3945         : Intel Corporation|PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection [NETWORK_OTHER] (vendor:8086 device:4222 subv:103c subd:135d) (rev: 02)

The problems at https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=4142 might be related.


Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

kernel-desktop-2.6.38.8-9.mga-1-1.mga1.x86_64
iwlwifi-3945-ucode-15.32.2.9-2.mga1.noarch


How reproducible:  100%


Steps to Reproduce:
1.  Connect to an offending access point.
2.  N/A
3.  N/A
Comment 1 Edward d'Auvergne 2012-01-21 15:57:36 CET
From bug #1931 (https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1931), the I have found following steps resolve the issue:

1.  Hit the wireless kill switch (the wireless button on the laptop).

2.  As root, run:
# rmmod iwl3945 iwlcore mac80211 cfg80211

3.  Hit the wireless kill switch again to turn wireless back on.

4.  Reload the module with:
# modprobe iwl3945


After this, the connection will be stable and there will be no more "wlan0: deauthenticating from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx by local choice (reason=3)" messages from 'dmesg'.
Comment 2 Marja Van Waes 2012-01-21 17:37:59 CET
@ Edward

Thanks :)

Do you still have a relevant part of /var/log/messages? If so, please attach it



@ Blino,

I don't dare to suggest to the reporter of bug 4142 to try Edward's workaround, because I don't know whether that can harm if it isn't the same issue, so I'll leave it up to you suggest or not.

CC: (none) => marja11
Assignee: bugsquad => mageia
Source RPM: (none) => drakx-net

Comment 3 Edward d'Auvergne 2012-01-21 17:53:19 CET
Unfortunately I don't have access to the access point that trips the Intel 3945 driver as it is about 500 km away at the moment, so no dmesg info.  I don't know when I'll access again.
Comment 4 Marja Van Waes 2012-01-21 19:04:20 CET
(In reply to comment #3)
> Unfortunately I don't have access to the access point that trips the Intel 3945
> driver as it is about 500 km away at the moment, so no dmesg info.  I don't
> know when I'll access again.

Well, if you were there and still suffered from the bug less than a month ago, you might still have interesting information in /var/log/messages.x.gz of that week. (x = the relevant digit) 

If you do have it, please copy that part to a .txt file and attach it here. If you don't have it: no problem. We're thankful you shared with us how you solved the problem.
Comment 5 Edward d'Auvergne 2012-01-21 22:19:36 CET
For some reason, my /var/log/messages is empty, and there are no old archives messages.x.gz:

[root@localhost log]# ls -alh messages*
-rw------- 1 root root 0 Jun 19  2011 messages
[root@localhost log]# ls -alh dmesg*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 41K Jan 21 08:25 dmesg
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 41K Jan 20 08:17 dmesg.old
[root@localhost log]# pwd
/var/log
[root@localhost log]# uname -a
Linux localhost.localdomain 2.6.38.8-desktop-9.mga #1 SMP Tue Dec 20 09:45:44 UTC 2011 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
[root@localhost log]#

I'll attach my current /var/log/dmesg file as a reference for what it looks like when the association with an access point works.
Comment 6 Edward d'Auvergne 2012-01-21 22:24:06 CET
Created attachment 1401 [details]
The dmesg messages when access point association is successful.

This is the output of the 'dmesg > dmesg' command as my /var/log/dmesg file strangely does not contain the iwl3945 driver messages!
Comment 7 Edward d'Auvergne 2012-01-21 22:31:32 CET
Hmmm, the rsyslog service was turned off?!  Very strange!  Well, next time I'll have a proper log file with bad access point.
Comment 8 André DESMOTTES 2012-01-22 19:29:48 CET
Hi,
I am the one who reported the bug 4142 and I tried the Edouard's work around, unfortunately, it doesn't work with a total satisfaction. The behavior seems a little bit different. Disconnections happen much less often. Before it was a disconnection every minute, now they last about 10 to 15 mn. I will continue the tests, may be theses disconnections have an other reason?

CC: (none) => lebarhon

Comment 9 Marja Van Waes 2012-07-06 15:05:52 CEST
Please look at the bottom of this mail to see whether you're the assignee of this  bug, if you don't already know whether you are.


If you're the assignee:

We'd like to know for sure whether this bug was assigned correctly. Please change status to ASSIGNED if it is, or put OK on the whiteboard instead.

If you don't have a clue and don't see a way to find out, then please put NEEDHELP on the whiteboard.

Please assign back to Bug Squad or to the correct person to solve this bug if we were wrong to assign it to you, and explain why.

Thanks :)

**************************** 

@ the reporter and persons in the cc of this bug:

If you have any new information that wasn't given before (like this bug being valid for another version of Mageia, too, or it being solved) please tell us.

@ the reporter of this bug

If you didn't reply yet to a request for more information, please do so within two weeks from now.

Thanks all :-D
Comment 10 Manuel Hiebel 2012-11-05 16:53:44 CET
This message is a reminder that Mageia 1 is nearing its end of life. 
In approximately 25 days from now, Mageia will stop maintaining and issuing 
updates for Mageia 1. At that time this bug will be closed as WONTFIX (EOL) if it 
remains open with a Mageia 'version' of '1'.

Package Maintainer: If you wish for this bug to remain open because you plan to 
fix it in a currently maintained version, simply change the 'version' to a later 
Mageia version prior to Mageia 1's end of life.

Bug Reporter: Thank you for reporting this issue and we are sorry that we may not 
be able to fix it before Mageia 1 is end of life.  If you would still like to see 
this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it against a later version of Mageia, 
you are encouraged to click on "Version" and change it against that version 
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Although we aim to fix as many bugs as possible during every release's lifetime, 
sometimes those efforts are overtaken by events. Often a more recent Mageia 
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Comment 11 Manuel Hiebel 2012-12-02 14:32:56 CET
Mageia 1 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on ''1st December''. Mageia 1 is no 
longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further security or 
bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug. 

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of Mageia 
please feel free to click on "Version" change it against that version of Mageia and reopen this bug.

Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.

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Status: NEW => RESOLVED
Resolution: (none) => WONTFIX