[nc 10] Wlan issues

[redu]

Strangely
my wlan speed in nc10 is unstable. Varying 180k...1.3G. 1.3G is about my broadband roof.
Fix:
sudo iwconfig wlan0 rate 11M
Now speed keeps to 1M...1.3M (3G broadband in router).
But the slow gear is back, when nc10 is restarted?
"Fix":
iwconfig wlan0 rate 11M to /etc/rc.local

Would prefer a better fix?
Atheros wlan fails, if trying a rate of 54M?
What is this all about?

Good forum voRia. Thank you!
redu

[voria]

For me, sticking with default bitrate (auto) works good.
Here the bitrate is automatically adjusted between 1Mb and 36Mb (I think it depends on the signal quality, and it's not that good here ).

Setting the bitrate to 54M means that you force the card to work always to that speed.
If the signal quality is not good enough the connection simply fails.

[redu]

For me, sticking with default bitrate (auto) works good.
Here the bitrate is automatically adjusted between 1Mb and 36Mb (I think it depends on the signal quality, and it's not that good here ).

Setting the bitrate to 54M means that you force the card to work always to that speed.
If the signal quality is not good enough the connection simply fails.

Yes,
If in auto-mode, "Network Tools" shows 1Mb, but the real traffic according to net speed meters varies beginning 180kb and up to 500kb.
If forced to 11M, "network Tools" shows 11M, and the real traffic according to net speed tools is close to my broadband roof = 1.3M.

Wlan signal quality does not make any difference!
Another laptop with 54M wlan (Network Tools) stays at 1M to 1.5M according to net speed meters.

redu

[voria]

If in auto-mode, "Network Tools" shows 1Mb, but the real traffic according to net speed meters varies beginning 180kb and up to 500kb.
If forced to 11M, "network Tools" shows 11M, and the real traffic according to net speed tools is close to my broadband roof = 1.3M.

Changing the bitrate to auto or 11M does not make any difference for me. Net speed meters give me the same results.
I don't know why results are different between me and you, maybe it depends on router?

Wlan signal quality does not make any difference!
Another laptop with 54M wlan (Network Tools) stays at 1M to 1.5M according to net speed meters.

I think this may depend on different hardware and/or driver used... not all drivers behave the same way.

[redu]

If in auto-mode, "Network Tools" shows 1Mb, but the real traffic according to net speed meters varies beginning 180kb and up to 500kb.
If forced to 11M, "network Tools" shows 11M, and the real traffic according to net speed tools is close to my broadband roof = 1.3M.

Changing the bitrate to auto or 11M does not make any difference for me. Net speed meters give me the same results.
I don't know why results are different between me and you, maybe it depends on router?

Wlan signal quality does not make any difference!
Another laptop with 54M wlan (Network Tools) stays at 1M to 1.5M according to net speed meters.

I think this may depend on different hardware and/or driver used... not all drivers behave the same way.

Toke up my wlan according to instructions here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NC10
Maybe something fails? voRia, how did you manage the out of box missing wlan issue?

redu

[voria]

Oh, I thought you were using the same wlan module as me, taken from my repository
Then, maybe this is the reason.
I'm using my own 'linux-backports-modules' package (link, this is for kernel 2.6.27-13), built with an updated source code (2009.02.05 snapshot) with 2 patches applied, one of them for enabling the rfkill function.
I suggest to try it and see if this makes any difference.

[redu]

Oh, I thought you were using the same wlan module as me, taken from my repository
Then, maybe this is the reason.
I'm using my own 'linux-backports-modules' package (link, this is for kernel 2.6.27-13), built with an updated source code (2009.02.05 snapshot) with 2 patches applied, one of them for enabling the rfkill function.
I suggest to try it and see if this makes any difference.

I upgraded to voRia repositories, but no difference in wlan issue!
Had to add ath5k to /etc/modules
Had to specify blacklists as before:
sudo su
echo "blacklist ath_pci" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
echo "blacklist ath_hal" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

redu

[voria]

Strange. The fixed packages from repository take care about blacklisting old modules etc.
Did you enable the proposed repository? Without it you have the 2.6.27-11 kernel, while my fixed linux-backports-modules is for 2.6.27-13 only.

[redu]

Strange. The fixed packages from repository take care about blacklisting old modules etc.
Did you enable the proposed repository? Without it you have the 2.6.27-11 kernel, while my fixed linux-backports-modules is for 2.6.27-13 only.

Yes, it is 27-13 all now. Did dot delete any old packages. Just updated to the new ones including the voRia repository. For instance Fn-keys are now working well.

Checked using WinXP / Firefox in another partition:
Wifi works fine. Reported speed of wlan was 54M. Net speed was to the broadband roof. So, my wlan problem in Linux partition is definitely an Ubuntu glitch!

redu

[voria]

I'm sorry, I really don't know from what it may depend.
The only advice I can give you is to try the latest snapshop of the driver (look here) and see if your problem has been fixed in it.

[redu]

I'm sorry, I really don't know from what it may depend.
The only advice I can give you is to try the latest snapshop of the driver (look here) and see if your problem has been fixed in it.

Maybe I have got some sort of a driver conflict? Iwconfig "auto" does not work, but forced 11M works. Maybe I should uninstall something?

Or should I make a new clean install of all the Ubuntu? And then to upgrade using voRia repository too?

redu

[voria]

In my opinion reinstalling everything would be just a waste of time.

The ath5k module is under heavy development, it's much more probable that you are experiencing some incompatibility due to its experimental state... I suggest you to test latest development source, and to file a new bug on linux kernel bug tracker, to discuss the problem with someone more involved in its development.

[redu]

In my opinion reinstalling everything would be just a waste of time.

The ath5k module is under heavy development, it's much more probable that you are experiencing some incompatibility due to its experimental state... I suggest you to test latest development source, and to file a new bug on linux kernel bug tracker, to discuss the problem with someone more involved in its development.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions ... is-703958/

Here similar wlan slow behaviour is reported. And speed forcing to of 11M is proposed. Kernel 28 should have a better driver ath5.

redu

[voria]

Then try the new kernel, you can take it directly from jaunty, you have to just download the deb file (link) and install it.
It will not replace your current kernel and, if any problem, you can uninstall it through the package manager.

Maybe you will need the linux-backports-modules package for the new kernel, you can find it here.

Good luck

[voria]

I've found a better way to set the wireless card bitrate for NetworkManager users. Putting the command in /etc/rc.local as you suggested works until you disable the card, or do a suspend/resume cycle. This way instead the iwconfig command is executed everytime the wireless connection comes up, due to the fact that it's handled by NetworkManager.

Open up in your editor the file /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/01ifupdown and change the section

Code: Select all

    up)
        export MODE="start"
        export PHASE="up"

        if [ -d /var/run/network/ ] ; then
                ...

with something like this:

Code: Select all

    up)
        export MODE="start"
        export PHASE="up"

        # Check if interface is wireless
        if test "$1" = "wlan0"; then
                # Set WIFI rate
                /sbin/iwconfig "$1" rate 11M
        fi

        if [ -d /var/run/network/ ] ; then
                ...

Obviously, change the iwconfig command as you need it.