Hallo, I am using sidux on an asus 1005ha with atheros AR9285. Module ath9k is loaded. The connection is very unstable. Always loosing connection and reconnecting. I figured out that there is the signal level wrong. -85 dB when it should be 45dB. Direct at the antenna of the router it is lower than -40db. The bit rate is jumping between 1MB and 54MB. It is very annoying bug. I tested the bug with WEP and WPA (With Windows XP the wlan is working well). What I am thinking is the reason of this malfunction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_gain_control The driver does not set the AGC (automatic gain control) of the receiver part in the wlan modul. Default set seems most unsensitive. uname -a: 2.6.31-6.slh.2-sidux-686 pcilist -v: Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01) Subsystem: Device 1a3b:1089 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17 Memory at fbff0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K] Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3 Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit- Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00 Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?> Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number ....... Capabilities: [170] Power Budgeting <?> Kernel driver in use: ath9k iwlist wlan0 scanning | grep "ESSID\|Channel\|Quality\|Cell": Distance 5m one thin wall: Cell 01 - Address: ****** Channel:13 Frequency:2.472 GHz (Channel 13) Quality=30/70 Signal level=-80 dBm ESSID:"***" Distance 10cm from antenna: Cell 01 - Address: ****** Channel:13 Frequency:2.472 GHz (Channel 13) Quality=62/70 Signal level=-48 dBm ESSID:"****" set ath9k for debugging all and mounted: modprobe ath9k debug=0xffffffff mount -t debugfs debugfs /sys/kernel/debug/ No errors have been protocolled.
dmesg: wlan0: no probe response from AP ********* - disassociating wlan0: authenticate with AP ******** wlan0: authenticated wlan0: associate with AP *********** wlan0: RX ReassocResp from ************ (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1) wlan0: associated after apt-get install eeepc-acpi-scripts apt-get install acpi-support-base and reboot disconnecting and reconnecting have become better (before it was 15s ... 2min). signal strength and quality are still to low compared to channel use of other wlans and their signal strength.
I was having the same problem, had success with the following setup: Asus eee 1005HA-PU1X Ubuntu 9.10 (karmic) Kernel 2.6.31-19-generic #56-Ubuntu SMP i686 GNU/Linux Downloaded compat-wireless-2009-12-02 (compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2) from linuxwireless.org. Extracted, followed directions for ath9k (http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k). After reboot, my wifi signal is at 99% to 100%, and the "no probe response" messages are gone, connection is steady as a rock.
Thanks Josh. I read http://linuxwireless.org/, found "December 3, 2009 2.6.32 has been released with 1020 patches touching wireless code. So this kernel includes most of "compat-wireless-2009-12-02". I read the list on page http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_2_6_32. So I have three choices: 1) upgrading to kernel "linux-image-2.6.32-9.slh.2-sidux-686" 2) compiling compat-wireless. (make, make install) 3) with git http://linuxwireless.org/en/developers/Documentation/git-guide (apt-get install git-core) After trying (one not busy evening required) I will report.
I used method 2) and for others I added a little more information. You need kernel essentials for the next step installed. (if make will not work, check/install your Debian based distro for following packages: apt-get install gcc ; apt-get install make ; apt-get install kernel-header ; apt-get install build-essential) hwinfo: 28: PCI 200.0: 0282 WLAN controller [Created at pci.318] UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_168c_2b SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.1/0000:02:00.0 SysFS BusID: 0000:02:00.0 Hardware Class: network Model: "Atheros WLAN controller" Vendor: pci 0x168c "Atheros Communications Inc." Device: pci 0x002b SubVendor: pci 0x1a3b SubDevice: pci 0x1089 Revision: 0x01 Driver: "ath9k" Driver Modules: "ath9k" Device File: wlan0 # download compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2 from http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k compat-wireless-2010-03-01 # decompress with mc or tar ./scripts/driver-select ath9k # selects that only ath9k and dependencies are compiled make # compiles ath9k and some other modules make install # installs ath9k and some other modules # to unload wireless modules sudo make wlunload # to unload bluetooth modules sudo make btunload # to load wireless modules sudo make wlload # to load bluetooth modules sudo make btload # ignore error messages of other modules while un/loading # or do it by rebooting/restarting iwlist wlan0 scanning | grep "ESSID\|Channel\|Quality\|Cell" Distance 5m and a thin wall Cell 01 - Address: ****** Quality=52/70 Signal level=-58 dBm Distance 10cm from antenna: Cell 01 - Address: ****** Quality=70/70 Signal level=-12 dBm ESSID:"WLAN1" Now signal strengt is ok and connection is stable. 1) So bug can be solved by manuel work for kernel 2.6.31-x. 2) Possible that some distros compiled for their distributed kernel higher than 2.6.31-19 newer compat-wireless sources. If not you have to do the steps of this bug blog. In case your AR9285 has another Subvendor/Subdevice and compat-wireless-2009-12-02 or compat-wireless-2010-03-01 will not work, try freshest version compat-wireless. 3) Bug should be solved for kernels >= 2.6.32-x generally.