ath9k makes ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10 alpha 6 crash

I confirm it on MacBook Pro with Atheros AR5418, Ubuntu 8.10/AMD64.
The driver is very unstable.

Also looks like that it crashes only when 11N mode is used.
I've tested it with the 11G router, looks stable so far.

I don't see any oops or picture of an oops attached, so I cannot help yet.

BTW once you do get an oops please try the latest kernel and try to reproduce there. Kernel bugs should be reported on kernel.org bugzilla. Please see this list for a collection of bugs:

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k#Reportedbugsonath9k

Hi,
Just providing some more info. I'm experiencing my system freeze as soon as I set the ESSID under 8.10 beta, 2.6.27-5-generic with a Linksys WMP300 (Atheros chipset):

root@dug-desktop:~/compat-wireless-2008-10-06# lspci -s 0:02:07 -vm
Device: 02:07.0
Class: Network controller
Vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
Device: AR5416 802.11abgn Wireless PCI Adapter
SVendor: Linksys
SDevice: Device 0061
Rev: 01

root@dug-desktop:~/compat-wireless-2008-10-06# lspci -s 0:02:07 -vmn
Device: 02:07.0
Class: 0280
Vendor: 168c
Device: 0023
SVendor: 1737
SDevice: 0061
Rev: 01

I'm trying to associate to a Linksys WAG160N ADSL router which has no WEP security and a hidden ESSID.

Once I set the ESSD, iwconfig shows the AP association and then a couple of seconds after the system locks up. No panic in the logs... nothing. If there is any way you'd like me to attempt to gain more information please let me know.

The system is completely logged Ctrl-Alt-F? and Ctrl-Alt-Del have no effect.

I did have the card working under other distros... Sabayon 3.5 (IIRC).

Cheers,

Doug

My card is:
Device: 0b:00.0
Class: Network controller
Vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
Device: AR5418 802.11abgn Wireless PCI Express Adapter
SVendor: Apple Computer Inc.
SDevice: Device 0087
Rev: 01

OS: Intrepid/AMD64, 2.6.27-5.

When the router (Linksys WRT160N) operates in 'Mixed' mode (e.g. the N-mode is enabled) the ath9k causes the system to freeze completely after several seconds (sometimes after several minutes) of traffic activity. I tried in both the wide-channel (40MHz) mode and standard channel mode.

I cannot see any logging or crash reports. Keyboard leds are not working so this is a hard lockup.

When the router operates in G-only mode the driver seems to work properly, although I get in the syslog the following events:
"ACPI: EC: GPE storm detected, disabling EC GPE"
"ACPI: EC: missing confirmations, switch off interrupt mode."

Hi Dmitry,
I took your advice and set my Linksys WAG160N to disable 802.11N and
now I can set the ESSID. However, while it associates without the
freeze and I can scan with iwlist and see all the available
neighbourhood Cells... dhclient refuses to give me an address.

At least the system doesn't freeze :^)

I see the following in the log:

root@dug-desktop:~# dmesg|grep wlan
[ 34.313404] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[ 35.010729] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:1d:7e:b3:0c:ff
[ 35.013086] wlan0: authenticated
[ 35.013101] wlan0: associate with AP 00:1d:7e:b3:0c:ff
[ 35.017099] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:1d:7e:b3:0c:ff (capab=0x421
status=0 aid=1)
[ 35.017108] wlan0: associated
[ 35.017514] wlan0 (WE) : Wireless Event too big (366)
[ 35.025277] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
[ 35.025592] wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason=3)

root@dug-desktop:~# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:"tsunami"
          Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: 00:1D:7E:B3:0C:FF
          Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=27 dBm
          Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2352 B
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=107/100 Signal level:-26 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

root@dug-desktop:~# iwlist wlan0 scanning
wlan0 Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:1D:7E:B3:0C:FF
                    ESSID:""
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:11
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality=93/100 Signal level:-35 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    IE: Unknown:
2D1A4C1003FFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
                              9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
                              48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=0000000053039180
                    Extra: Last beacon: 28ms ago
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:17:3F:C8:27:66
                    ESSID:"WLAN"
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:6
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Quality=50/100 Signal level:-63 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 22 Mb/s
                              6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s
                              36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=00000034b189e1a0
                    Extra: Last beacon: 444ms ago
          Cell 03 - Address: 00:21:55:74:BA:60
                    ESSID:""
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:8
                    Frequency:2.447 GHz (Channel 8)
                    Quality=73/100 Signal level:-48 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
                         ...

This information in this bug report is not sufficient but I think I know what is causing it and we've already submitted a patch upstream. Please apply the patch attached.

This happens only when your AP has not sent a BlockAck and the STA then decides it needs to ask the AP for one (BA request).

I think this patch may have already been applied to the intrepid kernel?

Tim has confirmed to me that this fix is already part of Interpid.

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-intrepid.git;a=commit;h=d20a41e5475ded4f2a94e280723c5049a198506b

Hi Luis,

I applied your patch to 2.6.27 and tried it on my Sabayon 3.5 based system.

I can now scan and see my WAG160N access point without it crashing
linux but I cannot associate either with or without NetworkManager.
Usually I would just stop NetworkManager and use:

iwconfig wlan0 essid tsunami

and then check the association via "iwconfig wlan0"... but I never see
it associate.

I've attached a log of the output from NetworkManager when I choose
"Connect to Other Wireless Network..." and enter "tsunami" with
"Wireless security" set to none. This works for other wireless
adapters I use in my home.

Anyway I hope the log provides some useful information.

Cheers,

Doug

--

The big print giveth and the small print taketh away.

At least the oops is fixed. Lack of association is a different problem.

Can more information be provided? Can the user disable Network Manager and wpa_supplicant completely:

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Reporting_bugs

Then please use manual connection or wpa_supplicant and provide the logs of your session. Please keep in mind kernel.org kernel is at 2.6.27.4, the patch here was applied into 2.6.27.3 IIRC.