[rt2860] frequent connection instability/loss on not optimal network quality.

Bug #480477 reported by Philip Muškovac
118
This bug affects 22 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Expired
Low
Unassigned

Bug Description

Here's what I know about this issue right now:
When I'm sitting besides the AP and the connection quality is excellent everything's fine. But it I move away a bit and the quality drops to some < 60% then I get random hangs in my connection using network-manager-gnome and knetworkmanager reconnects all the time. Also possibly related is the fact that on excellent quality the connection remains fine once I close the netbook lid, but on lower quality the connection is permanently lost and both gnome and kde ask for the network PW when opening the lid again.

(See bug 356807 for more comments on this)

ProblemType: Bug
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.20.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC269 Analog [ALC269 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC269 Analog [ALC269 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: yofel 3607 F.... pulseaudio
                      yofel 3620 F.... kmix
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf7eb8000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC269'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,1043831a,00100004'
   Controls : 12
   Simple ctrls : 7
Date: Wed Nov 11 03:57:22 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=063cb1bf-c443-4b7f-8a7f-58ded0cc1ca7
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer INC. 1000H
Package: linux-image-2.6.31-15-generic 2.6.31-15.49
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-15-generic root=UUID=f2364b6a-ed8d-421f-ba05-2387ef7371fd ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M security=apparmor
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-15.49-generic
Regression: No
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.31-15-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.24
Reproducible: Yes
SourcePackage: linux
Tags: needs-upstream-testing
TestedUpstream: No
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-15-generic i686
dmi.bios.date: 12/30/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1305
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 1000H
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: x.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0x00000000
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTek Computer INC.
dmi.chassis.version: x.x
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1305:bd12/30/2008:svnASUSTeKComputerINC.:pn1000H:pvrx.x:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rn1000H:rvrx.xx:cvnASUSTekComputerINC.:ct10:cvrx.x:
dmi.product.name: 1000H
dmi.product.version: x.x
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.

Revision history for this message
Philip Muškovac (yofel) wrote :
Andy Whitcroft (apw)
tags: added: kernel-lucid
Andy Whitcroft (apw)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Low
Andy Whitcroft (apw)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Triaged
Andy Whitcroft (apw)
tags: added: lucid
removed: kernel-lucid
Revision history for this message
abatcher (geens-toon) wrote :

I can confirm this bug and its very inconvenient.

It's the same on the rt2860 v1.8.0 module and the v2.2.0 module compiled from their website.

Revision history for this message
abatcher (geens-toon) wrote :

Looking at the source code and the connection instability, it looks like every 2 minutes the connection hangs.

I added a debug line in sta_ioctl.c at the start of rt_ioctl_giwscan. It looks like this function is called only after the connection hangs.

Revision history for this message
abatcher (geens-toon) wrote :

It looks like the time between hangs increases from 40, 80, 100 to 120 seconds and then stays constant at 120secs and is dependant on the data->length value ?

15:43:38 toon-desktop kernel: [69618.141279] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 1(1) BSS returned, data->length = 146
15:44:18 toon-desktop kernel: [69658.138796] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 1(1) BSS returned, data->length = 146
15:45:18 toon-desktop kernel: [69718.236732] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 1(1) BSS returned, data->length = 146
15:46:38 toon-desktop kernel: [69798.141560] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 298

15:48:18 toon-desktop kernel: [69898.138031] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329
15:50:18 toon-desktop kernel: [70018.136027] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329
15:52:18 toon-desktop kernel: [70138.138794] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329
15:54:18 toon-desktop kernel: [70258.140031] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329
15:56:18 toon-desktop kernel: [70378.138981] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329
15:58:18 toon-desktop kernel: [70498.137787] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329
16:00:18 toon-desktop kernel: [70618.137914] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 2(2) BSS returned, data->length = 329

Revision history for this message
Landy Mann (landymann) wrote :

I have this when I connect it to my school network who use wireless N it seems to be if I try to use the connection it disconnects or it does after 2 minutes. A satisfactory solution for me would to make it to us G only but I don't know how to do that, If there are any logs you want tell me and I will try to get them next time I try to conect.

Revision history for this message
argos (argos66) wrote :

Also affect my Hercules eCafe EC-900 with a fresh Lucid install (2.6.32-21).
The netbook can connect to WPA/WPA2 (CCMP) but disconnect after many seconds.

Revision history for this message
Martijn Kaandorp (m.a.j.w.kaandorp) wrote :

I have this bug since karmic. I now use lucid and still experience network glitches.
This is really annoying during when watching videos streamed over the network.
Every 2 minutes a hickup followed by a message in syslog.
Even after compiling en modprobing rt2860 2.3.0.0 driver from the Ralink website.
Does anyone know a solution to this problem?

Revision history for this message
wouter bolsterlee (wbolster) wrote :

This seems to be related to AP scans, e.g. those initiated by Network Manager.

Revision history for this message
Philip Muškovac (yofel) wrote :

Actually I think this is mostly a dup of bug 373680 which is about the hiccups. But the connection still shouldn't be dropped when the network quality is low.

Revision history for this message
Brett Glasson (brett-glasson) wrote :

I can confirm this bug. I have an Acer Revo running 10.04 as a media streamer and it is effectively useless. WLAN drops out every two minutes with logs filled up with messages as follows;

Aug 16 13:57:14 mercury kernel: [79937.264113] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 1(1) BSS returned, data->length = 137
Aug 16 13:57:25 mercury dhclient: DHCPREQUEST of 10.1.1.85 on wlan0 to 10.1.1.1 port 67
Aug 16 13:58:32 mercury dhclient: last message repeated 5 times
Aug 16 13:59:14 mercury dhclient: last message repeated 3 times
Aug 16 13:59:14 mercury kernel: [80057.260104] ===>rt_ioctl_giwscan. 1(1) BSS returned, data->length = 137
Aug 16 13:59:21 mercury dhclient: DHCPREQUEST of 10.1.1.85 on wlan0 to 10.1.1.1 port 67
Aug 16 14:00:29 mercury dhclient: last message repeated 5 times

BTW, why is this bug marked as "low" importance?

Revision history for this message
Frank Billington (d-m-s) wrote :

This bug may be fixed by using the instructions located here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1476007

I used the driver version 2.4.0.0 on Kubuntu 10.04 on an eeepc 901

Please note that the instructions in the above link include editing some of the flags in the driver before compilation. I suspect that these flag changes allow the new driver to work with WPA. The driver currently in the 10.04 repository does work on SOME wireless routers, but ONLY if the connection is not encrypted.

It would be wonderful if the devs could include the new driver in 10.04, which is an LTS version. At present, I have to keep copying the driver to new kernels as they get updated.

Thanks, guys.

Revision history for this message
penalvch (penalvch) wrote :

Philip Muškovac, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Please do not test the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.11

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Triaged → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
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