On this old box:
System: Host: decembersid Kernel: 3.14-5.towo.2-siduction-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.8.3)
Desktop: KDE 4.13.2 (Qt 4.8.6) Distro: siduction 13.2.1 December - kde - (201401272125)
Machine: Mobo: N/A model: N/A Bios: Intel v: CF94510J.15A.0028.2006.1213.1629 date: 12/13/2006
CPU: Dual core Intel Pentium D (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3) bmips: 11182
Clock Speeds: 1: 2794 MHz 2: 2794 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1440x900@60.1hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 945G GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.1.4 Direct Rendering: Yes
Network: Card-1: Intel PRO/100 VE Network Connection
driver: e100 v: 3.5.24-k2-NAPI port: 1000 bus-ID: 06:08.0
IF: eth1 state: down mac: 00:19:d1:32:d7:5c
Card-2: Atheros TP-Link TL-WN821N v3 802.11n [Atheros AR7010+AR9287]
driver: ath9k_htc usb-ID: 005-002
IF: wlan0 state: up mac: 90:f6:52:0a:c0:16
Drives: HDD Total Size: 250.1GB (4.0% used) ID-1: model: Hitachi_HDT72502
Info: Processes: 181 Uptime: 3 min Memory: 431.3/1998.4MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.9.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.111) inxi: 2.1.28
I use the TP-Link USB dongle for network connectivity. It has worked flawlessly on several siduction systems over the past two years. After a dist-upgrade installed the first released 3.15 kernel, I shut it down and did not realize until today that it no longer connects after login. At first I suspected the access point, but a netbook with a different wifi chip has no problem connecting. Then I moved the antenna around to make sure a strong signal was available, and I moved the USB dongle to a different USB port. I investigated first with wicd, and then with ceni, and everything works correctly through the WPA 1/2 authentication, and the process ends "awaiting IP address" -- there is no DHCP lease given/accepted. Finally I booted a 3.14 kernel and it instantly connected -- no problem. I pasted the dmesg output from 3.14 and also 3.15, although I don't see a difference until it fails to get the DHCP lease. I also pasted in the output from lsmod | grep ath
from 3.14, and I compared it to the same output from 3.15 and the modules are identical in every way. So, I am mystified by this. If I can do any further troubleshooting to help diagnose the issue, I will be happy to do so.