[SOLVED FAST!] Kernel 3.3-1 -- ath9k wifi broken

[dibl]

This netbook does not have an ethernet connection, but it looks like the problem is with ath9k, under 3.3-1.  No problem with 3.3.0.

With 3.3-0 kernel:

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root@tosh205:/home/don# uname -a
Linux tosh205 3.3-0.towo.2-siduction-686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Mar 22 14:46:49 UTC 2012 i686 GNU/Linux

root@tosh205:/home/don# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:"diblnet"  
         Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.452 GHz  Access Point: F4:EC:38:A3:ED:40  
         Bit Rate=1 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm  
         Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
         Encryption key:off
         Power Management:off
         Link Quality=51/70  Signal level=-59 dBm  
         Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
         Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:33   Missed beacon:0

eth0      no wireless extensions.


With 3.3-1 kernel:

Output of lspci -vv

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03:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
       Subsystem: Accton Technology Corporation WN7811A (Toshiba PA3722U-1MPC) 802.11bgn Wireless Half-size Mini PCIe Card
       Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
       Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort>SERR- <PERR- INTx-
       Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
       Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 17
       Region 0: Memory at f0100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
       Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
               Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2- AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold-)
               Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
       Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
               Address: 00000000  Data: 0000
       Capabilities: [60] Express (v2) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
               DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <64us
                       ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-
               DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
                       RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
                       MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
               DevSta: CorrErr+ UncorrErr+ FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr- TransPend-
               LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <64us
                       ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
               LnkCtl: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
                       ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
               LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
               DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Not Supported, TimeoutDis+
               DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-
               LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 2.5GT/s, EnterCompliance- SpeedDis-, Selectable De-emphasis: -6dB
                        Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range, EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS-
                        Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB
               LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -6dB, EqualizationComplete-, EqualizationPhase1-
                        EqualizationPhase2-, EqualizationPhase3-, LinkEqualizationRequest-
       Capabilities: [100 v1] Advanced Error Reporting
               UESta:  DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq+ ACSViol-
               UEMsk:  DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
               UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
               CESta:  RxErr- BadTLP+ BadDLLP- Rollover+ Timeout+ NonFatalErr+
               CEMsk:  RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+
               AERCap: First Error Pointer: 14, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn-
       Capabilities: [140 v1] Virtual Channel
               Caps:   LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
               Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
               Ctrl:   ArbSelect=Fixed
               Status: InProgress-
               VC0:    Caps:   PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
                       Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
                       Ctrl:   Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=01
                       Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
       Capabilities: [160 v1] Device Serial Number 00-15-17-ff-ff-24-14-12
       Capabilities: [170 v1] Power Budgeting <?>
       Kernel driver in use: ath9k

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root@tosh205:/home/don# uname -a
Linux tosh205 3.3-1.towo.1-siduction-686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Apr 2 19:02:21 UTC 2012 i686 GNU/Linux

root@tosh205:/home/don# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:off/any  
         Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.452 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated  
         Tx-Power=15 dBm  
         Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
         Encryption key:off
         Power Management:off
         
eth0      no wireless extensions.

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root@tosh205:/home/don# inxi -v3
System:    Host: tosh205 Kernel: 3.3-1.towo.1-siduction-686 i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.6.3)
          Desktop: KDE 4.7.4 (Qt 4.7.4) Distro: siduction 11.1-rc One Step Beyond - kde-lite - (201112212155)                                                                                                            
Machine:   System: TOSHIBA product: TOSHIBA NB205 version: PLL20U-00201D serial: 79264533K                  
          Mobo: TOSHIBA model: KAVAA version: 1.00 serial: 0123456789AB Bios: TOSHIBA version: V1.90 date: 01/15/2010                                                                                                    
CPU:       Single core Intel Atom CPU N280 (-HT-) cache: 512 KB flags: (nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3) bmips: 3324.92                                                                                                            
          Clock Speeds: 1: 1000.00 MHz 2: 1000.00 MHz                                                      
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 945GSE Express Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0                  
          X.org: 1.11.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) tty size: 109x37 Advanced Data: N/A for root  
Network:   Card-1: Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) driver: ath9k bus-ID: 03:00.0      
          IF: wlan0 state: down mac: 00:23:08:96:77:a1                                                      
          Card-2: Realtek RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller                            
          driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 2000 bus-ID: 04:00.0                                          
          IF: eth0 state: down mac: 00:23:5a:fa:a0:32                                                      
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 40.0GB (1.7% used) 1: OCZ                                                        
Info:      Processes: 127 Uptime: 13 min Memory: 193.5/2017.0MB Runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.6.3 Client: Shell inxi: 1.7.29

Any other information needed?

[ralul]

It is reported upstream at kernel.org and worked on:

>>> I just tried the unpatched kernel with pcie_aspm=off.  The device shows up
>>> with ifconfig,
>>> but it will not connect to the access point.
>> oh, ok in addition does disabling power save helps ?

Setting ath9k power management off makes no difference.

[dibl]

Thank you ralul.

I confirm that there is no issue with ethernet networking, on 2 systems that I just upgraded this morning -- I will edit the thread title accordingly.

[DeepDayze]

Does this affect all wireless or just ath9k?

[dibl]

No problems on a Dell laptop with a Broadcom BCM4312 wifi chip.

[DeepDayze]

No problems on a Dell laptop with a Broadcom BCM4312 wifi chip.

So looks like this problem affects only ath9k...going to test this on my ath5k-equipped laptop

[ralul]

When I see some ath9k related patch coming in, I will ask towo to make an exception and to pull it into our stable linux-image ...

[towo]

Please try the recent kernel 3.3-1.towo.2, i have revertet the only ath9k-patch, which was introduced in 3.3.1.

[michaaa62]

This is from my notebook with an Atheros wireless chip/card

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inxi -v3 | grep Network
Network:   Card-1: Intel 82573L Gigabit Ethernet Controller driver: e1000e ver: 1.5.1-k port: 2000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
          Card-2: Atheros AR5418 Wireless Network Adapter [AR5008E 802.11(a)bgn] (PCI-Express) driver: ath9k bus-ID: 03:00.0
Works fine!
Edit:

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inxi -v3 | grep System
System:    Host: asterix Kernel: 3.3-1.towo.1-siduction-686 i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.6.3)
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 636347G version: ThinkPad X60 Tablet serial: L3A1387

[dibl]

Please try the recent kernel 3.3-1.towo.2, i have revertet the only ath9k-patch, which was introduced in 3.3.1.

Yes, that fixed it -- connected now with 3.3-1.towo.2.  Thank you towo -- I will mark the thread solved.

[ralul]

I never will understand why nobody tests such patches before any release

[DeepDayze]

I never will understand why nobody tests such patches before any release

Agreed or does the person who created the patch have some oddball wifi card that uses the ath9k?

Better quality control goes a long way

This is from my notebook with an Atheros wireless chip/card

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inxi -v3 | grep Network
Network:   Card-1: Intel 82573L Gigabit Ethernet Controller driver: e1000e ver: 1.5.1-k port: 2000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
          Card-2: Atheros AR5418 Wireless Network Adapter [AR5008E 802.11(a)bgn] (PCI-Express) driver: ath9k bus-ID: 03:00.0
Works fine!
Edit:

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inxi -v3 | grep System
System:    Host: asterix Kernel: 3.3-1.towo.1-siduction-686 i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.6.3)
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 636347G version: ThinkPad X60 Tablet serial: L3A1387

That's an ath5k based card so good to see it works in your case and that ath5k isn't broken with this one. Another poster had a broadcom as well so wifi in general works with this kernel, just the ath9k was broken

[michaaa62]

I agree with you on the card and i was unsure about it, that is why i used inxi at all. My surprise: The driver used, nevertheless, is ath9k.

[ralul]

The code path of that regressing patch was expecially ath9k:
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c
regarding suspend and resume