[SOLVED] Wireless Issue in Zorin OS 6 Core

I am having some trouble with my Internet connectivity. Sometimes the connection is interrupted and when I restart wireless it says that the device is not ready. The issue is corrected when I restart my computer, but the connection ends again later. After the second time I restart, everything is fixed (at least until the issue happens again).

Could you please post the result of the following terminal commands?

lspci -nn | grep 0280
lsusb
sudo lshw -c network
sudo rfkill list all

madvinegar wrote:Could you please post the result of the following terminal commands?

lspci -nn | grep 0280
lsusb
sudo lshw -c network
sudo rfkill list all

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter [168c:0032] (rev 01)

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04f2:b337 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd

(translated to English)
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: NetLink BCM57785 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe
manufacturer: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus information: pci@0000:02:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 10
serial: dc:0e:a1:ca:fd:83
capacity: 1Gbit/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi msix pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.121 firmware=sb latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
resources: irq:16 memória:c0430000-c043ffff memória:c0440000-c044ffff memória:c0450000-c04507ff
*-network
description: Wireless Interface
product: AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter
manufacturer: Qualcomm Atheros
physical id: 0
bus information: pci@0000:03:00.0
logical name: wlan0
version: 01
serial: 74:e5:43:aa:88:61
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical wireless
configuraion: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k driverversion=3.2.0-53-generic firmware=N/A ip=10.0.0.102 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn
recursos: irq:17 memória:c0500000-c057ffff memory:afc00000-afc0ffff

0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
1: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

I didn't make any change, but now I can't even connect to the internet. The system does not recognize Wireless network anymore. When connection ended, I entered the codes in the terminal and some things have changed (in bold):
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter [168c:0032] (rev ff)

*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: NetLink BCM57785 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe
manufacturer: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus information: pci@0000:02:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 10
serial: dc:0e:a1:ca:fd:83
capacity: 1Gbit/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi msix pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.132 firmware=sb latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
resources: irq:16 memory:c0430000-c043ffff memory:c0440000-c044ffff memory:c0450000-c04507ff
*-generic
descripion: Wireless Interface
product: Illegal Vendor ID
manufacturer: Illegal Vendor ID
physical id: 0
bus information: pci@0000:03:00.0
logical name: wlan0
version: ff
serial: 74:e5:43:aa:88:61
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: bus_master vga_palette cap_list rom ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k driverversion=3.11.0-031100rc1-generic firmware=N/A ip=10.0.0.102 latency=255 link=no maxlatency=255 mingnt=255 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn
resources: irq:17 memory:c0500000-c057ffff memory:afc00000-afc0ffff

I am sorry but I don't know how to revert the changes of the commands that swarf gave to you.
If you can get back to where you were, your initial problem (interruptions and speed drops etc.) should be fixed just by doing the following:

Open terminal and write:

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/ath9k.conf

A blank document will open.
Copy and paste the following line inside it

options ath9k nohwcrypt=1


Press "Save" to save the file, close it, reboot and see if it works.

I didn't make the changes that swarf gave to me. I have edited the file, but nothing has changed. The issue now is that the system can't recognize the Wireless connection (enable wireless button does not appear).

Please post again the results of the above terminal commands. And especially of the command

sudo rfkill list all

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter [168c:0032] (rev 01)

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04f2:b337 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd

*-network
descrição: Ethernet interface
produto: NetLink BCM57785 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe
fabricante: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
informações do barramento: pci@0000:02:00.0
nome lógico: eth0
versão: 10
serial: dc:0e:a1:ca:fd:83
capacidade: 1Gbit/s
largura: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi msix pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuração: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.132 firmware=sb latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
recursos: irq:16 memória:c0430000-c043ffff memória:c0440000-c044ffff memória:c0450000-c04507ff
*-network UNCLAIMED
descrição: Network controller
produto: AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter
fabricante: Qualcomm Atheros
physical id: 0
informações do barramento: pci@0000:03:00.0
versão: 01
largura: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
configuração: latency=0
recursos: memória:c0500000-c057ffff memória:afc00000-afc0ffff

0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
1: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

What happens if you give in terminal

Code:

sudo modprobe ath9k

?

madvinegar wrote:What happens if you give in terminal

Code:

sudo modprobe ath9k

?

Connected to the Internet successfully.

I am going to wait some time to see if issue happens again before marking topic as solved.

Anyway, thanks, thanks, thanks!

Ok, this is good.

So, to summarize.
First of all we know you need the ath9k driver.
This driver usually has issues with the N band of the routers and gets interruptions or drops in speed etc.
The trick I told you before and namely the following one:

Open terminal and write:

Code:

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/ath9k.conf

A blank document will open.
Copy and paste the following line inside it

Code:

options ath9k nohwcrypt=1

Press "Save" to save the file, close it, reboot and see if it works.

helps with this issue.

The other thing you should check is to see if you have internet after a reboot. Reboot and see if it still works. If yes, we are ok.
If not, and in order to "tell" to your system to load the ath9k driver at each startup, you do the following:
In terminal you write

Code:

sudo gedit /etc/modules

A document will open.
At the end of this document, on a separate line you add the word

Code:

ath9k

Save, exit, reboot, and see if all is ok.



Note: DO THE FOLLOWING ONLY IF THE ABOVE STEPS DID NOT HELP.
The last thing we will check in case you still get disconnections or drops of speed, is something I noticed just now.
I see that you have also an acer wireless card. You can see that in the result of "sudo rfkill list all". I don't know if your laptop is an Acer one. Probably is a Lenovo?
In any case, sometimes this acer wireless card creates problems and we need to black list it.
To do so, in terminal write the following commands:

Code:

sudo su
echo "blacklist acer_wmi" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
exit

Reboot and see if you get better results.

Seems normal. Let's wait to see what happens.

And yes, it's an Acer laptop.

I had to add the wireless card to the blacklist.

What does exactly this command do?

If you check the results of your rfkill list, you will see that two wireless modules are being loaded. The phy0 and the acer-wireless.

0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
1: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

It has been reported that the acer wireless creates a conflict with the phy0 and probably this is why you get this "problematic" wireless connection.
The command I gave you adds the line "blacklist acer_wmi" inside your balcklist.conf file, thus blacklisting the acer_wireless module and preventing it from conflicting with the phy0.

Do you actually have a more stable wireless now?

I think it's solved now, but now some videos start to run slowly. Speed is fixed by restarting the laptop. Can there be something between all those commands and video streaming?

P.S.: I also have noticed that the connection interruption occurred only when laptop was unplugged from the energy

gqrodrigues wrote:
P.S.: I also have noticed that the connection interruption occurred only when laptop was unplugged from the energy

I think I have the solution for the above.
After getting connected, try this command:

Code:

sudo iwconfig wlan0 power off

You should get a reply like "Power Management : off "
Use your computer normally and see if your speed does not drop. If you think that all is ok, I will tell you how to make it permanent.

For a few days I thought it was solved, but now the issue started to happen again.
I don't get the "Power Management: Off" reply, but connection never dropped when I did type that command.
How can I make it permanent?

By the way, can this be using more battery? I've noticed that the energy is now getting low faster.

To make it permanent, in terminal write:

Code:

sudo gedit /etc/pm/power.d/wifi_pwr_off

Inside the document that will open copy/paste the following lines:

#!/bin/sh
/sbin/iwconfig wlan0 power off

Save and exit.
Then again in terminal, in order to make the file executable, write:

Code:

sudo chmod +x /etc/pm/power.d/wifi_pwr_off

and then restart.

By the way, can this be using more battery?

Yes, it may be using more battery.