Questions about weird WiFi issues

vootey · n00b Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 43 Location: Austria

Hi,

I'm running a default wifi-setup with wpa-encryption. Everything works as expected, until to a (apparently) random moment (10 to 30 minutes after connecting to the wifi-ap). Then I'm not able to get a connection to the main router (gateway to internet). That means, I cannot ping it, and so on.. It seems, the router and its IP-adress arent existing for my workstation. In this time, internet isnt working either (just for my workstation again). This state lasts for 30 to 60 seconds, then the router is reachable again (and all is working), until the next breakdown (again, this seems to be random moments).
During this periods Wifi itself is always working perfectly (I did some tests to ensure this). Also the router and internet works for other workstations perfectly. Furthermore this issue appears _only_ with my laptop running gentoo (when running windows, it doesnt appear) and my home's network-setup. So, other wifi-connections are working correctly with my laptop and other laptops are working correctly with my home's wifi-connections.

Okay, now you could think, that this has nothing to do with wifi itself. But it is only happening, while using wifi. When using wired LAN, this issue doesnt show up.

I'm using an intel wifi-chip (Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection (rev 05)) and NetworkManager.

Has anybody any clue, what's going on there?
Thank you for your help in advance.

eccerr0r · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 4:49 pm Post subject:

Does this show up in Windows? Any other wireless stuff having issues (narrow it down to machine or access point?)

I had an issue with one of my PCMCIA 802.11a/b/g cards - it would drop out for a while and then come back up. The problem went away when I switched routers or mucked with the router settings - it happened in both Linux and Windows.

I also had issues with my IPW2200 where if the signal was weak it would drop for a little while...but not too long (not 1 minute).
_________________
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vootey · n00b Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 43 Location: Austria

It does not show up in Windows and other wireless stuff does not have such issues.
So I'm pretty sure, it's my gentoo machine's fault.
I tried to shut down all firewall/security stuff on the router: Didn't help.

I even switched to different ipw2200 firmware-versions. This changed nothing on the situation too.

So I'm quite a loss.

bus_drivr · n00b Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 48 Location: Florida

I would try setting up the connection with the /etc/conf.d/net and /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

And not using networkmanager Should clue you in if it is the networkmanager itself or some driver/firmware issue.

Just a start point.

vootey · n00b Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 43 Location: Austria

Thanks for your suggestion.

I tried as you said. Deactivated the whole networkmanager-stuff and established a connection just by wpa_supplicant.
It shows the same sympoms.

So I assume, that the issue is a lower-level failure, which comes to foreground in connection with a special ap-setup? hm.. :roll:

bus_drivr · n00b Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 48 Location: Florida

I had some of the same issues with my driver. One other suggestion. Try a vanilla kernel think 2.34.1 is current.

bus_drivr · n00b Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 48 Location: Florida

One other suggestion from this bug https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=316581
if you wireless-tools installed unmerge them this would suggest.

vootey · n00b Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 43 Location: Austria

Using vanilla kernel didn't help.
its driving me crazy.