[SOLVED] Configure Atheros Wireless connection on Debian

user.user · 05-27-2013, 09:11 PM

Hi everyone, I'm new in Linux and I post here because I can't configure my wireless connection. I've read many sites about this but with no positive result.

I have a HP dv7-7115nr on a Debian system. I have a wired modem that let me surf the Internet but when I connect to it my Router TP-LINK Wireless Nano in Router mode I can't connect to Internet. I also have Windows 7 installed and I can use both connection with no problem, I mean, the provider's connection and the router work.

On the other hand, when I press my wireless button on Linux is always switched off (an orange point) and it doesn't become blue.

Here there are some commands I've written with each result:

Code:

uname -r
2.6.32-5-amd64

Code:

lspci -v
02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. Device 0032 (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 1838
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
	Memory at f0200000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
	Expansion ROM at f0400000 [disabled] [size=64K]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
	Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/4 Maskable+ 64bit+
	Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
	Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
	Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel
	Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00

Code:

modprobe ath9k
 'no message'

Code:

lsmod | grep ath
ath9k                 250056  0 
mac80211              137532  1 ath9k
ath                     8022  1 ath9k
cfg80211              101656  3 ath9k,mac80211,ath
led_class               2433  2 ath9k,hp_accel

Code:

dmesg | grep ath
'no message'

Code:

ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 08:2e:5f:78:16:7b  
          inet addr:181.46.26.53  Bcast:255.255.255.255  Mask:255.255.252.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::a2e:5fff:fe78:167b/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:52812 errors:0 dropped:52812 overruns:0 frame:52812
          TX packets:11518 errors:0 dropped:12 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:17512449 (16.7 MiB)  TX bytes:1639501 (1.5 MiB)
          Interrupt:27 Base address:0xc000 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:14 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:14 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:900 (900.0 B)  TX bytes:900 (900.0 B)

Code:

iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

pan0      no wireless extensions.

As you can see, I've found out my wireless card, loaded it (ath9k) and tested if it has been loaded but it doesn't appear as an ath, wlan or something like that.

I hope this information is useful to help me.

Thanks.

evo2 · 05-27-2013, 11:21 PM

Hi,

quick question. Are you sure the ath9k is the correct module? I had a look at http://wiki.debian.org/ath9k and I don't see your card (as given by the output of lspci).

I also found the following which makes it look like you may have more luck with a newer kernel.
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=95848

I guess you are running squeeze (Debian 6), so I you probably should upgrade to wheezy (Debian 7) anyway, if you want to stay with squeeze you could try a newer kernel from backports.

Cheers,

Evo2.

evo2 · 05-27-2013, 11:23 PM

Hi,

and one more thing. Can you confirm it is really turned on? What is the output of the following?

Code:

rfkill list all

(you may need to install the rfkill package).

Evo2.

user.user · 05-28-2013, 05:51 AM

Hi Evo2, thank you for replying!

Quote:

quick question. Are you sure the ath9k is the correct module? I had a look at http://wiki.debian.org/ath9k and I don't see your card (as given by the output of lspci).

I could see it there, I think it is: 'PCI: 168C:0032 Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter'

Quote:

I also found the following which makes it look like you may have more luck with a newer kernel.
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=95848

I'll check it before I upgrade to the new version of Debian.

Quote:

I guess you are running squeeze (Debian 6), so I you probably should upgrade to wheezy (Debian 7) anyway, if you want to stay with squeeze you could try a newer kernel from backports.

You're right, I have Debian 6, I didn't see that there is a new version of Debian, I'll upgrade my Debian.

user.user · 05-28-2013, 06:01 AM

Quote:

and one more thing. Can you confirm it is really turned on? What is the output of the following?

I installed the package rfkill and run 'rfkill list all' with no output.

I'll install or upgrade to Debian Wheezy, then I tell you how it is going!

user.user · 05-29-2013, 08:41 AM

Hi Evo2, finally I've installed Wheezy and it has resolved the problem I had.

Thank you for your help, I didn't realize that there is a new version of Debian and if you hadn't suggested me to upgrade my Debian I would have lost more time with this problem.

Thanks!