wifi connection disabled, how to get it on again?
 

I am using Ubuntu 11.04 on a Toshiba Satellite A100-250 laptop.
Wireless connection was working fine, but suddenly appears disabled.

output from: sudo lshw -C network:

*-network:0 UNCLAIMED
description: Ethernet controller
product: AR2413 802.11bg NIC
vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
physical id: 4
bus info: pci@0000:02:04.0
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm cap_list
configuration: latency=80 maxlatency=28 mingnt=10
resources: memory:c0200000-c020ffff
*-network:1
description: Ethernet interface
product: RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 7
bus info: pci@0000:02:07.0
logical name: eth0
version: 10
serial: 00:a0:d1:3d:3b:25
size: 10Mbit/s
capacity: 100Mbit/s
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=8139too driverversion=0.9.28 duplex=half latency=64 link=no maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 multicast=yes port=MII speed=10Mbit/s
resources: irq:20 ioport:a000(size=256) memory:c0215000-c02150ff

output from: iwconfig:

lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

Hardware switch for wifi is on, yellow led on

Hi stuartjohn, Welcome to LQ. Try issuing the following in a terminal.

Good luck. ;-)

still same situation after issuing command

Is there a hardware key to enable/disable wireless? I thought wireless was broken until I discovered that I had toggled it off accidently by hitting on-off switch in the functions keys.

Not that I know of. The hardware switch is on.

Meanwhile I started up with the previous kernel version, and wireless works.
So it appears that a recent update is causing the problem.
How do I return to the previous version ?

You change the kernel call in Grub. I've done this in Legacy Grub, but not in Grub 2.

Maybe these will help.

http://linuxers.org/howto/how-config...ub2-ubuntu-910

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2

By the way, nice testing.

Edit: I think the file you need to edit is /boot/grub/menu.lst.

1. Editing grub appears a bit intimidating to me.

2. Can I return to the previous kernel version easy?

3. How do I decline future updates ? I rather wait until enough testing has been done.

Anyone got answers / suggestions for me ?

Are the modules loading with the new kernel?

Good luck. ;-)

output of sudo lsmod:

Module Size Used by
binfmt_misc 13213 1
parport_pc 32111 0
dm_crypt 22463 0
ppdev 12849 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 255882 1
snd_hda_codec_si3054 12924 1
snd_atiixp_modem 18624 0
snd_hda_intel 24113 2
snd_via82xx_modem 18305 0
snd_intel8x0m 18493 0
snd_ac97_codec 105614 3 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_via82xx_modem,snd_intel8x0m
snd_hda_codec 90901 3 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 13274 1 snd_hda_codec
ac97_bus 12642 1 snd_ac97_codec
joydev 17322 0
snd_pcm 80042 7 snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_via82xx_modem,snd_hda_intel,snd_intel8x0m,snd_ac97_codec,s nd_hda_codec
snd_seq_midi 13132 0
snd_rawmidi 25269 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 14475 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 51291 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
pcmcia 39671 0
snd_timer 28659 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 14110 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
psmouse 73312 0
yenta_socket 27230 0
pcmcia_rsrc 18292 1 yenta_socket
serio_raw 12990 0
snd 55295 18 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_via82xx_modem,snd_hda_intel,snd_inte l8x0m,snd_ac97_codec,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
pcmcia_core 21505 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
soundcore 12600 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 14073 5 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_via82xx_modem,snd_hda_intel,snd_intel8x0m,snd_pcm
shpchp 32345 0
i2c_piix4 13095 0
lp 13349 0
parport 36746 3 parport_pc,ppdev,lp
dm_raid45 88410 0
xor 21860 1 dm_raid45
btrfs 527388 0
zlib_deflate 26594 1 btrfs
libcrc32c 12543 1 btrfs
radeon 900494 2
ttm 65184 1 radeon
firewire_ohci 31504 0
drm_kms_helper 40745 1 radeon
8139too 23208 0
firewire_core 56138 1 firewire_ohci
8139cp 22497 0
drm 184164 4 radeon,ttm,drm_kms_helper
pata_atiixp 12968 0
crc_itu_t 12627 1 firewire_core
sata_sil 13278 2
ati_agp 13202 0
i2c_algo_bit 13184 1 radeon
ramzswap 13202 0
xvmalloc 13453 1 ramzswap

Maybe I'm blind but I don't see anything that looks like a driver for an atheros 802.11 listed above. Can anybody find the wifi driver?
ciao,
jdk

I have installed the madwifi drivers, as the original ath5k had problems with ubuntu 11.04

Can you point them out in the lsmod output? They're clearly not working as you have no wifi interface (ath0 or wlan0 or something like that) listed in your first post. I haven't had problems with atheros adapters for quite some time. Have you tried the native linux drivers? I think you do need ath5k. Doesn't your kernel have it?
ciao,
jdk

this is the output of sudo lsmod with the kernel 2.6.38-10 generic:

Module Size Used by
wlan_tkip 17074 2
wlan_ccmp 16834 1
binfmt_misc 13213 1
parport_pc 32111 0
ppdev 12849 0
dm_crypt 22463 0
joydev 17322 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 255882 1
snd_hda_codec_si3054 12924 1
snd_hda_intel 24140 5
snd_hda_codec 90901 3 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 13274 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 80042 5 snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
snd_seq_midi 13132 0
snd_rawmidi 25269 1 snd_seq_midi
pcmcia 39671 0
snd_seq_midi_event 14475 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 51291 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 28659 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 14110 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
yenta_socket 27230 0
snd 55295 18 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi ,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
pcmcia_rsrc 18292 1 yenta_socket
psmouse 73312 0
pcmcia_core 21505 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
soundcore 12600 1 snd
serio_raw 12990 0
shpchp 32345 0
snd_page_alloc 14073 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
i2c_piix4 13095 0
wlan_scan_sta 21945 1
ath_rate_sample 17279 1
ath_pci 183044 0
wlan 224640 6 wlan_tkip,wlan_ccmp,wlan_scan_sta,ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
ath_hal 398701 3 ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
lp 13349 0
parport 36746 3 parport_pc,ppdev,lp
dm_raid45 88410 0
xor 21860 1 dm_raid45
btrfs 527388 0
zlib_deflate 26594 1 btrfs
libcrc32c 12543 1 btrfs
radeon 900494 2
ttm 65184 1 radeon
drm_kms_helper 40745 1 radeon
8139too 23208 0
firewire_ohci 31504 0
drm 180037 4 radeon,ttm,drm_kms_helper
firewire_core 56138 1 firewire_ohci
8139cp 22497 0
i2c_algo_bit 13184 1 radeon
crc_itu_t 12627 1 firewire_core
pata_atiixp 12968 0
sata_sil 13278 2
ati_agp 13202 0
ramzswap 13202 0
xvmalloc 13453 1 ramzswap

Wifi works when using this kernel.
The driver ath5k did not work well. The madwifi does a much better job.

Sorry, now you've completely lost me. You have 2 kernels. The first one doesn't have any apparent wifi drivers and, not surprisingly, doesn't work. The 2nd kernel does have wifi drivers (all the stuff with "ath" and "wlan") and it does work. So where is your problem? You said your connection suddenly disappeared but that was when you had no wifi drivers. :confused:
jdk