wireless network disconnects randomly.
 

Dear forum members,

I'm using slackware 12.1
kernel 6.24.5
wireless usb card: level1 WNC-0305USB.

My network (internet) works fine, but after random time interval it disconnects.
I upgraded to kernel 6.25.10, but the problem stays.

The wireless network works fine under windows XP in the same computer.


any one can help me on this one?

Hi,

Post some data! Do a 'lspci -vv', 'lsusb', lsmod', 'ifconfig -a' and 'dmesg' outputs.

What are you connecting too? It could be a lease problem. We are just shooting in the dark without information.

I tried to look up for the information that looks relevant.
if there is a more elegant way to send it (maybe there is a way to put files in the forum), tell me.

Or if you prefer I'll send all the information' so I'll do.


lsusb:

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:8187 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8187 Wireless Adapter
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub


dmesg:

wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0e:2e:5f:cd:ae
wlan0: RX authentication from 00:0e:2e:5f:cd:ae (alg=0 transaction=2 status=0)
wlan0: authenticated
wlan0: associate with AP 00:0e:2e:5f:cd:ae
wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:0e:2e:5f:cd:ae (capab=0x1 status=0 aid=3)
wlan0: invalid aid value 3; bits 15:14 not set
wlan0: associated
wlan0: switched to short barker preamble (BSSID=00:0e:2e:5f:cd:ae)
wlan0: switched to long barker preamble (BSSID=00:0e:2e:5f:cd:ae)


ifconfig:

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:11:6b:18:2e:0a
inet addr:192.168.2.113 Bcast:192.168.2.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::211:6bff:fe18:2e0a/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST NOTRAILERS RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:747 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:753 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:586818 (573.0 KiB) TX bytes:129803 (126.7 KiB)


lsmod:

rtl8187 36608 0
mac80211 132620 1 rtl8187
cfg80211 19720 1 mac80211
eeprom_93cx6 5888 1 rtl8187
thermal 18844 0
button 9872 0
processor 34860 1 thermal
parport_pc 27556 1
shpchp 32788 0
parport 34668 2 lp,parport_pc
via_agp 11904 1
agpgart 30920 2 nvidia,via_agp
evdev 12672 3


lspci:

00:04.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 10) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: First International Computer, Inc. VA-502 Mainboard
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 32, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
Interrupt: pin D routed to IRQ 5
Region 4: I/O ports at d400 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd

00:04.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 10) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: First International Computer, Inc. VA-502 Mainboard
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 32, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
Interrupt: pin D routed to IRQ 5
Region 4: I/O ports at d000 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd

00:11.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RT8139
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 32 (8000ns min, 16000ns max)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at b000 [size=256]
Region 1: Memory at ed000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at 20000000 [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Kernel driver in use: 8139too
Kernel modules: 8139too, 8139cp

Hi,

If this is a router that you are connecting to then you should check the logs for the router. Most have a web interface so that you can logon to the router.

hmm...
looks like you have realtek wireless card just like me.
and I have the same problem.
also it differs depending from what router or what the signal strenght is.
it has never happened to me at home, where the signal strenght is very good (I have a Linksys WRT54G with Openwrt)
but I now at least one place with the same router but original firmware where it happens all the time, also the signal is weaker there.
haven't had the time to look closer to that problem, but I figured that it's probably a driver problem.

wireless support gets better with every kernel upgrade. I would suggest upgrading your kernel, this has fixed many of my connection issues. You can review alienbobs wiki for help with that. It also really improved my bittorrent quality as well.

Hi,

You could check to see if there is a channel conflict.

how do I check this and what does it mean?

well in the place where I have those problems they don't seem to bee happening with vista.
hate to reboot to vista just to get wireless, but when I need it, I don't have the time to look closer to the problem.
gonna check about the channels. Could it be possible that the windows driver solves such problems better?

I think he means a situation where there are several routers working on the same channel/frequency .

Hi,

Channel conflicts can include other wireless devices. Cordless phones, a neighbors wireless router or AP or any other wireless appliance.

I have been pondering... (is there a way to take control over the world with wireless networks?)

is there a way to use the XP wireless drivers over linux?

You can rule out a channel conflict since it's working fine under Windows.

Just "for the record": random disconnections do seem to be a common problem. A month ago I tested five distros (Mandriva, Slack, Fedora, Gentoo, Ubuntu) on my laptop (Toshiba with Atheros AR5005G) and all five suffered from constant, random wifi disconnects. Lease time isn't the case here, DHCP is set to renew lease every twenty-four hours. Signal strength isn't the case either. wpa_supplicant never reported any errors, same for dmesg. I know at least two people who are having the same issue.

And yes, there is a way to use your Windows drivers - google ndiswrapper.

Ok,

some updates about the problem.
I tried ndiswrapper and altought it recognized my wireless usb it failed to connect the internet.

I also tried kernel 2.6.26.1 - the problem still exist.

Solution to the rtl8187 disconnecting problem.
 

Hello again dear forum members,

After some googeling I found that many people had the same problem and the solution is:
http://aircrack-ng.org/doku.php?id=r8187

Which is a module update or something like that...
Thank you all.