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WLAN's constantly getting disconnected by debian network manager
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WLAN's constantly getting disconnected by debian network manager

GM2015GM2015 Member
edited October 2015 in Help

It looks like when I'm alone home, I barely have problems with wifi disconnecting. But when somebody else comes home and starts using wifi, lately my wifi connection has become absolutely rubbish.

There were problems with windows as well before, but not this often. As I'm writing this, I've been disconnected a few times.

I can't do any work this way. Looking at network manager's Active network connections report, my speed is 6 Mb/s now, mostly 26Mb/s and sometimes 50 something.

I'm thinking of dropping the damn virgin media's "supercrap hub" into modem mode and use my own router. But they're about from the same period, so this might not change anything.

Lan connection is your standard 802.11 wifi on wlan0, driver is ath9k and security is via wpa/wpa2.

I've made a little bash script to bash when I disconnect, but it's really annoying.

#!/bin/bash
sudo service network-manager restart

I'm looking for help on how to make it automatically reset the network manager if it detects wlan0 to be inactive/offline/have no connection.

Comments

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    That is not the way to do it.
    I suspect a hardware or software issues in the AP. Try changing from AES to TKIP, if this solves, you know what is wrong, if not, you may wish to monitor signal levels, maybe an antena gets detached or has an imperfect connection, does the link drop before you get dc or only after?

    Thanked by 1GM2015
  • GM2015GM2015 Member
    edited October 2015

    The option(AES to TKIP) is disabled on the router((or AP? as you referred to it).
    I'll get something to watch the signal levels, any recommendations?
    The internet connection and the link(I assume you mean the connection between my laptop and the router) seem to die at the same time.

    As soon as my internet access dies, the wlan0 becomes unreachable as evidenced by ping 192.168.0.1.

    Even the wlan ping sucks. When I'm doing downloading/uploading, ping can become hundreds to thousands of ms.

    Here's a quick ping:

    ping 192.168.0.1
    PING 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=40.8 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=6.17 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=13.0 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=6.32 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=8.32 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=64 time=5.04 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=64 time=7.43 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=64 time=4.23 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=9 ttl=64 time=12.6 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=10 ttl=64 time=5.20 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=11 ttl=64 time=10.2 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=12 ttl=64 time=7.15 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=13 ttl=64 time=6.02 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=14 ttl=64 time=6.55 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=15 ttl=64 time=4.69 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=16 ttl=64 time=4.07 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=17 ttl=64 time=8.25 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=18 ttl=64 time=7.33 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=19 ttl=64 time=4.28 ms
    64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=20 ttl=64 time=4.08 ms
    ^C
    --- 192.168.0.1 ping statistics ---
    20 packets transmitted, 20 received, 0% packet loss, time 19027ms
    rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 4.074/8.594/40.828/7.817 ms
    
    
    ping google.com
    PING google.com (216.58.209.238) 56(84) bytes of data.
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=1 ttl=53 time=25.8 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=2 ttl=53 time=25.8 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=3 ttl=53 time=30.4 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=4 ttl=53 time=25.6 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=5 ttl=53 time=37.5 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=6 ttl=53 time=23.0 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=7 ttl=53 time=31.5 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=8 ttl=53 time=29.8 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=9 ttl=53 time=190 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=10 ttl=53 time=34.2 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=11 ttl=53 time=26.4 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=12 ttl=53 time=30.8 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=13 ttl=53 time=23.7 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=14 ttl=53 time=35.3 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=15 ttl=53 time=42.5 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=16 ttl=53 time=44.9 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=17 ttl=53 time=52.4 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=18 ttl=53 time=43.9 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=19 ttl=53 time=58.6 ms
    64 bytes from lhr08s05-in-f238.1e100.net (216.58.209.238): icmp_seq=20 ttl=53 time=47.4 ms
    ^C
    --- google.com ping statistics ---
    20 packets transmitted, 20 received, 0% packet loss, time 19029ms
    rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 23.069/43.044/190.481/35.226 ms
    
    

    Maounique said: Try changing from AES to TKIP

  • Is power saving on?

    Thanked by 1GM2015
  • I don't think there's such an option on the superhub web interface and don't remember one. According to one "community" threads, there isn't http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Forum-Archive/Power-save-feature-on-Superhub/td-p/1786526.

    I can't even connect to the webui now, but ping works.

    Both 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.100.1 time out. Hub listens on both ips.

    Total fuck up.

    sc754 said: Is power saving on?

  • I wouldn't assume it's the AP. Linux drivers for Wifi are hit and miss.

    Thanked by 1GM2015
  • Try cycling through different channels.

    Thanked by 2GM2015 netomx
  • I have same issue on my Debian 8 probably drivers issue but never got time to look into it I just run service networking restart when it disconnect.

  • Had the same issues even after installing the vendor drivers for the card; couldn't really figure out what it was but I opted get the wicd network manager and it seemed to fix the whole connection problem issue. Also, powersaving! :)

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    GM2015 said: When I'm doing downloading/uploading, ping can become hundreds to thousands of ms.

    To the router or outside?

    singsing said: I wouldn't assume it's the AP. Linux drivers for Wifi are hit and miss.

    True, but I didnt have this kind of issue, for me they either worked or not. I also replace any broadcom based cards with atheros when I run linux on the laptop, just because I dont want to risk weird behaviour.

    OP also noted this happens when someone else comes to use the wifi, so an AP issue is highly probable.

    On the AES/TKIP being grayed out, this is strange, but, to further troubleshoot even in this case, does the outage happen regularly? That might indicate it is something wrong with the AES, it does not change and the connection needs to be reset to force a change, I saw that before due.

    As for watching the signal levels, get another laptop/desktop with wifi or a secondary usb one and run wavemon or iwscanner as they are easy to use or airodump-ng. If the signal varies wildly, like from 60 to 90 and back, then you have an issue with the signal, but this does not explain why it happen ony when you have someone else using the wifi, is their link stable?

  • Maounique said: True, but I didnt have this kind of issue, for me they either worked or not. I also replace any broadcom based cards with atheros when I run linux on the laptop, just because I dont want to risk weird behaviour.

    I had intermittent problems with a number of external usb wireless cards. Almost exactly OPs issue, they sometimes wouldn't drop the connection but pings went really high, random but sometimes even to 1sec+. And sometimes they would drop the connection, of course. I tried a lot of cards until I found a brand that works well on Linux. Also, incompatibility between the wireless cards and the AP was ruled out because everything worked perfectly under Windows (much as it hurts to say that).

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    GM2015 said: It looks like when I'm alone home, I barely have problems with wifi disconnecting. But when somebody else comes home and starts using wifi, lately my wifi connection has become absolutely rubbish.

    There were problems with windows as well before, but not this often. As I'm writing this, I've been disconnected a few times.

    Then:

    singsing said: Also, incompatibility between the wireless cards and the AP was ruled out because everything worked perfectly under Windows (much as it hurts to say that).

    In this case there are problems with windows as well.

  • I've put virgin media's superhub into modem mode and "installed" my old router as router.

    Internet access was a bit strange as the two of them needed some things to figure out, but it works now.

    Signal seems to be stronger. "40%" vs "49%" now.

    Thanked by 1netomx
  • Maounique said: In this case there are problems with windows as well.

    ? I was talking about what happened in my case, to explain why one shouldn't assume that Linux drivers won't have intermittent failure problems.

    Maounique said: True, but I didnt have this kind of issue, for me they either worked or not.

    Anyways, who even really has time to analyze all this ...

  • What's the speed on the other PC using the network? Could they be using a ton of traffic or have some virus that uses a lot?

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    It would not dc him, even so.

  • I had that exact same problem with Ubuntu. Works fine on Windows. Did not work on Debian at all. :(

  • the new router I put in yesterday works fine, doesn't disconnect at all.
    however, sometimes it has dns problems when the router or the modem restarts. we've got some contractors replacing our boiler today, so the house is a mess.

  • SplitIceSplitIce Member, Host Rep
    edited October 2015

    You may want to disable power management on the WiFi card. I found that worked for a Korean realtek based dongle I was debugging yesterday.

    Usually this is configurable with a module parameter.

  • SplitIce said: Usually this is configurable with a module parameter.

    :( what does that mean?

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    GM2015 said: sometimes it has dns problems when the router or the modem restarts

    Hardcode open DNS ones or google, depending on how much youc are about some things, maybe even your own.

  • At around 4 am, I restarted my router via the webgui. It didn't have internet connection before, neither there was internet after the reboot.

    Then I watched the belkin router's security log, and it was sending out dhcp client requests, but nothing was answering it.

    DHCP Client: Send Discover
    

    Can't paste the error message

    Here's a link http://superuser.com/questions/159630/could-not-find-dhcp-daemon-to-get-information-on-belkin-g-wifi-router, but it's a firmware issue with the virgin media's "superhub". I googled a thread on virgin http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Wireless-Networking/New-Superhub2-and-new-Belkin-AC-router-will-not-connect-to/td-p/2877961 which seems to confirm my theory. My theory is that if the router is disconnected somehow from the modem and it reconnects later to the virgin media network, it won't get an answer for dhcp requests from VM servers.

    So both the router and the VM "superhub" needs reboots until they work again. The VM superhub can't be rebooted remotely.

    Software Version   
    "V2.39.02"
    Hardware Version   
    2.00 
    

    So I'm left with managing my relatives' internet connection, even though I'm renting a room from them. What a nightmare.

    They wouldn't change anything by themselves.

    Maounique said: Hardcode open DNS ones or google, depending on how much youc are about some things, maybe even your own.

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    Hardcode the IP too :P

    Or the VM router doing NAT and wireless off, then the wireless AP/router, whatever, just doing the AP stuff, no NAT, no DHCP, so everyone will get the IP from VM hub.
    When I have to deal with crappy firmware losin it's mind now and then, I hardcode everything, except the dynamic IP from the provider, if that does not work, it is their business.

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