🚀 go-pugleaf

On 2011-03-09, Polly the Parrot <flatulantdingo@deadspam.com> wrote:
> Toshiba T110 laptop/netbook, Ubuntu 10.04 Gnome, Dual boot with Win7 Pro.
>
> 2.8Gb memory; 3.7GB swap.
>
> Wireless adaptor is Realtek 8191SE 802.11n; booting into kernel 2.6.32-29
>
> Until kernel 2.6.32-28, this wireless card was not even recognised.
>
> I can pick up wireless networks & connect to the network ok in hotels, 
> airport lounges etc., but the browser fails to connect (Firefox "can't find 
> the server blah blah..") and KMail, KNode do not recognise the connection.
>
> Using Gufw, firewall configured to "Allow" all outgoing connections, 
> "Reject" all incoming, no other rules.

Get rid of all firewall rules if you are trying to determine if your
card is working. No point in purposely creating two points of failure.


>  
> ifconfig shows
>
> wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 70:1a:04:39:f4:2a  
>           inet addr:10.167.33.201  Bcast:10.167.35.255  Mask:255.255.252.0
>           inet6 addr: fe80::721a:4ff:fe39:f42a/64 Scope:Link
>           UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
>           RX packets:4098 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
>           TX packets:521 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
>           collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
>           RX bytes:660059 (660.0 KB)  TX bytes:39968 (39.9 KB)
>           Interrupt:17 Memory:f8310000-f8310100 
>
> I have tried iptables -F but makes no difference.
>
> System monitor also shows receiving & sending bytes.  Ping google.com times 
> out. 
>
> These messages in sys log:
>
> Mar  9 02:31:30 jp-laptop kernel: [ 2138.055788] rtl8192_SetWirelessMode(), 
> wireless_mode:10, bEnableHT = 1
> Mar  9 02:31:30 jp-laptop connmand[1877]: wlan0 SCANNING
> Mar  9 02:31:36 jp-laptop connmand[1877]: wlan0 INACTIVE
> Mar  9 02:31:39 jp-laptop kernel: [ 2147.056924] rtl8192_SetWirelessMode(), 
> wireless_mode:10, bEnableHT = 1
> Mar  9 02:31:39 jp-laptop connmand[1877]: wlan0 SCANNING
> Mar  9 02:31:45 jp-laptop connmand[1877]: wlan0 INACTIVE
>
> Does this mean card is turning itself on and off?
>
> Same issue running Win7 Pro; exactly same as described above, except with 
> Firefox, Agent and Thunderbird.
>
> Help desk from one hotel service provider could see the connection being 
> dropped by the card from time to time, thought it may have been a router 
> issue.  Rebooting the wireless router failed to help.
>
> Hotel could connect ok with their laptop running XP. No issues for them.
>
> I could understand maybe a Linux issue, but with Windoze doing the 
> same;  is 
> the card on the blink?  Or maybe something I am missing here?
>
> Strangely enough, happened after I upgraded to kernel 2.6.32-020632 (I 
> presume this was the upgrade,top kernel in the Grub list, but this kernel 
> completely fails to read the wireless card) a couple of days ago, however I 
> doubt if this is the issue, being same problem in Windoze?  
>
> Or is it the problem? Or just a coincidence?
>
> Wired Ethernet connections no issue at all.
>
> Any clues? Any diagnostics I can run?
>
> Or is the card ready for a warranty claim through a difficult Toshiba 
> drone? 
><shudder>
>

In aus.computers.linux on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:32:58 +1100
Polly the Parrot <flatulantdingo@deadspam.com> wrote:
>
> Wireless adaptor is Realtek 8191SE 802.11n; booting into kernel 2.6.32-29

NEver used a RealTek wireless, does googling give you any useful info?
Try "Realtek 8191SE linux" as a search term.


> I can pick up wireless networks & connect to the network ok in hotels, 
> airport lounges etc., but the browser fails to connect (Firefox "can't find 
> the server blah blah..") and KMail, KNode do not recognise the connection.

Hotels and such can be painful because they tend to divert your
connection to a payment page.  Makes troubleshooting difficult.

You need to find a simple wireless connection with none of that so you
can properly troubleshoot.

However...

> I have tried iptables -F but makes no difference.

That means you have turned off all firewall software as well?  So when
you did that, tested, then did iptables -L you were sure nothing had
recreated your firewall?
>
> System monitor also shows receiving & sending bytes.  Ping google.com times 
> out. 

If you pinged a name and your box knew the address then it's getting
it from somewhere.  google's not always a good troubleshooting address
because providers sometimes allow google as a home page but hijack
your connection when you try to get anything.

Try pinging something a lot less well known eg linuxquestions.org. Set up your ping test at
home via adsl so you know what you are expecting.

> Mar  9 02:31:30 jp-laptop connmand[1877]: wlan0 SCANNING
> Mar  9 02:31:36 jp-laptop connmand[1877]: wlan0 INACTIVE
>
> Does this mean card is turning itself on and off?

Seems like it's a bit flaky and as it does the same in windows I'd
tend to point the finger at the card.

Except you are using win7 and there was a bit of a kerfuffle about
vendors not making good drivers for that.

Unfortunately as you can't try XP on the laptop you can't rule out a
bad win7 driver.

Perhaps go to the vendor's site and see if there's a new win7 driver?
If there is, then give it a go to see if win7 is still flaky.  

If not, then you might need another card. 

Zebee

On Thursday 10 March 2011 07:56, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

> If not, then you might need another card.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Hotel I am in now has a wire connection, so probably will have to wait till 
I get back to Oz in weekend and try my home wireless.

On Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:01:05 +1100 you wrote:

> On Thursday 10 March 2011 07:56, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
> 
> > If not, then you might need another card.
> 
> Thanks for the replies guys.
> 
> Hotel I am in now has a wire connection, so probably will have to
> wait till I get back to Oz in weekend and try my home wireless.

<posting very late reply>

which works fine.
>