Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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I believe that there are a few people that do use Arch Linux, so, I will see if I can get anywhere here.

I have an old Lenovo laptop with the monitor removed because the hinges and the casing is broken into pieces. Sadly, that also took away the wireless networking antennaes, and I am having to use a USB wireless networking adapter to connect to the network. Even worse, I don't have the option to have an Ethernet connection. Finally, I did disable the built-in wireless adapter in the BIOS as well.

That said, I have installed Manjaro Linux (a derivative of Arch Linux), but the frustratibg and annoying issue that I have is the networking connection slows down to a crawl, and stops. Sometimes, after a while, it will pick back up and reapeats the process very shortly after.

I have a Netgear (with an Atheros 9000+ chipset in it) wireless adapter, and
I cannot find my Linksys USB wireless network adapter for some strsnge reason. I saw on the Arch Linux wiki to load the ath9k drivers and install a package from the AUR, "backports-patched". I tried both of those things and it did not resolve my issue.

Also, this issue was not specific to Manjaro, it existed in Arch Linux as well, before I made the switch to Manjaro. I can get by with web browsing and other light Internet usage, but watching videos or downloading ISO files, Vagrant boxes, and large software is a horrible nightmare.

Any ideas or general guidence on this issue? Could there be interference and I have to look into removing internal wireless network adapter? Thoughts?

Thank you in advance!
-jag

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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Hello Jagossel,

On 05 Dec 16 00:09, Jagossel wrote to All:

That said, I have installed Manjaro Linux (a derivative of Arch
Linux), but the frustratibg and annoying issue that I have is the networking connection slows down to a crawl, and stops. Sometimes,
after a while, it will pick back up and reapeats the process very
shortly after.

I have a Netgear (with an Atheros 9000+ chipset in it) wireless
adapter, and I cannot find my Linksys USB wireless network adapter for some strsnge reason. I saw on the Arch Linux wiki to load the ath9k drivers and install a package from the AUR, "backports-patched". I
tried both of those things and it did not resolve my issue.

Also, this issue was not specific to Manjaro, it existed in Arch Linux
as well, before I made the switch to Manjaro. I can get by with web

My only question would be is have you tried anything other than an Arch Linux based distro? If it exists in every distro you try, I can't begin to put blame on Linux itself, but more likely the possibility that more things were ruined with the loss of the monitor and the connections that go through it.

Any ideas or general guidence on this issue? Could there be
interference and I have to look into removing internal wireless
network adapter? Thoughts?

If you're strictly going to use a USB networking device, then you can definitely try removing the internal wireless stuff (or simply disabling it, if
that's an option). But if at all possible, I'd try a *buntu livecd or something
- maybe even a couple others, and see if you have the same issues with all distros. If it's not the OS there may be a bigger problem.

Regards,
Nick

... "Не знаю. Я здесь только работаю."
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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: Accession to Jagossel on Mon Dec 05 2016 07:48:44

My only question would be is have you tried anything other than an Arch Linu

x

based distro? If it exists in every distro you try, I can't begin to put bla

me

on Linux itself, but more likely the possibility that more things were ruine

d

with the loss of the monitor and the connections that go through it.

I had given some thought on using a live CD and see if the issue is there too; proboably going to get the latest Ubuntu release and see if it is an issue there as well.

If you're strictly going to use a USB networking device, then you can definitely try removing the internal wireless stuff (or simply disabling it,

if

that's an option). But if at all possible, I'd try a *buntu livecd or someth

ing

- maybe even a couple others, and see if you have the same issues with all distros. If it's not the OS there may be a bigger problem.

Like I said in my previous message, the built-in wireless adapter is already disabled; I was able to disable using the BIOS. I will have to look inside the laptop, again, and see if it is possible to remove the built-in wireless adapter; I thought it looked like it can be removed.

Not too sure when I'll be able to get to it between my full-time job and running errands for the family. Will provide once I try out these two possible expirements.

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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: Jagossel to All on Mon Dec 05 2016 00:09:35

That said, I have installed Manjaro Linux (a derivative of Arch Linux), but the frustratibg and annoying issue that I have is the networking connection slows down to a crawl, and stops. Sometimes, after a while, it will pick back up and reapeats the process very shortly after.

Have you looked in dmesg or journalctl to see if there are any errors related to the wireless card, wpa-supplicant, etc.? I recall that in the past I had issues with an Atheros device where I had similar problems, and there was an option I had to disable/modify when loading the module for it to fix it. I don't recall specifically which chipset or what I had to do, but if there are errors, that should give you a starting place.

I have a Netgear (with an Atheros 9000+ chipset in it) wireless adapter, and I cannot find my Linksys USB wireless network adapter for some strsnge reason. I saw on the Arch Linux wiki to load the ath9k drivers and install a package from the AUR, "backports-patched". I tried both of those things and it did not resolve my issue.

I'm a little confused here. Are you saying you're using the Netgear, which is ath9k based, where you have the problem, but if you try to use your Linksys wireless adapter, which is ALSO ath9k, Linux doesn't ever detect it? Are you sure the Linksys adapter is ath9k?

Also, this issue was not specific to Manjaro, it existed in Arch Linux as well, before I made the switch to Manjaro. I can get by with web browsing and other light Internet usage, but watching videos or downloading ISO files, Vagrant boxes, and large software is a horrible nightmare.

Any ideas or general guidence on this issue? Could there be interference and I have to look into removing internal wireless network adapter? Thoughts?

I definitely say check dmesg and journalctl for errors. This could be caused by renegotiation run amok or some other failure. You didn't indicate whether or not you reviewed the logs.

-- alliekbean

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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: alliekbean to Jagossel on Mon Dec 05 2016 17:36:43

Have you looked in dmesg or journalctl to see if there are any errors relate to the wireless card, wpa-supplicant, etc.? I recall that in the past I had issues with an Atheros device where I had similar problems, and there was an option I had to disable/modify when loading the module for it to fix it. I don't recall specifically which chipset or what I had to do, but if there ar errors, that should give you a starting place.

Thank your for pointing out looking at dmesg and jornalctl. I never really think about looking at dmesg or journalctl. I will explain what I saw later
on at the end of this message.

I'm a little confused here. Are you saying you're using the Netgear, which i ath9k based, where you have the problem, but if you try to use your Linksys wireless adapter, which is ALSO ath9k, Linux doesn't ever detect it? Are you sure the Linksys adapter is ath9k?

I apologize for the confusion there. It was late at night when I wrote the original message. The point I was trying to convey was that I would rather have the Linksys adapter over this cheap Netgear one; but I cannot find it in my junk around this house.

I definitely say check dmesg and journalctl for errors. This could be caused renegotiation run amok or some other failure. You didn't indicate whether or not you reviewed the logs.

I did not look at the logs, and I have them open now. I see a lot of these messages in the log: "invalid plcp cck rate(0)". However, I do see one instance of "invalid plcp cck rate (88)" and "channel change: XXXX -> XXXX failed (2)".

Looking up the "invalid plcp cck rate" was eaiser to find related articles than the change change failure message. Apparently, the thought is that there is a lot of activity that is causing the reception to overload the device and cause problems with the operating system. However, other devices I have here at home are doing just fine.

I had not looked to see if I can remove the built-in wireless adapter yet; however, I asked my wife to download a copy of the latest Ubuntu desktop ISO file and copy it to a USB drive. I will get that ready here shortly and see if the problem is in Ubuntu as well. If it is, I will just have to live with it until I can afford a new computer. There is a side project that I would like to work on, but this old beat-up laptop cannot handle the demand.

Onward to more experimentation...

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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: Jagossel to alliekbean on Mon Dec 05 2016 21:06:00

I had not looked to see if I can remove the built-in wireless adapter yet; however, I asked my wife to download a copy of the latest Ubuntu desktop ISO file and copy it to a USB drive. I will get that ready here shortly and see

if

the problem is in Ubuntu as well. If it is, I will just have to live with i

t

until I can afford a new computer. There is a side project that I would lik

e

to work on, but this old beat-up laptop cannot handle the demand.

After trying it on Ubuntu's LiveCD, the issue exists there as well. I am starting to think it might be a hardware problem. I do not have another computer available to see if it will work there or not.

I still have one more thing to try: see if I can remove the built-in wireless adapter, in hopes that it might be an interference issue.

-jag

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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: Jagossel to alliekbean on Mon Dec 05 2016 21:06:00

I did not look at the logs, and I have them open now. I see a lot of these messages in the log: "invalid plcp cck rate(0)". However, I do see one instance of "invalid plcp cck rate (88)" and "channel change: XXXX -> XXXX failed (2)".

Looking up the "invalid plcp cck rate" was eaiser to find related articles than the change change failure message. Apparently, the thought is that there is a lot of activity that is causing the reception to overload the device and cause problems with the operating system. However, other devices I have here at home are doing just fine.

Googling a bit for this error gave me one forum post that brought back to mind that configuration option I was telling you about. While this may not fix it, try to load the module with the nohwcrypt option. That's where the problem I was having before was fixed, as something performing the encryption in hardware on the device was borking it. I'm not sure if this will fix your problem, but it might!

I had not looked to see if I can remove the built-in wireless adapter yet; however, I asked my wife to download a copy of the latest Ubuntu desktop ISO file and copy it to a USB drive. I will get that ready here shortly and see if the problem is in Ubuntu as well. If it is, I will just have to live with it until I can afford a new computer. There is a side project that I would like to work on, but this old beat-up laptop cannot handle the demand.

Onward to more experimentation...

I'm assuming that you're doing all of this on a WPA2 encrypted network. One other possibility is to test it on an unsecured network and see if the problem goes away. If it does, your issue is either with the hardware crypto on the wireless card or possibly with wpa-supplicant. Maybe that plus testing with a Live CD from a different distro can help give you more information.

Good luck! :)

-- alliekbean

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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: Jagossel to alliekbean on Mon Dec 05 2016 11:42 pm

After trying it on Ubuntu's LiveCD, the issue exists there as well. I am starting to think it might be a hardware problem. I do not have another computer available to see if it will work there or not.

I still have one more thing to try: see if I can remove the built-in wireless adapter, in hopes that it might be an interference issue.

hold on now. you can get a cheap optiplex off of ebay for around 40 bucks with free shipping. you can do that and save a lot of time and hard work.
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Subject: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
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Re: Arch Linux Wireless Network Issues
By: Mro to Jagossel on Tue Dec 06 2016 16:25:05

hold on now. you can get a cheap optiplex off of ebay for around 40 bucks wi free shipping. you can do that and save a lot of time and hard work.

True, but this laptop that I have right now has been falling apart since the day we got it a few years ago. I think it's time to get a desktop built that will have more power to it. There is a project that I have been wanting to do for a while now, and it is going to be demaning of resources. I tried to
start this project on this old laptop, and it was painful to sit there and wait for it to finish building (between the 5400RPM 1TB hard drive, the 2.something dual core CPU, the 4GB of RAM [shared with the video, sadly], and the networking issues).

-jag

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