Frequent disconnections from home Wi-fi every few hours

[fat-chunk]

Hi,

As the title says, my laptop (Dell studio 1749) loses its connection every couple of hours or so, prompting me to have to continually disable and re-enable my wireless, or even restart my computer.

The most annoying thing is when it disconnects, there are no messages acknowledging when I attempt to connect to a network but it fails. No feedback whatsoever from the networking pane or settings.

I have installed the official broadcom driver for my card, following the steps they specified in the accompanying document.

My guess is there are probably other drivers or modules interfering with the performance of my driver. However I do not possess enough knowledge of linux modules to be able to accurately determine what might be causing the problem.

Is there anyone who might be able to help me diagnose this behavior or point me in the right direction? I'll be available to carry out any commands you recommend and post relevant information such as my list of loaded modules.

Thanks

[JeremyB]

Lets see the result of

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lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 net

[fat-chunk]

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08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-Card [1028:000c]
	Kernel driver in use: wl
--
20:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:041b]
	Kernel driver in use: r8169

[JeremyB]

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source

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sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

Reboot, if it doesn't work, post results from

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lsmod

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ls /etc/modprobe.d/

[fat-chunk]

Ok, now it is acting really strange. It sometimes works fine but after a sleep or restart it might not work at all and will require more restarts to begin working again.
The card cannot even see the networks after a while on these occasions.

I feel I should have mentioned this earlier, but I used the wl driver over the b43 one driver as b43 was always acting funny for me and I read somewhere that it was considered legacy.
The wl ones were working fine for about 2 months until a few days ago when I began to get the dropouts.

anyway here is the result from lsmod:

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~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
ctr                    13049  1 
ccm                    17773  1 
rfcomm                 69160  0 
bnep                   19624  2 
bluetooth             395423  10 bnep,rfcomm
dell_wmi               12761  0 
sparse_keymap          13948  1 dell_wmi
binfmt_misc            17468  1 
dell_laptop            18168  0 
dcdbas                 14928  1 dell_laptop
intel_powerclamp       14705  0 
coretemp               13435  0 
kvm_intel             143060  0 
kvm                   451511  1 kvm_intel
crct10dif_pclmul       14289  0 
crc32_pclmul           13113  0 
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     46207  1 
ghash_clmulni_intel    13259  0 
aesni_intel            55624  2 
aes_x86_64             17131  1 aesni_intel
arc4                   12608  2 
lrw                    13286  1 aesni_intel
gf128mul               14951  1 lrw
glue_helper            13990  1 aesni_intel
ablk_helper            13597  1 aesni_intel
cryptd                 20359  3 ghash_clmulni_intel,aesni_intel,ablk_helper
serio_raw              13462  0 
intel_ips              18664  0 
snd_hda_codec_idt      54645  1 
snd_hda_intel          52355  7 
snd_hda_codec         192906  3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep              13602  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm               102099  4 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc         18710  2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_seq_midi           13324  0 
snd_seq_midi_event     14899  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_rawmidi            30144  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                61560  2 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_device         14497  3 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_midi
snd_timer              29482  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
joydev                 17381  0 
snd                    69238  24 snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device,snd_seq_midi
dm_multipath           22873  0 
scsi_dh                14882  1 dm_multipath
b43                   387371  0 
uvcvideo               80885  0 
lpc_ich                21080  0 
videobuf2_vmalloc      13216  1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_memops       13362  1 videobuf2_vmalloc
videobuf2_core         40664  1 uvcvideo
videodev              134688  2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core
mei_me                 18627  0 
mei                    82274  1 mei_me
soundcore              12680  1 snd
parport_pc             32701  0 
ppdev                  17671  0 
brcmsmac              563041  0 
cordic                 12574  1 brcmsmac
brcmutil               15618  1 brcmsmac
bcma                   52096  2 b43,brcmsmac
mac80211              626489  2 b43,brcmsmac
cfg80211              484040  3 b43,brcmsmac,mac80211
mac_hid                13205  0 
lp                     17759  0 
parport                42348  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
dm_mirror              22135  0 
dm_region_hash         20862  1 dm_mirror
dm_log                 18411  2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
hid_generic            12548  0 
usbhid                 52616  0 
hid                   106148  2 hid_generic,usbhid
psmouse               102222  0 
ahci                   25819  4 
libahci                32168  1 ahci
radeon               1514165  4 
sdhci_pci              23172  0 
i2c_algo_bit           13413  1 radeon
firewire_ohci          40409  0 
sdhci                  43015  1 sdhci_pci
ttm                    85115  1 radeon
firewire_core          68769  1 firewire_ohci
crc_itu_t              12707  1 firewire_core
drm_kms_helper         52758  1 radeon
r8169                  67581  0 
mii                    13934  1 r8169
drm                   302817  6 ttm,drm_kms_helper,radeon
ssb                    62379  1 b43
wmi                    19177  1 dell_wmi
video                  19476  0 

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~ $ ls /etc/modprobe.d/
alsa-base.conf              blacklist-modem.conf         fbdev-blacklist.conf
blacklist-ath_pci.conf      blacklist-oss.conf           iwlwifi.conf
blacklist.conf              blacklist-rare-network.conf  mlx4.conf
blacklist-firewire.conf     blacklist-watchdog.conf      vmwgfx-fbdev.conf
blacklist-framebuffer.conf  dkms.conf

These were run with the internet working, I'm not sure if it would help more to run lsmod when i'm having the problems. Let me know if so.

[JeremyB]

Lets blacklist bcma and reboot

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echo "blacklist bcma" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

I don't know if I would consider b43 as legacy but it is what usually works for that chipset with the firmware

[fat-chunk]

Ok this seemed to have worked temporarily but now I am getting even stranger behaviour.

After a while my laptop decides to completely stall on the internet front. I can't load a webpage and the song I'm streaming maybe plays 1 second of music every minute or so.
I know the internet connection is fine as I am connected to the same one with my phone and it's at 100%.

I then turn the wireless off in mint and turn it back on (note: it refuses to turn back on on the first few clicks of the toggle)

It will then find the network again but with very low bars (~7-9%) try to connect and then fail (the network will no longer be on the list)

I tried turning the wireless off and on again a few times and the same thing happens each time.

I then tried connecting to my phone's tethering hotspot instead and that worked fine.

This is very strange, I don't really understand why or how this is happening and can't think of anything else to add which would be relevant.


Anyway, here is the result of lsmod again in case it is useful:

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~ $ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
ctr                    13049  2 
ccm                    17773  2 
rfcomm                 69160  0 
bnep                   19624  2 
bluetooth             395423  10 bnep,rfcomm
dell_wmi               12761  0 
sparse_keymap          13948  1 dell_wmi
binfmt_misc            17468  1 
dell_laptop            18168  0 
dcdbas                 14928  1 dell_laptop
intel_powerclamp       14705  0 
coretemp               13435  0 
kvm_intel             143060  0 
kvm                   451511  1 kvm_intel
crct10dif_pclmul       14289  0 
crc32_pclmul           13113  0 
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     46207  1 
ghash_clmulni_intel    13259  0 
aesni_intel            55624  4 
aes_x86_64             17131  1 aesni_intel
arc4                   12608  2 
lrw                    13286  1 aesni_intel
gf128mul               14951  1 lrw
glue_helper            13990  1 aesni_intel
ablk_helper            13597  1 aesni_intel
cryptd                 20359  3 ghash_clmulni_intel,aesni_intel,ablk_helper
serio_raw              13462  0 
intel_ips              18664  0 
snd_hda_codec_idt      54645  1 
snd_hda_intel          52355  5 
snd_hda_codec         192906  3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep              13602  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm               102099  3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc         18710  2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_seq_midi           13324  0 
snd_seq_midi_event     14899  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_rawmidi            30144  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                61560  2 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_device         14497  3 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_midi
snd_timer              29482  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
joydev                 17381  0 
snd                    69238  21 snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device,snd_seq_midi
dm_multipath           22873  0 
scsi_dh                14882  1 dm_multipath
b43                   387371  0 
uvcvideo               80885  0 
lpc_ich                21080  0 
videobuf2_vmalloc      13216  1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_memops       13362  1 videobuf2_vmalloc
videobuf2_core         40664  1 uvcvideo
videodev              134688  2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core
mei_me                 18627  0 
mei                    82274  1 mei_me
soundcore              12680  1 snd
parport_pc             32701  0 
ppdev                  17671  0 
brcmsmac              563041  0 
cordic                 12574  1 brcmsmac
brcmutil               15618  1 brcmsmac
bcma                   52096  2 b43,brcmsmac
mac80211              626489  2 b43,brcmsmac
cfg80211              484040  3 b43,brcmsmac,mac80211
mac_hid                13205  0 
lp                     17759  0 
parport                42348  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
dm_mirror              22135  0 
dm_region_hash         20862  1 dm_mirror
dm_log                 18411  2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
hid_generic            12548  0 
usbhid                 52616  0 
hid                   106148  2 hid_generic,usbhid
psmouse               102222  0 
ahci                   25819  5 
libahci                32168  1 ahci
radeon               1514165  4 
sdhci_pci              23172  0 
i2c_algo_bit           13413  1 radeon
firewire_ohci          40409  0 
sdhci                  43015  1 sdhci_pci
ttm                    85115  1 radeon
firewire_core          68769  1 firewire_ohci
crc_itu_t              12707  1 firewire_core
drm_kms_helper         52758  1 radeon
r8169                  67581  0 
mii                    13934  1 r8169
drm                   302817  6 ttm,drm_kms_helper,radeon
ssb                    62379  1 b43
wmi                    19177  1 dell_wmi
video                  19476  0

[fat-chunk]

Well this is starting to become extremely frustrating now.

Even after multiple restarts it will not connect to my router.

Same thing, sees the router, attempts to connect then nothing.

I am currently connected to my phone through tethering but this is using up a lot of data and can only be a very temporary solution.

At this point I am thinking of switching to another distro, as much as I love mint, this has become a huge waste of time.

If there are pci wireless cards which are known to have good compatibility with mint and support 5Ghz bands, then I would be open to recommendations (needs to be compatible with Dell Studio 1749).

[JeremyB]

You could reinstall the wl driver with

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sudo apt-get install bcmwl-kernel-source

Reboot
Then download and run the wireless script to look at parameters

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wget -N -t 5 -T 10 http://dl.dropbox.com/u/57264241/wireless_script && chmod +x wireless_script && ./wireless_script

This will create a wireless-info file in your home directory, please attach it to a post

[fat-chunk]

Sorry I will do that in a bit.

But now I cannot even connect to my router from my Windows partition.

I know this might be off-topic now, and I don't really know how this stuff works, but is my card stuck in some kind of state where it is intentionally not allowing any connections to my router (still connects to my phone's tethering fine).

Or could it be a problem on the router side? (A banlist or something) bearing in mind that others are still able to connect to it fine.

[fat-chunk]

Also I have been looking into getting a new wireless card which supports 5Ghz bands (N).

Does anyone know if there is support/drivers for this card with linux mint?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171188172673? ... EBIDX%3AIT


By the way JeremyB thanks so much for your time and help, I must sound very demanding and unpleasant but I really do appreciate your suggestions!

[JeremyB]

Also I have been looking into getting a new wireless card which supports 5Ghz bands (N).

Does anyone know if there is support/drivers for this card with linux mint?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171188172673? ... EBIDX%3AIT


By the way JeremyB thanks so much for your time and help, I must sound very demanding and unpleasant but I really do appreciate your suggestions!

It might be a router issue if you cannot connect even in windows, might just need a power off/on

The card in the link ebay link is another broadcom card that should work with the bcmwl-kernel-source installed