iwl3945 blinking LED

mefiX · 2009-06-17 19:10:11

Hi Archlinux Community,

the LED of my WiFi Device is blinking while receiving or transmitting data.

This really really gets on my nerves, because humans tend to focus on blinking items!
I mean, I - as a technician - find it really nice to see whats going on on the network, but it distracts me from my actual work!

Details:
- Notebook: DELL Latitude D630, BIOS Rev. A15
- Kernel 2.6.30-4
- WiFi Device: 0c:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02)
- Driver: iwl3945
- Firmware: iwlwifi-3945-ucode 15.32.2.9-1

I found several places that advise to do smth. like the following

#!/bin/sh
if [ "$IFACE" = "wlan0" ]; then
    for dir in /sys/class/leds/iwl-phy*X; do
        echo none > $dir/trigger
    done
fi

Especially here: http://blog.drinsama.de/erich/en/linux/ … nking.html
Furthermore, there's already a bugreport on the intel website: http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/bugzi … gi?id=1771

I would like to start a discussion on fixing this problem the Archlinux way and on the motivation if people really need this "feature".

The first thing I have to say is: setting only *X (RX/TX) to 'none' doesn't seem to be enough in my case, I need to set /sys/class/leds/iwl-phy* .

Second, after some random time (smth. in between 5 minutes), the LED starts blinking again, so there seems to be some other place in Archlinux that controls the LEDs.

Third, Unfortunately, the script above works the Debian/Ubuntu-way and Archlinux doesn't provide scripts to hook into the event when network interfaces go up/down (ifup/ifdown in debian).
As I am using WICD as network-manager - where you have the ability to specify ifup/ifdown-scripts - I tried setting up the above as a preup-script here.
This doesn't work because of permission-problems, I think.

So if any other Archlinux-user has a quick fix for me, I would be really happy.

Greets,
mefiX

broch · 2009-06-17 19:15:09

kill led_class module?

mefiX · 2009-06-19 16:11:16

Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately, this doesn't stop the wifi-led blinking.
Removing the module on the fly does not work neither (rmmod -f), because it is needed by the iwl drivers.
So I added the following line to /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf

blacklist led_class

After rebooting, the module is loaded anyway

Any further ideas?

Greets.

broch · 2009-06-19 16:40:57

rebuild kernel without LED support for iwl3945.
I did that and it works but this was done because I always build my own kernels. I don't think that compiling kernel only to get rid of LED is worth your time.

Sorry that I can't provide you with any better solution.

mefiX · 2009-06-20 10:48:04

Hi,

thanks for your reply.
in principle its ok for me, to compile my own kernel, but i think its not worth the time to do this just because of a simple LED.
i think the developers at intellinuxwireless.org should think about changing this.

.:B:. · 2009-06-20 20:40:10

If you think it's worth changing code for, but not rebuilding a kernel...

As said it's for diagnosis. It's not the developer's fault your laptop manufacturer puts the LED on a spot that annoys you. Why not bug the laptop manufacturer? They could easily have picked a less intrusive spot.

mefiX · 2009-06-21 11:16:23

it doesn't help me to see that there is data transfered, as one can see this on the software side:
if i can open websites, receive files over ftp, check my emails, then obviously there is data transfered, otherwise not...
what does help, though, is to see, if the device is connected/associated, which simply can be visualized by turning the LED off (disconnected/not associated) or on (connected/associated)

broch · 2009-06-21 16:54:17

mefiX wrote:

it doesn't help me to see that there is data transfered, as one can see this on the software side:
if i can open websites, receive files over ftp, check my emails, then obviously there is data transfered, otherwise not...
what does help, though, is to see, if the device is connected/associated, which simply can be visualized by turning the LED off (disconnected/not associated) or on (connected/associated)

yes, this would be much better.

As said it's for diagnosis. It's not the developer's fault your laptop manufacturer puts the LED on a spot that annoys you. Why not bug the laptop manufacturer? They could easily have picked a less intrusive spot.

No,
This is linux iwl3945 driver LED feature and has nothing to do with laptop manufacturer. When I bought my laptop it came with windws pre-installed and LED was solid on when connected or off when disconnected. I don't have windows anymore but under linux LED is annoyingly blinking.
However I have no idea how many users is annoyed by this feature, so I am "fixing" this for myself (if I remember).

Last edited by broch (2009-06-21 16:57:09)

.:B:. · 2009-06-21 17:29:00

I was merely referring to the presence of the led (and the support for it in the driver). I have no clue how it performs under WIndows - this laptop had Vista on it but it was replaced by Arch within 24 hours.

litemotiv · 2009-06-21 19:35:47

i have an intel 5100 card and what's really strange is that it blinks when i connect to my home N-router, but doesn't when i connect to my G-router at work (it just stays lit). no idea why..

broch · 2009-06-21 23:42:27

B wrote:

I was merely referring to the presence of the led (and the support for it in the driver). I have no clue how it performs under WIndows - this laptop had Vista on it but it was replaced by Arch within 24 hours.

I was merely refering to the fact that each application of specific hardware (once you have it) can be designed better or worse. This has nothing to do with manufacturers. And (even if it seems impossible) not everything made by linux is better than windows approach.

what does help, though, is to see, if the device is connected/associated, which simply can be visualized by turning the LED off (disconnected/not associated) or on (connected/associated)

Is this clear what OP wants?

First linux LED implementation in ipw3945 (original intel binary blob) was in fact working this way: solid LED on if device is up and connected. This was informative enough and as little obtrusive as possible.
Manufacturer put LED in visible place for user to know if connection is up or not. Now if this is incessantly blinking, it is more annoying than informative.

Correct suggestion would be to propose contacting iwl3945 driver developer and politely explain the issue. Whether developer would change driver behavior, it is difficult to say but at least he may explain why LED is implemented this way.

When you deleted windows it does not matter.

@litemotiv
in the case of iwl3945 LED blinks irrelevant of network setup. Maybe there is an explanation what causes your driver behave differently depending on network configuration

Last edited by broch (2009-06-21 23:45:48)

fphillips · 2009-06-22 00:23:06

The obvious way to do this would be to add a modparam to define behavior. See modinfo iwl3945 for current parameters that are present. I have a D630, and it is annoying, but not enough to rebuild the kernel for.

mefiX · 2009-06-22 10:39:38

I also think, that there should be some module parameter to define the behaviour of the WiFi-LED.
For example
options iwl3945 led={0,...,n}
0 = off
1 = always on
2 = old behavious
3 = disconnected:off connected:on
I wrote a mail to the developer's mailing list, describing this issue.

gtarget · 2009-08-03 01:41:28

I just installed arch on my laptop (had ubuntu on it for over a year) and in ubuntu it would always blink, no matter what; however, I do like how it works in archlinux - it only blinks when it is sending or receiving, but constant on when connected otherwise

wankel · 2009-08-28 07:00:24

I have finally found a solution to this issue on my Dell Vostro 1400. Wireless card is iwl3945 and has that really annoying blinking.

First create this file:

vim noblink.sh

and put the following in the file:

echo none > /sys/class/leds/iwl-phy0::RX/trigger
echo none > /sys/class/leds/iwl-phy0::TX/trigger
echo none > /sys/class/leds/iwl-phy0::radio/trigger
echo none > /sys/class/leds/iwl-phy0::assoc/trigger

Make it executable:

chmod +x noblink.sh

and finally run it as root:

sudo ./noblink.sh

Now you will have a constantly lit wireless led

broch · 2009-08-28 22:59:02

nice!
thank you

Cappy · 2010-06-26 08:25:15

Thanks! This was driving me crazy.

flittermice · 2013-09-07 15:15:24

I found this topic today because this bug still exists.
My laptop is a HP 6320.

According to Ubuntu Forums I added
options iwlegacy led_mode=1
to /etc/modprobe.d/options.conf (I had to create the file)

To take effect immediately do:
rmmod iwl3945
rmmod iwlegacy
modprobe iwl3945

Arch Linux

#1 2009-06-17 19:10:11

iwl3945 blinking LED

#2 2009-06-17 19:15:09

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#3 2009-06-19 16:11:16

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#4 2009-06-19 16:40:57

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#5 2009-06-20 10:48:04

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#6 2009-06-20 20:40:10

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#7 2009-06-21 11:16:23

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#8 2009-06-21 16:54:17

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#9 2009-06-21 17:29:00

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#10 2009-06-21 19:35:47

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#11 2009-06-21 23:42:27

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#12 2009-06-22 00:23:06

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#13 2009-06-22 10:39:38

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#14 2009-08-03 01:41:28

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#15 2009-08-28 07:00:24

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#16 2009-08-28 22:59:02

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#17 2010-06-26 08:25:15

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

#18 2013-09-07 15:15:24

Re: iwl3945 blinking LED

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