Arch Linux

Dornith

Member

Registered: 2013-02-19

Posts: 84

BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

I got a new Dell Latitude D820 (refurbished really) onto which I installed Arch.  I installed the b43-firmware for the AUR and not I can connect to my network, but I drop about 8% of my packets and occasionally I just flat out loose my connection.
I had an old Dell Latitude D620 before and I believe I mirrored the set up over but something still isn't working.  I can get ethernet, but not wireless fully working. 

lspci:

...
09:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5752 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)

ip link: (At this point the wireless had cut out on me)

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default 
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
2: enp9s0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:26:b9:22:57:f5 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: wlan0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP mode DORMANT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:19:7d:a7:a6:53 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

dmesg | grep wlan0:

[ 6119.953556] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6119.966765] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6119.968507] wlan0: authenticated
[ 6119.968734] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling HT/VHT due to WEP/TKIP use
[ 6119.968742] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling HT as WMM/QoS is not supported by the AP
[ 6119.968759] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling VHT as WMM/QoS is not supported by the AP
[ 6119.969517] wlan0: associate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6119.991765] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=7)
[ 6119.992219] wlan0: associated
[ 6235.492798] ieee80211 phy0: wlan0: No probe response from AP 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 after 500ms, disconnecting.
[ 6236.788531] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6236.800563] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6237.002809] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6237.206171] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6237.409479] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6239.110336] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6239.123422] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6239.326144] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6239.529459] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6239.732828] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6241.930312] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6241.949734] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6242.152878] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6242.356763] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6242.559472] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6254.933596] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6254.952971] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6255.156156] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6255.359467] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6255.562800] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6291.486796] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6291.500114] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6291.501985] wlan0: authenticated
[ 6291.502211] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling HT/VHT due to WEP/TKIP use
[ 6291.502229] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling HT as WMM/QoS is not supported by the AP
[ 6291.502235] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling VHT as WMM/QoS is not supported by the AP
[ 6291.502844] wlan0: associate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6291.706153] wlan0: associate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6291.909466] wlan0: associate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6292.112807] wlan0: association with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6334.220299] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6334.233449] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6334.436126] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6334.438547] wlan0: authenticated
[ 6334.438771] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling HT/VHT due to WEP/TKIP use
[ 6334.438789] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling HT as WMM/QoS is not supported by the AP
[ 6334.438795] b43 ssb0:0 wlan0: disabling VHT as WMM/QoS is not supported by the AP
[ 6334.439466] wlan0: associate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6334.441680] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=7)
[ 6334.442197] wlan0: associated
[ 6362.492825] ieee80211 phy0: wlan0: No probe response from AP 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 after 500ms, disconnecting.
[ 6363.793623] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6363.806747] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6364.009457] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6364.212796] wlan0: send auth to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6364.416144] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6366.117386] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6366.130453] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6366.332781] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6366.536110] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6366.739513] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6368.946982] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6368.960041] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6369.162846] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6369.366121] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6369.569458] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6381.956831] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6381.970081] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6382.172794] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6382.376128] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6382.579456] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out
[ 6406.143601] wlan0: authenticate with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4
[ 6406.156739] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 1/3)
[ 6406.359456] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 2/3)
[ 6406.562790] wlan0: direct probe to 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 (try 3/3)
[ 6406.766124] wlan0: authentication with 00:0f:66:2a:e4:c4 timed out

mkraemer

Member

Registered: 2011-06-09

Posts: 12

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

I can't help with the problem, but take a look at https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1452652 :)

hippieben

Member

Registered: 2013-10-27

Posts: 218

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

Try the broadcom drivers in AUR.  I find them to work much better than b43.

Dornith

Member

Registered: 2013-02-19

Posts: 84

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

I can't help with the problem, but take a look at https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1452652

I tried all the solutions presented in that forum.  None of them worked.  The link the OP said fixed his problem is now broken.

Try the broadcom drivers in AUR.  I find them to work much better than b43.

Whenever I install the proprietary drives, When I run and get:

$ sudo modprobe wl
modprobe: FATAL: Module wl not found.

Pse

Member

Registered: 2008-03-15

Posts: 415

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

If nothing else works, you may try the Windows driver through ndiswrapper: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … diswrapper

Dornith

Member

Registered: 2013-02-19

Posts: 84

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

I know I've gotten the b43 driver to work with this same network card on my last laptop so I'm sure that should work.  Is there anything else that might cause this problem?  (yes, the b43 module and dependencies are loaded.)

Edit: Something I found out while trying to fix this: when I'm in my basement, I drop only about 0.5% of my packets, but elsewhere, I drop up to 80%.  (Our router is in out basement.)

Last edited by Dornith (2014-09-05 21:37:51)

hippieben

Member

Registered: 2013-10-27

Posts: 218

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

I can't help with the problem, but take a look at https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1452652

I tried all the solutions presented in that forum.  None of them worked.  The link the OP said fixed his problem is now broken.

Try the broadcom drivers in AUR.  I find them to work much better than b43.

Whenever I install the proprietary drives, When I run and get:

$ sudo modprobe wl
modprobe: FATAL: Module wl not found.

Did you restart after installing?

lostmekka

Member

Registered: 2015-08-12

Posts: 1

Re: BCM4311 dropping packets and occasionally connection

I dont know whether it is ok to revive this thread, I had the same problem and have some additional information that could be useful for anyone else having these problems with broadcom cards.

The system I was working on was my first (arch) linux ever, so I was a bloody noob not long ago.
I encountered some traps that I fell into; maybe this post can prevent other ppl to fall into these too.

My card is a Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
The final solution was for me to use b43 and NetworkManager with dhclient and wpa_supplicant. All other network managers did not work for me sadly.

So here is a list of problems I encountered and how I solved them:

1. Drivers were not loaded:
I added b43 to the module list (/etc/mkinitcpio.conf):

MODULES="nouveau b43"

(nouveau is for graphics, obviously this is not required)
Another driver that I tried previously (brcm80211) was blacklisting the b43 and ssb modules, so I made sure that they could be loaded i.e. removed the two lines from /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf:

blacklist b43
blacklist ssb

Built the kernel again and rebooted.

2. Could not use the device:
This one was obvious, I forgot to install b43_firmware from AUR. Derp.

3. The device was usable but it could not scan or connect:
First I tried the manual method covered in the arch wiki, but It did not work. After much trial and error I got the card to actually do something with NetworkManager.
The issue was that after booting I neede to manually remove b43 and ssb and add them again:

modprobe -r b43 ssb
modprobe b43

ssb will be added by b43 since it requires it.
Now NetworkManager discovered the card and tried to connect, but failed. This is where the *fun* part began.

4. Could not connect to a network:
This one was painful, because it was not really visible what was going on. At this time I started to make sense of the log given by journalctl, noticing that wpa_supplicant refused to initiate any scan. It took me some time to realize that wpa_supplicant was started separately, because of the things I tried earlier. (the manual setup)
The solution was to disable wpa_supplicant and let NetworkManager start it instead:

systemctl disable wpa_supplicant
systemctl stop wpa_supplicant

At first nothing changed, but I noticed that I could connect to my network once after a fresh boot and the manual modprobe remove/add.

6. Network connection kept dropping and could not come back:
At first all was well and for about 3 days I could use the connection for several hours before it dropped. In this case I rebooted quickly and continued working. But this was only a temporary solution as the uptime became smaller and smaller.
From journalctl I saw that there was the timeout which is also seeen in the OP:

No probe response from AP <mac adress> after 500ms, disconnecting.

After that, no connection was possible anymore, the card could not authenticate with the AP and wpa_supplicant refused any scan requests.
From some other thread I read that this would be fixed by adding the b43 options pio=1 and qos=0 to my /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf file. This actually seemed to improve the situation, so I kept it that way. Huge mistake: I later found that the connection drop was affected by channel noise from other wireless networks around me. Also I could not get behind the reason why the connection could not be re-established once it dropped.
Removing and re-adding b43 did'nt help there. Neither did restarting NetworkManager. Finally I found some other thread stating that wpa_supplicant messes up it's state when this drop happens, so I needed to restart wpa_supplicant too. so with this procedure I could re-connect without a reboot:

modprobe -r b43 ssb
systemctl restart NetworkManager wpa_supplicant

Then wait until NetworkManager is fully started, then

modprobe b43

The driver would load the firmware and start, then after some time it is up but the device is softlocked for some reason. So to enable it:

rfkill unblock wlan

After that, a connection could be established. But it usually lasted only for a minute, then there was this timeout again.

7. Connection kept dropping rapidly:
This was a real pain too, but this time the problem was indeed the user. It turned out that the b43 options were causing the drop. After I removed them again from my /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf all was well.
But I still need to manually get the network going after booting. For that I made a script:

#!/usr/bin/bash
WAITONE=0.5
WAITTWO=9
WAITTHREE=6

echo removing b43 and ssb...
modprobe -r b43 ssb
echo waiting for $WAITONE seconds...
sleep $WAITONE

echo restarting NetworkManager...
systemctl restart NetworkManager wpa_supplicant
echo waiting for $WAITTWO seconds...
sleep $WAITTWO

echo adding b43 again...
modprobe b43
echo waiting for $WAITTHREE seconds...
sleep $WAITTHREE

echo unblocking rfkill switch for wlan...
rfkill unblock wlan
echo all done!

8.Changing CL_LANG causes b43 to malfunction:
This one is really weird, I have no clue how this can be. Apparently, having the language locale de_DE.UTF-8 crashes the b43 driver. I changed to en_GB.UTF-8 and everything works again. So if you have problems, maybe check your language locale...

Looking back, I made the problem even harder by not properly memorizing what I had done so far, so things that I tried but did'nt work kept interfering with the actual solution.
I hope this helps other people with this or some closely related problem