Arch Linux

skmassey

Member

Registered: 2007-02-28

Posts: 3

rt2500 connectivity issue

Until recently I've been using my Linksys PCI wireless card (rt2500) and it has been working just fine.  I rebooted my machine the other day after performing some updates and now I am having problems connecting to my wireless network.  The output of iwlist scan shows my AP but with a signal strength of 0/100 and when I run dhclient or dhcpcd it sends out DHCP requests but gets no replies.  My router and hardware are working just fine.  I have tested the card in winblows and it works.  I have tried statically configuring the IP address and gateway manually and it still does not work.  I don't remember an update for the rt2500 module.  I use a script to configure my WEP key and essid so I know those are correct.  I'm very puzzled by this as it was working just fine a few days ago.  I can't provide actual output at the moment because I'm having to make this post from inside windows.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Lifty

Member

Registered: 2006-11-05

Posts: 62

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

Ive exactly the same problem you described with my rt2500 pcmcia card. The first time this error appeared was after installing kernel 2.6.20 followed by a reboot.
But Ive managed to get the connection "working" but its really unstable you have to:

+unload the module and load it again so all settings made are reset

+bring up the interface with ifconfig

+(dont know if its necessery but it seems to work better when I do this) scan for network with iwlist

+config youre card with iwconfig by hand

+run dhcpclient

The connection often breaks after some time so its no real fix or something and it doesnt come up on boot

skmassey

Member

Registered: 2007-02-28

Posts: 3

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

Thanks

I had a feeling it was due to the 2.6.20 kernel.  Have you tried building the module from source against the 2.6.20 kernel sources?

Lifty

Member

Registered: 2006-11-05

Posts: 62

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

Yes I did last weekend but without sucess it didnt change anything. Im gonna try it again with the new cvs version.

Lifty

Member

Registered: 2006-11-05

Posts: 62

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

I had no success with the latest version is someone else having this problem?

skmassey have you managed to fix this?

bionnaki

Member

Registered: 2006-09-05

Posts: 289

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

I cant even get my card working. how do you get the card to even work (pref. with WPA)? can someone post instructions?

skmassey

Member

Registered: 2007-02-28

Posts: 3

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

I have yet to have time to sit down and work on fixing it (exams =\).  The process mentioned by Lifty does restore connectivity for random periods of time.  Spring Break is coming up and hopefully I'll have some time then to work on it, but until then I've got nothing.  I wrote a couple scripts that fix the issue.  I'm probably going to setup a cron job to run them every 15minutes to keep connectivity.  I know that isn't a long term fix, but until someone patches the module or the kernel, its the best I can do.  If you want I can post copies of my scripts if they'll help any.

Poffo

Member

Registered: 2005-08-12

Posts: 2

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

I had the same problem, but I got it to work now using Lifty's method. Before, it worked just fine without any encryption, but I absoutely couldn't get it to work with WEP. Heh, it really bothered me, thanks Lifty.

Lifty

Member

Registered: 2006-11-05

Posts: 62

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

You're welcome Poffo

@ skmassey: It would be nice if you could attach your scripts I have written one by myself but its not that good at all

ploxiln

Member

From: NYC, US

Registered: 2006-10-27

Posts: 51

Website

Re: rt2500 connectivity issue

I have this identical problem, except only on one of the two wireless networks I regularly use. My home wireless network running on some netgear 802.11b wireless router no longer works after some update which occurred after around Jan. 15 and before March 12. I've recently returned to CMU since my spring break just ended, and the campus-wide wireless network here still works fine.

So, to clarify: home wireless network worked during winter break, and not during spring break, while cmu wireless network always worked, without any module-reloading schemes.

I only mention all this in the hope that it gives someone a hint and helps them figure the problem out.

EDIT: Nevermind, after my first reboot after getting back to CMU, the wireless exhibits the same behavior as in my home, link quality 0/100

Last edited by ploxiln (2007-03-22 15:48:25)