Arch Linux

zenlord

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2006-05-24

Posts: 1,221

Website

ath9k: unstable network connection?

Hi,

I was using ndiswrapper with my Atheros wifi-card and was quite satisfied with it. Connection to my AP was around 60/100 where my laptop is usually placed and the connection was stable as I could download updates at a steady 1200KB/s.

Then I upgraded to 2.6.27 and didn't immediately switch to the new ath9k-driver. However, my wireless connection failed with the next reboot, so I ditched ndiswrapper for ath9k, and have two observations:
- the LEDs don't work, but that is no problem at all;
- I have on average 45/100-connection and my network speeds when downloading from the same server vary between 280KB/s and 1200KB/s... Also: when my girlfriend uses rdesktop to connect to her workplace, the connection fails quite often... Also browsing the web can be very frustrating (reminds me of my 56.6 baud modem days )
- I had to place my laptop more in the neighbourhood of my AP to get an IP-address from the DHCP-server.

Does anyone else have similar problems?

creole

Member

From: New York

Registered: 2008-05-28

Posts: 7

Re: ath9k: unstable network connection?

I am sure its a kernel bug... i had the same problem and had to switch back to 26...

BTW this is not the only problem with atheros+2.6.27

(I read on lwn about it... but cannot find the link now)

sacamano_m82

Member

Registered: 2007-05-29

Posts: 167

Re: ath9k: unstable network connection?

Patches have been posted to linux-wireless which should improve stability.
Check if they improve your experience.

zenlord

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2006-05-24

Posts: 1,221

Website

Re: ath9k: unstable network connection?

OK, for some weeks I have had trouble connecting to my wireless network using the ath9k-driver. And even when I got connected, I suffered packet loss and unstable connections in general (due to packet loss presumably).

Today I solved all this in three steps:
# modprobe -r ath9k mac80211 cfg80211
# modprobe ndiswrapper
# netcfg wl-Synergy

I will test ath9k again when the kernel is updated. I don't feel comfortable patching my kernel since I have never done it and the network connection on that laptop is vital to me and my office.

I find it kind of strange however that the buglist for ath9k is empty:
http://bugzilla.kernel.org/buglist.cgi? … tent=ath9k

Zl.