Arch Linux

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

With the same Edimax usb micro wifi card I'm seeing download speed of 24 Mbps on my Ubuntu laptop, and only 1.01 Mbps on my arch linux desktop. If I connect the desktop via ethernet, it pushes 37Mbps, so there isn't a fundamental network issue, it is isolated to wifi.

I don't have another wifi card to test unfortunately, but I would if it was possible.

In terms of diagnostics, that's where I need some help. I'm using NetworkManager, and netctl is definitely deactivated. I don't see anything suspicious in the journal, but here's a snippet in case I'm missing something glaringly obvious:

Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <warn>  Connection disconnected (reason -3)
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): supplicant interface state: completed -> disconnected
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none') [30 40 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  NetworkManager state is now CONNECTING
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none') [40 50 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): Activation: (wifi) access point 'BTHub5-8ZG5' has security, but secrets are required.
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: config -> need-auth (reason 'none') [50 60 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: need-auth -> prepare (reason 'none') [60 40 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none') [40 50 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): Activation: (wifi) connection 'BTHub5-8ZG5' has security, and secrets exist.  No new secrets needed.
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Config: added 'ssid' value 'BTHub5-8ZG5'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'WPA-PSK'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Config: added 'psk' value '<omitted>'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Config: set interface ap_scan to 1
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): supplicant interface state: disconnected -> associating
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): supplicant interface state: associating -> associated
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): supplicant interface state: associated -> 4-way handshake
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): supplicant interface state: 4-way handshake -> completed
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): Activation: (wifi) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful.  Connected to wireless network 'BTHub5-8ZG5'.
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: config -> ip-config (reason 'none') [50 70 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Activation (enp0s29u1u6) Beginning DHCPv4 transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  dhclient started with pid 1331
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz dhclient[1331]: DHCPREQUEST on enp0s29u1u6 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz dhclient[1331]: DHCPACK from 192.168.1.254
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    address 192.168.1.66
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    plen 24 (255.255.255.0)
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    gateway 192.168.1.254
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    server identifier 192.168.1.254
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    lease time 86400
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    hostname 'archydoobz'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    nameserver '192.168.1.254'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>    domain name 'home'
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): DHCPv4 state changed unknown -> bound
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz dhclient[1331]: bound to 192.168.1.66 -- renewal in 35245 seconds.
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: ip-config -> ip-check (reason 'none') [70 80 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: ip-check -> secondaries (reason 'none') [80 90 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): device state change: secondaries -> activated (reason 'none') [90 100 0]
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  NetworkManager state is now CONNECTED_LOCAL
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  NetworkManager state is now CONNECTED_GLOBAL
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Policy set 'BTHub5-8ZG5' (enp0s29u1u6) as default for IPv4 routing and DNS.
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  Writing DNS information to /usr/bin/resolvconf
Jul 18 16:48:38 archydoobz NetworkManager[343]: <info>  (enp0s29u1u6): Activation: successful, device activated.

Last edited by n_t (2015-07-18 16:16:40)

Trilby

Inspector Parrot

Registered: 2011-11-29

Posts: 30,333

Website

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

Can you boot a ubuntoo live usb/cd on the desktop to verify that this is just a difference between the distros?

If it is, I'd follow that up by checking what the settings are on ubuntoo in order to replicate them in arch.

---

"UNIX is simple and coherent" - Dennis Ritchie; "GNU's Not Unix" - Richard Stallman

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

Smart idea. I'm downloading ubuntoo right now.

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

Interestingly, I couldn't even connect via ubuntoo. Firstly, the network was identified. I could see in the journal, however, that the following behaviour continued to cycle: DHCPREQUEST -> DHCPOFFER -> DHCPREQUEST -> DHCPDISCOVERY.

Does that point to a hardware issue? Perhaps, but it does work on arch, just at 1Mbps. I was having similar issues on arch, I had to connect via ethernet and install 8192cu-dkms. Since that was installed and I ran a system upgrade I can reliably connect, and I'm not suffering any disconnections. I'm just pegged to 1Mbps.

Any more ideas where I can look?

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

You already have an Ubuntu install don't you? Compare its config with that of Arch.

I'd also recommend disabling networkmanager and any other network utilities and setting it up manually - it's the best way to debug.

Last edited by tomk (2015-07-18 17:15:58)

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

You already have an Ubuntu install don't you? Compare its config with that of Arch.

Sorry, I'm not sure which configs you mean. Could you help me to work out which ones I need to compare?

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

The most important factor is the driver - have you identified the chipset in the device, and from that the driver that you should be using? The wiki's wifi page will help with that.

Last edited by tomk (2015-07-18 17:23:41)

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

$ lsusb
...
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 7392:7811 Edimax Technology Co., Ltd EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS]
...

That's my USB and I have installed the 8192cu-dkms package which enables the wifi to reliably connect and stay connected... just at 1 Mbps, whereas my androd tablet is getting about 37 Mbps from a greater distance and the same wifi card in my Ubuntu laptop is getting 27 Mbps.

Looking at the comments on AUR, others have noted a similar performance drop using that package https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/8192cu-dkms/

$ pacman -Qs rtl
local/8192cu-dkms v4.0.2_9000-8
    Driver for Realtek RTL8188CUS (8188C, 8192C) chipset wireless cards

Last edited by n_t (2015-07-18 18:25:07)

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

I've just ordered a TP-Link wifi card instead. I used to have one and it worked exceptionally well until heating up like a furnace and dying a few days ago (after a few years of heavy usage). I've wasted hours now and I'm getting frustrated.

n_t

Member

Registered: 2013-02-01

Posts: 48

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

Steps to resolution:

1. Order TP-Link TL-WN823N
2. Await delivery
3. Substitute for Edimax EW-7811Un in USB slot
4. Restart Wifi
5. Watch Speedtest ramp up to 37 Mbps download speeds

Moral of story: Stick with TP-Link for wifi on (arch) Linux

agapito

Member

From: Who cares.

Registered: 2008-11-13

Posts: 683

Re: Wi-fi on Arch Hugely Degraded

Steps to resolution:

1. Order TP-Link TL-WN823N
2. Await delivery
3. Substitute for Edimax EW-7811Un in USB slot
4. Restart Wifi
5. Watch Speedtest ramp up to 37 Mbps download speeds

Moral of story: Stick with TP-Link for wifi on (arch) Linux

Really? Because i bought a TP-Link adapter 4 years ago, and still is unsable on linux.

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=61111

I changed my TP-Link for another using rtl8187b module, and my problems were solved.

---

Excuse my poor English.