You are not logged in.

#1 2016-09-12 09:38:13

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

old usb / wifi adapter / hibernation regression (/mainboard)?

Hi!


I've been looking for a reliable usb wifi that "just works" (without extra drivers from AUR etc) and keeps working (after hibernation... and without random hiccups after which I have to reboot to get it working again) for several years now... the one that used to work perfectly stopped working long ago - around the time systemd was introduced - and I thought: "I'll just use another one for a while, it'll probably fix itself". Well, it didn't... and I've tried many different ones since.

I'm just about trough with the various "linux most recommend hardware lists" that are floating around on the web.

Most adapters stop working after hibernation. Some can be re-plugged to get them working again, others need a reboot. Others have temporary drop-outs / "blockages" where they stubbornly insist that they are still connected to the network but they aren't - and they need a few minutes to disconnect / reconnect. Currently, I'm using the (very popular?) "TP-Link WN722N", which - in my case - keeps working after resume from hibernation, but also stops working at a random time every 1-2 days and then needs re-plugging to a different usb port (same doesn't work any more).

So... I'm wondering if my old mainboard (M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3) is at fault - maybe there's been a change in the USB drivers a few years ago and that's why all the fiddling with different wifi adapters won't ever fix all of my problems?

Or should I try one of the adapters that stop working after hibernation (with no other problems) again and try tinkering with pm-utils (again / some more)?

Or should I buy - yet - another wifi adapter? Maybe focus on non-atheros ones (I think most of the ones I tried used one or another ath_module)?

*sigh* I'm SOOO close to buying an extra android smartphone just to duct-tape it to my pc and use it as a wifi adapter... T_T


Any hints?

Last edited by whoops (2016-09-12 09:39:14)

Offline

#2 2016-09-13 10:10:35

basica
Member
From: Australia
Registered: 2012-10-31
Posts: 217

Re: old usb / wifi adapter / hibernation regression (/mainboard)?

I'm by no means an expert, but some of the first things I would try before getting a new device are:

* Upgrading the BIOS on your motherboard.
* Less likely, but try it on another computer (if you got one laying around) to see if the same thing happens
* See what happens with an LTS kernel or the mainline kernel from kernel.org. I know you want one that just works, but it might help you trace where the issue is, and if necessary help the kernel guys patch it

I know you're probably using wireless for a reason so this probably isn't on the table for you, but I'd also see if there's anyway to to get an ethernet cable to your computer. Probably one of the best investments I made was installing some ethernet ports in my bedroom and living room so all my devices had a physical connection. I know this is more of an extreme alternative so probably not viable for your situation.

Offline

#3 2016-09-24 10:41:04

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: old usb / wifi adapter / hibernation regression (/mainboard)?

- I have a M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 - according to the ASUS support site, the last BIOS update for that was "2301" from 2012, which might have been before I bought it (don't remember ever having updated that BIOS myself): [    0.000000] DMI: System manufacturer System Product Name/M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, BIOS 2301    08/09/2012
- Don't have another linux machine that is capable of hibernating at the moment (except for a headless one which almost drove me insane when I tried to use it for testing because I kept "loosing" it, had to nmap the whole network and still never was sure if it was working or not).
- I tried kernel LTS and mainline (AUR) for a few days each. Didn't seem to make a difference.
- Also, you guessed right: Can't get an ethernet cable to that machine. I tried several "powerlan" solutions a while back but it was substantially terrible.

What I noticed though, is that my current wifi adapter ("TP-Link WN722N") doesn't just stop working randomly: It stops working *once* (and only once) 4-10 hours *after* every hibernation (ONLY after hibernation) - unless I un/re-plug it *after* hibernation but before it stops working- Then is just keeps working. Which seems VERY weird to me. Isn't that a really weird thing to happen? Could be the same problem as all the other adapters... but for some reason delayed by a few hours. Can't make sense of it.

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB