Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

brofjst · 2019-06-04 10:08:59

Hi guys.
When i connect to the public wifi of my university my wireless card keeps to disconnect, i have to turn off and then restart the card about every 5 minutes.
The issue persists from 2-3 months ago, i do not remember exactly, before then it worked properly.
I'm using network manager, restarting it does not resolve the issue, the card can't reconnect to the wifi, i have to directly turn off the card.

$ uname -r
5.1.6-arch1-1-ARCH

$ lspci -k

I've tried to add this line:

$ cat /etc/modprobe.d/ath9k.conf
options ath9k nohwcrypt=1

but nothing changed.
I've tried to install wicd but the issue persists.
I've also tried to run Fedora and i've found the same issue.

$ lsmod | grep -e ath -e ndis
ath9k                 180224  0
ath9k_common           36864  1 ath9k
ath9k_hw              507904  2 ath9k_common,ath9k
ath                    36864  3 ath9k_common,ath9k,ath9k_hw
mac80211              958464  2 ath9k,ath9k_hw
ath3k                  24576  0
bluetooth             659456  6 btrtl,btintel,btbcm,ath3k,btusb
cfg80211              811008  4 ath9k_common,ath9k,ath,mac80211

$ iw reg get
global
country IT: DFS-ETSI
	(2402 - 2482 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A)
	(5170 - 5250 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (N/A), AUTO-BW
	(5250 - 5330 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (0 ms), DFS, AUTO-BW
	(5490 - 5710 @ 160), (N/A, 27), (0 ms), DFS
	(57000 - 66000 @ 2160), (N/A, 40), (N/A)

pacman -Qq | grep linux
archlinux-keyring
lib32-util-linux
libutil-linux
linux
linux-api-headers
linux-firmware
linux-headers
util-linux

Obviously i can't access to the router settings.

i've tried to disable ipv6 but nothing changed.
Network settings
dmesg

Last edited by brofjst (2019-06-04 11:30:26)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2019-06-04 17:15:45

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … r_saving_2?

Zod · 2019-06-04 19:47:10

judging by your dmesg log it looks like your bouncing back and forth between 2 APs

Edit0:Assuming you are back with network manager you might try to change your dhcp client. It could be that your bouncing between APs due to a problem with DHCP. This error "Reason: 3=DEAUTH_LEAVING" means it's a local decision (I think).

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ne … HCP_client

Edit1: Whichever dhcp client your using now, make sure it is not enabled, network manager (or whatever) will want to manage dhcp on its own.

Last edited by Zod (2019-06-04 21:25:51)

brofjst · 2019-06-07 08:30:14

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … r_saving_2?

Already tried but did not work

brofjst · 2019-06-07 08:37:43

Zod wrote:

judging by your dmesg log it looks like your bouncing back and forth between 2 APs

Edit0:Assuming you are back with network manager you might try to change your dhcp client. It could be that your bouncing between APs due to a problem with DHCP. This error "Reason: 3=DEAUTH_LEAVING" means it's a local decision (I think).
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ne … HCP_client

Edit1: Whichever dhcp client your using now, make sure it is not enabled, network manager (or whatever) will want to manage dhcp on its own.

I had dhcpcd enabled, i've uninstalled it but the issue persists, just one thing changed:
when the connection crashes with dhcpcd enabled if i ping a server (for example 8.8.8.8) the terminal doesn't report any message, it just says

PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8) 56(84) bytes of data.

with dhcpcd disabled, it report this:

$ ping 8.8.8.8
PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=4 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=5 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=6 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=7 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=8 Destination Host Unreachable
From 155.185.80.51 icmp_seq=9 Destination Host Unreachable

i post here the new dmesg with dhcpcd disabled

Update:
I've renabled dhcpcd and removed the option ps_enable=1 so the system should be equal as before i started this thread, but now the wireless connection acts differently: when it disconnects it tries to reconnect unsuccessfully to the network, but after about 30 seconds it successfully reconnects automatically without force me to restart the wireless card.

ping 8.8.8.8
PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=1 ttl=54 time=2554 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=3 ttl=54 time=641 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=4 ttl=54 time=348 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=5 ttl=54 time=128 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=6 ttl=54 time=65.1 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=7 ttl=54 time=29.9 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=8 ttl=54 time=73.5 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=9 ttl=54 time=405 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=10 ttl=54 time=422 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=11 ttl=54 time=65.4 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=12 ttl=54 time=2113 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=13 ttl=54 time=1226 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=14 ttl=54 time=383 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=15 ttl=54 time=2330 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=16 ttl=54 time=3820 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=17 ttl=54 time=3293 ms
ping: sendmsg: Network is unreachable
ping: sendmsg: Network is unreachable
ping: sendmsg: Network is unreachable
ping: sendmsg: Network is unreachable
ping: sendmsg: Network is unreachable
ping: sendmsg: Network is unreachable
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=28 ttl=54 time=12.2 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=29 ttl=54 time=14.5 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=30 ttl=54 time=11.7 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=31 ttl=54 time=12.9 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=32 ttl=54 time=11.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=33 ttl=54 time=11.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=34 ttl=54 time=11.7 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=35 ttl=54 time=12.7 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=36 ttl=54 time=18.4 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=37 ttl=54 time=11.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=38 ttl=54 time=11.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=39 ttl=54 time=12.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=40 ttl=54 time=11.7 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=41 ttl=54 time=11.7 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=42 ttl=54 time=11.9 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=43 ttl=54 time=13.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=44 ttl=54 time=19.0 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=45 ttl=54 time=14.7 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=46 ttl=54 time=11.6 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=47 ttl=54 time=14.3 ms

I don't understand what's changed because i didn't even update the system today.
The issue is still very annoying because it disconnects very frequently.
i've tried to reintroduce the ps_enable=1 parameter but nothing changed, then i tried to disable dhcpcd but still nothing changed, the system works as i just said.
i post here the new dmesg.

Last edited by brofjst (2019-06-07 10:44:48)

Zod · 2019-06-07 13:14:47

You might use traceroute to see what your connected to before and after your ping starts to time out.

For instance, get a wifi connection, start a continuous ping and do a trace route. Once the ping begins to timeout and reconnects do another traceroute.

The idea is to see if your reconnecting to the same AP or a different one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traceroute

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ne … Traceroute

Last edited by Zod (2019-06-07 13:18:18)

brofjst · 2019-06-11 12:46:30

When the network works:

$ traceroute 8.8.8.8
traceroute to 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
 1  * * *
 2  * * *
 3  * * *
 4  * * *
 5  * * *

when the network doesn't work:

$ traceroute 8.8.8.8
connect: Network is unreachable

brofjst · 2019-06-17 08:07:24

Update: when i'm connected with my wireless card, until it stay connected, the bandwidth is really poor: my download average is about 50 kB/s, if i use the tethering USB with the smartphone connected at the same wifi connection, the bandwidth is much better (about 5MB/s).

Update 2: Maybe i found the issue. The wireless card works at a frequency of 2.4 GHz

$ iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlp7s0    IEEE 802.11  ESSID:"eduroam"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: 18:64:72:C6:7E:01   
          Bit Rate=1 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   
          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=36/70  Signal level=-74 dBm  
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:3  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

enp19s0   no wireless extensions.

enp0s29u1u1  no wireless extensions.

The smartphone works at 5GHz, how could i change the frequency of my wireless card?

Update 3: Looking at the ath9k Wiki my card AR9285 supports only the single band AR9285 1×1 SB so i can't use the 5GHz band, could be this the issue? a friend of mine is using a different wireless card but is connected with 2.4GHz and works correctly, maybe this is not the problem.

Last edited by brofjst (2019-06-17 14:58:33)

Arch Linux

#1 2019-06-04 10:08:59

Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#2 2019-06-04 17:15:45

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#3 2019-06-04 19:47:10

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#4 2019-06-07 08:30:14

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#5 2019-06-07 08:37:43

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#6 2019-06-07 13:14:47

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#7 2019-06-11 12:46:30

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

#8 2019-06-17 08:07:24

Re: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 disconnects frequently

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