Arch Linux

ore

Member

Registered: 2008-11-09

Posts: 8

Website

ath5k unstable

Hi,
I'm using arch linux on my acer aspire one netbook and I have some problems with my wifi. I can connect and use firefox just fine but when I download files of more than 200MB wireless disconnects. When this happens I can solve it by

sudo rmmod ath5k
sudo modprobe ath5k

This is more severe at university where connection is faster. I had this problem before but it ocurred once a week so I would not do anything, but now with 2.6.32-ARCH it happens thrice a day.

Any ideas? Recompile madwifi? Downgrade kernel? recompile kernel? Use kernel-one?

Some additional info

               +                
               #                OS: Arch Linux i686
              ###               Hostname: onore
             #####              Kernel: 2.6.32-ARCH
             ######             Uptime: 2:40
            ; #####;            Window Manager: wmii
           +##.#####            Desktop Environment: None found
          +##########           Packages: 583
         #############;         RAM: 262 MB / 998 MB
        ###############+        CPU: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz
       #######   #######        Shell: Zsh
     .######;     ;###;`".      Root FS: 4.6G / 6.9G (ext4)
    .#######;     ;#####.       
    #########.   .########`     
   ######'           '######    
  ;####                 ####;   
  ##'                     '##   
 #'                         `#

demonicanima

Member

Registered: 2008-07-21

Posts: 15

Re: ath5k unstable

Ath5k is just really unstable.

I'm lucky if it lasts more than 5 minutes without it disconnecting (and it still says it's connected) when downloading a torrent. It also tends to get worse the longer the driver is loaded.

And for me, at least, it has always been this unstable.

Sorry I can't help, but it may be better to buy a wireless adapter at Newegg.  Rosewill RNX-G1 seems to have no trouble in Arch (although if you intend to use kernel-one/-one-dev you'll need to compile the RTL8187 driver as well).

jack.mitchell

Member

From: Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK

Registered: 2008-08-28

Posts: 156

Website

Re: ath5k unstable

You could always try compiling compat-wireless. I've been keeping up with it for the last few months trying to get my ath9k stable

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download

Compile from source, I don't bother using a pkgbuild.

Jack.

ammon

Member

Registered: 2008-12-11

Posts: 413

Re: ath5k unstable

You could always try compiling compat-wireless. I've been keeping up with it for the last few months trying to get my ath9k stable

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download

Compile from source, I don't bother using a pkgbuild.

Jack.

I have troubles with ath9, what did you do beside compiling driver from source? How did you set it up?

jack.mitchell

Member

From: Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK

Registered: 2008-08-28

Posts: 156

Website

Re: ath5k unstable

I'm still having major trouble with it, slow speeds, random disconnects, sometimes no connection at all. What wireless card do you have? It seems to be gradually getting better but very very slowly and every so often it will regress into doing nothing at all. The worst thing is that my card has been out for a good 2 years now, maybe even a touch longer. DLink DWA 556.