Intel 3945ABG, openSUSE 11.3,11.4, repeating DL speed drop-offs

English Network/Internet
#1

Hi, I’m new to the forum although I’ve used SUSE since 10series. It’s also because I’ve never had any big problem. The last openSUSE I used without problems was/is 11.2(I still use it as main desktop because of problems since 11.3).
The problem is - the DL speed is repeatedly drops down to around 156KB/s albeit my top speed of router-NIC combination is at 21-22MB/s. When this happen and open network manager and click/reload my wifi or restart wireless or even computer, the speed is back at the top. But after few seconds, minutes it drops down again, and so on. I made some images(to see it on the network manager draphs):

http://i55.tinypic.com/fm5cvm.png

after that drop-off:

http://i52.tinypic.com/30cogsg.png

and restart wireless:

http://i55.tinypic.com/29x7p6w.png

Best chance to see it is when downloading more files with FreeRapidDownloader or JDownloader.
Upload speed is OK. The first time I’ve seen this problem in 11.3, which i’ve skipped in hope that 11.4 will be ok and now, as the EOL of 11.2 is coming I’d like to go on.
It’s also desktop and installation media independent(Gnome works similar, DVD, LiveCD).
I’ve checked many other distributions and none of them had this problem. But openSUSE is my love, so i need and want to solve it :slight_smile:
11.2 is still on the notebook(Asus A6Jc) so we can compare configurations if needed.

Thanks in advance.

#2

Hello lueric and welcome to the openSUSE forum. Sorry to hear of your problems. I wonder if you might use the following speed test and see what you get there:

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test

When I run the test using Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner service I get: Ping 21 ms, Download Speed 16.66 Mbps, Upload Speed 0.48 Mbps. What do you show using your service?

Thank You,

#3

Thanks jdmcdaniel3 for the reply.
The test showed Ping 5ms, Download 21,93Mbps, Upload 4,24Mbps. Now the speed is ok.
5 minutes after and 7ms, D 0,76Mbps, U 4,23Mbps and now it’s not OK :frowning:

#4

So I have no idea what might be going on, but since you have a second computer you could test with this (Like your openSUSE 11.2 you mention)? Have you considered contacting your ISP to see if there might be a problem with the system? While not the same issue at all, but lately some have been having issues IVP6 and some have had DNS issues as well. Now both of these could be bad and your throughput still be good I know, but all can be related to the ISP (as well as some local settings). Recently I had to switch my DNS settings due to issues locating the openSUSE forums and I switched to the Google DNS servers for now at:


Google  

8.8.8.8 
8.8.4.4

I am afraid I have no other suggests at this time except it is possible to update your kernel to 2.6.38.4 at present which might help. I am running this myself and while I have not see the speed issue you have, other oddities are fixed in the 2.6.38 kernel. Just let me know if you would like to try this.

Thank You,

#5

ISP? Well I think the only answer I would got is that they only support Windows and not linux. But there’s also Win XP on the notebook and there’s everything OK, as on openSUSE 11.2. Recently I’ve tried on my second linux partition Scientific 6.0, Debian Squeeze, PCLinuxOS, Sabayon 5.5, Ubuntu, Mint and even Arch and there was no problem. But openSUSE best suites my needs - that’s why I’m trying to solve it. It’s not hard to switch to another distro, but why?
2.6.38.4 from which repository?

#6

I think you can install kernel 2.6.38.4 from here:

Index of /repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/x86_64

You can find the most recent (2.6.39-rc4) release here:

Index of /repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/openSUSE_11.4

I normally install it from source myself and leave my normal kernels alone and still usable should the compile or install not work. I download any source version from here:

The Linux Kernel Archives

Before compiling your own kernel normally you should consider doing the following:

Open YaST / Software / Software Management - Select the View Button on the top left and pick Patterns. Now, you will see several Patterns listed and you want to select:

    Development 

[X] Base Development
[X] Linux Kernel Development
[X] C/C++ Development

Then Press the Accept button on the bottom right and allow these applications to install.

I have a bash script file you can use to compile your kernel here in message #17:

S.A.K.C. - SUSE Automated Kernel Compiler - Version 2.00

In message #22 of the same thread I have a bash script I call klist, to help manage your kernel source files:

S.A.K.C. - SUSE Automated Kernel Compiler - Version 2.00

If you use the nVIDIA video driver and normally load it the hard way, I have a bash script here that can help reload it when required in message #12:

LNVHW - Load NVIDIA (driver the) Hard Way from runlevel 3

I have kind of used the shotgun approach to helping out, just to see if I can hit the target with something.

Thank You,

#7

Thank you for the informations about compilation. Maybe it’s just a problem of an automatic configuration. I will try new kernel, but isn’t there a way to configure the standard system?

#8

Thank you for the informations about compilation. Maybe it’s just a problem of an automatic configuration. I will try new kernel, but isn’t there a way to configure the standard system?
So when you talk of configuring the network, there are lots of things, but not sure what setting you would adjust in a network configuration that starts off fast and then slows down a lot a few minutes later. You would need some odd incompatibility and of course new kernels include new drivers, a possible fix, but who knows really?

Thank You,

#9

Thank you jdmcdaniel3 for your advices. I’ll try them, but wait for a moment - maybe somebody have similar problem and already solve it. However I doubt, as I don’t find any reference about it on the forums. Maybe …

#10

… and what do you think about kernel from Tumbleweed. Maybe it would also help.(It would be nice to have quasi-rolling openSUSE)

#11

… and what do you think about kernel from Tumbleweed. Maybe it would also help.(It would be nice to have quasi-rolling openSUSE)
So Tumbleweed is more about a total, on-the-fly and continuous upgrade of all openSUSE standard packages as new software and updates come out. Since really new packages can contain new ways to configure them and new bugs never seen before, I can’t get too excited about using it. I would be careful using that unless you understand what the whole thing is about. You don’t need a Tumbleweed repository to just upgrade your kernel. My personnel choice is to just stick with openSUSE 11.4, but doing a separate kernel upgrade using SAKC.

Thank You,

#12

So I switch to 2.6.38.4 from kernel repository. But nothing changed. Still the same problem with download speed and drop-offs. Maybe compiling the new kernel will help, but I’ll wait a moment. Maybe someone have some other thoughts about it. However thank you jdmcdaniel3 for your time.

#13

It’s also strange that ifup doesn’t function at all. Anything I did, I couldn’t connect to network, not even unencrypted. In 11.3 ifup solves my problem, although I prefer network manager.

#14

Should I post a question in the internet section? The wireless adapter is working, it’s an internet problem. I need some help, please.

#15

Should I post a question in the internet section? The wireless adapter is working, it’s an internet problem. I need some help, please.
Normally we do not encourage posting more than one message on the same problem, but I am just a normal user like yourself and would not tell you what to do when you have a problem you can not solve. Basically, it is kind of a strange problem, in my opinion, that is hard to peg with something. Now, if you want to know what I would do, I would get a different network or wireless adapter, known to work with Linux, and go from there. Here is a good place to look for wireless adapters:

wireless nic - Google Search

Do consider that your local Internet Service Provider (ISP) can implement bandwidth limiting as they see fit, but I have not heard of it just picking on Linux, but I have had odd issues with network hardware being used in Linux. As for ifup, you would need to have the Network Manager disabled to use that and when you go into YaST network configuration, you are warned about the Network Manager, if you try to change your network configuration. On the other hand, I almost always use the NetworkManager if I am using a wireless connection or to manage when you have two or more network connections of any kind. ifup can be used with wireless, or wired, but mainly when you use only one interface type all of the time. This is not so common with laptops, but might be common with a desktop.

Thank You,

#16

I am nether any thing like being in charge in this language section of the forums and rate myself much less experienced than James.

But if you, lueric, suspect a problem with the network manager
(or the graphical program knetworkmanager that is [among other things] a graphical fronted for the networkmanager) -
maybe you can improve the probability of been found (and finding something) in these forums by adding appropriate tags to your thread?
I have added the two hardware related tags intel 3945abg and intel wireless and have no privileges to add more tags but maybe something like knetworkmanager , networkmanager
or something for you way of being connected to the internet (DSL, ADSL, Cable modem, Modem ?)?

Did you try also an other graphical program for the networkmanager and its helpers?
Like

Regards
Martin
(pistazienfresser)

#17

I noticed you’re using KDE. It seems like lots of people using KDE are having odd network issues. It might be worth a shot to try using GNOME.
Maybe I’m just lucky, but I have five different wireless NICs and haven’t had issues with any of them.

#18

Thanks guys for the replies. I’ve tried both KDE and Gnome installed both from DVD and LiveCDs.
Plasmoid-networkmanagement is installed by default for managing connections when installing from LiveCD whaereas knetworkmanager from DVD.
Recently I’ve installed Gnome(I already tried it when 11.4 comes out, but tried again what might bring month and the half of updates - I have it as Clonezilla image) but again same problem.
I’m writing from PCLOS installed to my second linux partitions and I’ve tried Calculate Linux and the problem didn’t appear(there’s also Win XP on the computer(just for CADs) and there is everything OK too). I want to stay with SUSE!
Can’t it be related to the fact that when I switch to ifup I have no wireless connection although ethernet is OK?

Thanks.

#19

Thanks guys for the replies. I’ve tried both KDE and Gnome installed both from DVD and LiveCDs.
Plasmoid-networkmanagement is installed by default for managing connections when installing from LiveCD whaereas knetworkmanager from DVD.
Recently I’ve installed Gnome(I already tried it when 11.4 comes out, but tried again what might bring month and the half of updates - I have it as Clonezilla image) but again same problem.
I’m writing from PCLOS installed to my second linux partitions and I’ve tried Calculate Linux and the problem didn’t appear(there’s also Win XP on the computer(just for CADs) and there is everything OK too). I want to stay with SUSE!
Can’t it be related to the fact that when I switch to ifup I have no wireless connection although ethernet is OK?

Thanks.
If it is your intention on using only a wired connection, you should be able to disable the wireless and use only wired with openSUSE through ifup. If you wish to use wireless and/or switch between the two, as in a laptop operation for instance, I suggest using NetworkManager as it automatically switches between active connections, but favors wired when both are present. So, when you go to YaST / Network Devices / Network Settings, does it show both wireless and wired connections? Have you tried to use Network Manager instead of ifup? I have a script that can be useful. Look at message #11 for the netinfo bash script. It can produce lots of information, not all of which you need to post here.

netinfo - Read Network & PC Information into a Local Text File

If you have both wired and wireless showing up, but the Network Manager does not work, it is possible to remove present network settings and start over with Network Manager. Just let me know if you want to take that approach.

Thank You,

#20

Sorry for not responding right away, but I’ve been off.
Yes I’d like to use Networkmanager as it’s the default method of managing networks and I like it - easy way of switching networks … Ifup was(in time of 11.3) just the way to use my wireless without problem.

I have clean openSUSE 11.4 KDE 32bit with minimum of adjustments(java-sun instead of openjdk, thunderbird, htop, …) installed from KDE LiveCD. So networks are managed by networkmanager.

I’ve tried your script and created 4 files with informations:
1 - wireless working,
2 - slow download,
3 - reset the network by network manager(click on the SSID of my network),
4 - again slow download.
How can I put them here on the forum or which informations should I post?

Thank you.