More often than not, when I boot up, I have no wireless connectivity. On rare occasions, a working connection is dropped. The WLAN Interface widget says <hidden network>. The computer’s wireless indicator light is lit.
The problem is not the wireless router, because other computers in the household (all running Windows) are connected, and my own computer connects when I switch back to Windows.
When I click Manage Connections, the connection shows up, although sometimes it reads as never used. Sometimes it correctly states when it was last used. Sometimes the last used time switches from the correct last used time to “never.”
I cannot figure out how to get it to reconnect. Rebooting the computer never works; in fact, when I’m connected, I’m afraid to reboot, because that usually means losing the connection. Eventually, connectivity returns spontaneously, but this can take many hours. I see no kind of pattern in whether or not it connects, or when it decides to reconnect.
Help!
The network adapter is a Broadcom 802.11g BCM4318. When I first installed openSUSE, I installed the b43 driver and edited the ifcfg-wlan0 file:
These are the results of the recommended exercises in the sticky:
ricky@linux-g9n0:~> /usr/sbin/iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=20 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off
ricky@linux-g9n0:~> sudo /usr/sbin/iwlist scan
root's password:
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.
eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.
wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Device or resource busy
CPU: HP Pavilion dv5030us Notebook PC
OS: openSUSE Linux 12.1
Desktop: KDE
I also had this issue. The guilty one is the KDE-Networkmanager. I don´t know how to fix that but I did a workaround. I configured my wireless connection in YaST. The drawback is that it is rather uncomfortable because you can not use a wireless instantly - you have to configure it first, in YaST.
To do that, just open YaST and choose “Network settings” and after YaST has read all your hardware info and so on, it will give you a message that your networks are managed by the KDE Networkmanager. You then can switch over to YaST (make sure that you tick the option “traditional method using ifup” and then in the tab “overview” you choose your wireless adapter and click “edit” and in there you can set up the wireless network.
You then also don´t have any icon in the taskbar anymore. But the network connection works.
I have home a iwl45xx, after a few mounts the brutal dropping become smoother, now you remark it only if listening radio (the server connection is interrupted after some 30 sec). Most people don’t notice anything. The some with a Broadcom, but another iwl45xx, running under another distribution, runs perfectly.
I have the same issue. My wireless repeatedly disconnects after about 2-5 minutes of connecting.
The AP is using WPA, my card is a:
05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
I am using the b43 driver on OS 12.1 x64 KDE4.8, all up to date according to zypper up & yast.
I have logged /var/log/messages & /var/log/NetworkManager from the time I first associate through a disconnect and then (a bit later) an automatic reconnect (the auto-reconnect does not usually happen, this was a first. Usually I have to disable/re-enable the radio).
After a disconnect the list of APs (by clicking the NM icon) does not include the AP I was just connected to, but does include the others around
While it s disconnected, if I go nto configure via the NM icon and try to add a new wireless connection, clicking scan does not include the AP I was just connected to either, but does list the others.
Hitting fn + F2 (wireless on/off) to disable then re-enable wireless makes the connection re-connect automatically.
The fix mentioned above doesn’t work for me - Mode is already infrastructure, and a random Cloned MAC address has no effect (not sure what this does).
This is more than annoying, the internet connection dropped while I was typing this as well (all of 5 minutes).
I do not know if a wired connection would suffer the same issue.
If there is anything more I can provide to help fix it I would be happy to.
I usually do a zypper up every few days, s I guess versions may change & possibly fix it.
EDIT:
Just to note, no other devices do this (ubuntu laptop, android phone, ps3).
The AP password is stored in a wallet with no password (the default I think) NM has always allow access to the wallet.
networkmanager is still alpha quality. I am used to this problem since 11.1. Fix: uninstall networkmanager and install the gnome applet nm-applet. The wireless works flawlessly then. Let’s hope networkmanager gets better. Hidden SSID and some routers - there is currently AFAIK no other way to get around the problem then to install the nm-applet.
On 03/22/2012 06:16 AM, stakanov wrote:
>
> networkmanager is still alpha quality. I am used to this problem since
> 11.1. Fix: uninstall networkmanager and install the gnome applet
> nm-applet. The wireless works flawlessly then. Let’s hope networkmanager
> gets better. Hidden SSID and some routers - there is currently AFAIK no
> other way to get around the problem then to install the nm-applet.
What version of openSUSE are you using? What device driver are you using? What
is your kernel version? You seem to want to post an indictment of the product
without specifying the most basic information! Are you a troll?
uname -a
3.1.9-1.4-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Jan 27 08:55:10 UTC 2012 (efb5ff4) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
And I am here to state my honest opinion. I am currently running openSUSE 12.1 64bit fresh install from scratch on a Lenovo X201 thinkpad notebook. The networkmanager version was the one of the regular 12.1 update repos. So to be specific (as you take a normal post for a trollpost), you shall be well served.
zypper repos
# | Alias | Nome | Abilitato | Aggiornamento
---+--------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+-----------+--------------
1 | Aggiornamenti-per-openSUSE-12.1-12.1-1.4 | Aggiornamenti per openSUSE 12.1 12.1-1.4 | Sì | Sì
2 | download.opensuse.org-Education | openSUSE BuildService - Education | Sì | Sì
3 | download.opensuse.org-Extra | openSUSE BuildService - KDE:Extra | Sì | Sì
4 | download.opensuse.org-Stable | openSUSE BuildService - LibreOffice | Sì | Sì
5 | download.opensuse.org-UpdatedApps | openSUSE BuildService - KDE:UpdatedApps | Sì | Sì
6 | download.opensuse.org-VirtualBox_backports | openSUSE BuildService - Virtualization (VirtualBox) | Sì | Sì
7 | network:utilities | network:utilities | Sì | Sì
8 | opensuse-guide.org-repo | libdvdcss repository | No | Sì
9 | packman.inode.at-suse | Packman Repository | Sì | Sì
10 | repo-debug | openSUSE-12.1-Debug | No | Sì
11 | repo-debug-update | openSUSE-12.1-Update-Debug | No | Sì
12 | repo-non-oss | openSUSE-12.1-Non-Oss | Sì | Sì
13 | repo-oss | openSUSE-12.1-Oss | Sì | Sì
14 | repo-source | openSUSE-12.1-Source | No | Sì
Versions (all 64 bit):
Did work with the problems described:
NetworkManager-kde4-0.9.1git20111027-1.3.1-x86_64
Did not work at all with hidden SSID and was totally unstable (not even from time to time as before):
NetworkManager-kde4-0.9.1git20111209-11.1-x86_64
Did work flawlessly with everything out of the box – as usual:
NetworkManager-gnome(x86-64) = 0.9.1.90-3.15.1
**Issues of the original networkmanager version **(I will come to the result of the “updated apps” repos after:
Networkmanager presents from a visual point of view beautiful. However it failed in several aspects to be usable for my specific case:
the repos version does not work with all hidden ssid. I.e. it would connect without problem with a FritzBox hidden SSID and WPA2 encoding, Wlan-n standard. But with a devolo wirless-n dlan adapter with the same settings the program connects and disconnects randomly, does not see the adapter (not even if given the BSSID). Nm-applet does perform well instead and connects flawlessly.
sensibility: the networkmanager of KDE proves to have (for me it is not clear why, you can help me on that) a much lesser sensibility for available visible network. If I capture with it I get about 15 networks with very low strength. With nm-applet, same machine and situtation: up to 30 and more. Signal strenght appears to be better.
stability of connect: especially with the use of WPA2 encryption and low signal, kde-networkmanager proves to be instable. Connection disrupts and you have to do
su – rcnetworkrestart
difficulty with the encrypted password storage: networkmanager appears to have a problem to read its own passwords very encryption as he will not be able to connect in automatic. Why, you will know better then me. Nm-applet has no problem with it (maybe it does not offer this layer, so it has not trouble with it? But the previously stored passwords were well read and the connect with the previously “unconnectable” devolo device successfully established.
VPN: I encountered problems to set up a VPN connection with network manager. The establishment with nm-applet was instantly. Now, this can be due more to a problem of connectivity than a real VPN problem. How could I know. As this is a working machine, I need a working VPN. No VPN and no wireless = no party.
If it helps your itches, estetically the program is a blast, compared to this, nm-applet of gnome is straighforwardly ugly. But the latter works. So this is why I tell to use it.
Now, you are not new to “unsupportive posting” like “blame an upstream problem on the distribution” etc. So, to put the record straight: the advice was given without promoting another OS, without being a whatsoever fanboy. I am using exclusively KDE and this nm-problem is really swelling my lower organs. This is why I said alpha quality. So let us be fair. It is beta quality (where beta is in beta 1 as of a long line of betas). I has done substantial steps forward. It is better then ever before. But it is not usable for me, and what I read makes me think the OP will solve his problem by sustituting “provisorily” the kde-nm with the gnome nm-applet. Now, take a good breath, sleep over it before answering, as you are apprently quite hot blooded and tell me then if you really did not here from all sides this very amount of problems comming for the current version. So the final question will be “ did you try to update”. Yes, I did. With the version of updated apps. It stopped working at all, a real desaster. So that was the moment to return to the old and hated workaround to install the nm-applet instead. No pun intended, no flame, no whatsoever trolling.
Now for all the ones that may come up with: did you seek help…no, because it is the inherent problem of program stability and of its very function. Since there have been nothing than the original repos in the beginning, there is no reason for the program not to work…but its maturity. YMMV as usual.
Regards.
P.S. if you need more info, please ask, you will be given.
I tried that. When it’s almost done, it says it needs to install smpppd. The install always fails with the message:
Cannot access installation media
http://download.opensuse.org/update/12.1/
Updates for openSUSE 12.1 12.1-14 (Medium 1).
Check whether the server is accessible.
All I can do at this point is restart the Network Settings module and switch back to NetworkManager. But when YaST switches back to NetworkManager, it doesn’t actually turn it back on. Clicking on the NetworkManager icon just produces a curt message that NetworkManager isn’t running, please turn it on. I cannot figure out how to turn it on! Really, I can’t, other than restarting the computer. And then I have to wait a couple of hours to connect again…
Except that last night, it never did. Occasionally, it woke up, did its configuration business, then sat there waiting for authorization. During these times, clicking on Manage Connections immediately killed the connection. Not clicking on Manage Connections killed the connection. It’s been more than 14 hours now. I’m posting this from Windows. Please don’t make me stay with Windows, because my sanity isn’t that robust.
Make me understand one thing. Do you have only wireless connection or also ethernet. If you do not have ethernet, do you have the install DVD still available?
Use your install DVD to install the package smpppd if you do not have access to the net. You know how to do this? You have to join the DVD to the available install media (in yast - resources). If you do not know how to do this I will guide you. You just tell honestly what you do know and what you don’t know and we will come out of this. Fair enough?
OK, I got smpppd installed, I think. I couldn’t figure out how to do it with YaST, but I did a cnf smpppd, which recommended zypper install smpppd. The install tried to connect to the Internet a couple of times before it noticed the DVD, then ran to completion. I went back to YaST network services, and the installation seems to have worked. When I selected traditional method using ifup, this time, it went through the smpppd process without complaint. However, it is still not connected:
BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (Not connected) MAC : 00:14:a5:2e:ee:96 BusID : 0000:06:02.0
Device Name: wlan0*]Started automatically at boot*]IP address assigned using DHCP
Well, you have to attribute a way to handle it (I suppose you connect with “managed”) than you need to attribute a password, choose the right encryption method and then press O.K.
The fact is you have to know the password of the wlan router you want to connect to and you have also to have the knowledge on what security the router is using wep (not recommended) wap, or wap2. You have to indicate this values when defining the connection with ifup in yast.
First thing is therefore to get the hands on these values.
Is this a PC or a laptop?
So let me try to understand. You have a laptop. You like to run the desktop KDE4 from openSUSE. But the networkmanager-applet does not currently allow you to connect. May I ask you why you do not want to try an alternative like nm-applet or also an alternative to it? Ifup is not very easy to handle for somebody with a laptop. So my question before trying to set this up with ifup: why don’t you simply use nm-applet like me as a workaround while waiting that the issue gets fixed? There are 5 new bugs out in bugzilla, all with issues similar to your and all do not allow to connect. I had the same issues like yours. Now, to work around, I am using nm-applet and it works well for my needs, with wlan, 3G modem, Lan. It “just works” out of the box. So, my advice would be to give nm-applet a try. If you do not like it or for reasons of religion or politics you cannot bare install an applet of another environment I will help to set this up in ifup. But if I well understand you would like to have ease of use and mobility. Right? So this would be my advice.
nm-applet is the gnome kind of plasmoid you can use to connect o internet. Time ago when SUSE was still younger (we speak about 9.x-ish there was the gnome-applet “networkmanager-applet” that is today nm-applet. Then KDE did build a native KDE applet and now this is the one that people talk about when using KDE4. In theory the networkmanager applet has several advantages. It can be integrated well into the desktop environment, it works fine with the wallet of kde-wallet (while the nm-applet will work with the gnome-keyring). It has a beautiful look and feel and some other very nice feature. Unfortunately it is a long way to tipperary and as it appears the current version 0.9.sth is not yet stable in all aspects that would be needed to connect in all circumstances to wlan (has some other buggies too). So in the meanwhile, one can opt for the nm-applet “the gnome networkmanager applet” that comes ugly, simple…but works for me. There are also alternative connection managers (especially for people using UMTS/3G but as far as I understand you would not need them. You want plain easy a working solution right? Ok, that is one. It is installable from the DVD, works out of the box. You simply uninstall kde4 networkmanager and then select the package networkmanager-gnome. This will trigger the install of some other (not many packages) and will uninstall the kde one. To start at systemstart you will have to join the application nm-applet in the autostart list of kde.
To start it you press alt+F1 and write simply nn-applet. A small symbol of a monitor appears in the system tray. right-click and see whether wireless is activated. Left click to choose the right wlan.
BTW, you need to have the network governed by “networkmanager” and not by ifup to run it, so set it accordingly in yast please.
Normally after this installation you should have your problems solved. Let me know.
Geez… why do they foist 0.9 **** onto an unsuspecting public?
How does one uninstall kde4 networkmanager? (When I search the system, there doesn’t appear to be any actual program called networkmanager or knetworkmanager.)
How does one “select” the package networkmanager-gnome?
Is there anything else in these instructions that I am assumed to know how do do which, in fact, I don’t know how to do??? (I got my computer education back in the 1980s. Nowadays, I feel like one of the old folks.)