After a recent round of software updates my wireless networking ceased working. It has been working flawlessly for the past 6 months but now refuses to connect to any network.
I have a Compaq laptop with B4306 chip and openSUSE 11.0.
Here are the results of my investigations so far:
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gslap01:~ # dmesg | grep b43
b43-phy0: Broadcom 4306 WLAN found
input: b43-phy0 as /class/input/input8
b43-phy0: Loading firmware version 410.2160 (2007-05-26 15:32:10)
Registered led device: b43-phy0::tx
Registered led device: b43-phy0::rx
Registered led device: b43-phy0::radio
gslap01:~ # /sbin/ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:C0:9F:89:B1:C8
inet addr:192.168.1.34 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:4177 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:4165 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:3698065 (3.5 Mb) TX bytes:464600 (453.7 Kb)
Interrupt:16 Base address:0x8800
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:96 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:96 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:5632 (5.5 Kb) TX bytes:5632 (5.5 Kb)
wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:90:4B:AD:B3:50
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
wmaster0 Link encap:UNSPEC HWaddr 00-90-4B-AD-B3-50-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
gslap01:~ # /usr/sbin/iwlist scan
lo Interface doesn’t support scanning.
eth0 Interface doesn’t support scanning.
wmaster0 Interface doesn’t support scanning.
wlan0 Scan completed :
Cell 01 - Address: 00:1F:F3:C3:91:F6
ESSID:“PI Time Capsule”
Mode:Master
Channel:1
Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)
Quality=60/100 Signal level=-66 dBm Noise level=-69 dBm
Encryption key:on
IE: WPA Version 1
Group Cipher : TKIP
Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1
Group Cipher : TKIP
Pairwise Ciphers (2) : CCMP TKIP
Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=00000029557310ae
Cell 02 - Address: 00:11:21:7D:49:B0
ESSID:“Telstra CBD”
Mode:Master
Channel:5
Frequency:2.432 GHz (Channel 5)
Quality=56/100 Signal level=-69 dBm Noise level=-69 dBm
Encryption key:off
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
11 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=0000033006ca11ac
Cell 03 - Address: 00:18:F8:2F:85:EF
ESSID:""
Mode:Master
Channel:5
Frequency:2.432 GHz (Channel 5)
Quality=58/100 Signal level=-67 dBm Noise level=-69 dBm
Encryption key:on
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=0000000dffdcc177
gslap01:~ # cat /var/log/NetworkManager
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> starting…
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> eth0: Device is fully-supported using driver ‘8139too’.
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Found new Ethernet device ‘eth0’.
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): exported as /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/net_00_c0_9f_89_b1_c8
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> wlan0: Device is fully-supported using driver ‘b43-pci-bridge’.
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> wlan0: driver supports SSID scans (scan_capa 0x01).
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Found new wireless (802.11) device ‘wlan0’.
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): exported as /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/net_00_90_4b_ad_b3_50
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the supplicant…
Mar 12 09:32:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the system settings daemon…
Mar 12 09:32:50 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): device state change: 1 → 2
Mar 12 09:32:50 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): bringing up device.
Mar 12 09:32:50 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): preparing device.
Mar 12 09:32:50 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): deactivating device.
Mar 12 09:32:50 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 1 → 2
Mar 12 09:32:50 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): bringing up device.
Mar 12 09:32:53 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): preparing device.
Mar 12 09:32:53 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device.
Mar 12 09:32:53 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): carrier now ON (device state 2)
Mar 12 09:32:53 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): device state change: 2 → 3
Mar 12 09:32:53 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 2 → 3
Mar 12 09:34:01 gslap01 NetworkManager: <WARN> list_connections_cb(): Couldn’t retrieve connections: Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken…
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) starting connection ‘Auto Ethernet’
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): device state change: 3 → 4
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled…
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started…
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled…
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting…
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): device state change: 4 → 5
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful.
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) scheduled.
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) started…
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): device state change: 5 → 7
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Beginning DHCP transaction.
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> dhclient started with pid 3654
Mar 12 09:34:12 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) complete.
Mar 12 09:34:15 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> DHCP: device eth0 state changed (null) → preinit
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> DHCP: device eth0 state changed preinit → bound
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP Configure Get) scheduled…
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP Configure Get) started…
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> address 192.168.1.34
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> netmask 255.255.255.0
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> gateway 192.168.1.1
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> hostname ‘dhcppc1’
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> nameserver ‘208.67.222.222’
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> nameserver ‘208.67.222.220’
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 5 of 5 (IP Configure Commit) scheduled…
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP Configure Get) complete.
Mar 12 09:34:16 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 5 of 5 (IP Configure Commit) started…
Mar 12 09:34:18 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> (eth0): device state change: 7 → 8
Mar 12 09:34:18 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Clearing nscd hosts cache.
Mar 12 09:34:18 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Policy set (eth0) as default device for routing and DNS.
Mar 12 09:34:18 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) successful, device activated.
Mar 12 09:34:18 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (eth0) Stage 5 of 5 (IP Configure Commit) complete.
Mar 12 09:34:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the supplicant…
Mar 12 09:34:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the system settings daemon…
Mar 12 09:36:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the supplicant…
Mar 12 09:36:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the system settings daemon…
Mar 12 09:38:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the supplicant…
Mar 12 09:38:46 gslap01 NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the system settings daemon…
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As you can see wlan0 appears to be working but Network Manager (nm-applet) refuses to display any of the scanned networks or to even connect when explicitly told to.
Any suggestions?