Public bug reported: My Intel 6250 wireless card works fine on every wireless network I use except the MIT campus network (MIT SECURE), where it usually disconnects a few minutes after connecting, and fails to reassociate.
MIT SECURE has a large number of Cisco access points (I see 13 from where I’m sitting), and uses PEAP+MSCHAPv2 authentication. Here’s the analysis provided by upstream NetworkManager and kernel wifi developers, with a potential patch: """ The supplicant finds a stronger access point to roam to: Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: Considering within-ESS reassociation Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: Current BSS: 00:21:d8:49:d1:9c level=-58 Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: Selected BSS: 00:21:d8:49:d1:93 level=-45 then the kernel driver attempts to probe the AP and it fails to receive a response: Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk kernel: [ 2144.807693] wlan0: direct probe to 00:21:d8:49:d1:93 (try 2/3) Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk kernel: [ 2145.011202] wlan0: direct probe to 00:21:d8:49:d1:93 (try 3/3) Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: Event AUTH_TIMED_OUT (14) received Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk kernel: [ 2145.214699] wlan0: authentication with 00:21:d8:49:d1:93 timed out Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: SME: Authentication timed out Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: Added BSSID 00:21:d8:49:d1:93 into blacklist Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: Another BSS in this ESS has been seen; try it next Apr 6 15:59:48 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: BSSID 00:21:d8:49:d1:93 blacklist count incremented to 2 then the supplicant tries to reassociate to the previous AP, but fails due to a driver bug: Apr 6 15:59:49 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: nl80211: Authenticate (ifindex=7) Apr 6 15:59:49 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: * bssid=00:21:d8:49:d1:9c Apr 6 15:59:49 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: * freq=5805 Apr 6 15:59:49 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: * IEs - hexdump(len=0): [NULL] Apr 6 15:59:49 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: * Auth Type 0 Apr 6 15:59:49 fixed-disk wpa_supplicant[6507]: wlan0: nl80211: MLME command failed (auth): ret=-114 (Operation already in progress) So the analysis here indicates that: 1) The supplicant's roaming thresholds are very small, and that means the supplicant is trying to roam too often; I've patched wpa_supplicant in Fedora to compensate for this, but it's really a problem in wpa_supplicant upstream. 2) the Cisco wifi infrastructure may be using "client steering" to load balance access points and force clients to associate with less-busy access points; this could be the cause of the failure to probe-request 00:21:d8:49:d1:93. That's not very nice behavior of the network, but it's a fact of life and the supplicant and kernel drivers need to handle this 3) the kernel driver and mac80211 stack have some bugs in your kernel version, which is the cause of the -114 (operation already in progress) error. Discussing this with kernel wifi developers, it appears the mac80211 bits aren't communicating to the cfg80211 layer about the forced disconnection. (04:52:36 PM) johill: hmm (04:52:40 PM) johill: this looks weird/buggy (04:53:05 PM) johill: it kinda looks like we don't tell cfg80211 we're now disconnected? (04:53:36 PM) dcbw: and so the cfg8021 layer rejects with EINPROGRESS? (04:53:42 PM) johill: -ealready (04:53:44 PM) dcbw: ah (04:54:01 PM) johill: I suspect wdev->current_bss never gets cleared (04:54:15 PM) johill: and because auth fails it never gets set again either (04:54:28 PM) johill: so then it's stuck and that's why it's also reporting the wrong thing in the scan results A potential fix for that issue is: http://p.sipsolutions.net/84770fab4e3fc6ba.txt """ ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04 Package: linux-image-3.8.0-17-generic 3.8.0-17.27 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-17.27-generic 3.8.6 Uname: Linux 3.8.0-17-generic x86_64 NonfreeKernelModules: openafs ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu5 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC0: anders 3423 F.... pulseaudio Date: Tue Apr 9 04:08:08 2013 EcryptfsInUse: Yes HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=fd305e7c-c58c-4061-8105-5cda63c38849 InstallationDate: Installed on 2010-12-05 (855 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Alpha amd64 (20101202) MachineType: LENOVO 4313CTO MarkForUpload: True ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-17-generic root=/dev/mapper/fdisk-ubuntu ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash vt.handoff=7 RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-17-generic N/A linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-17-generic N/A linux-firmware 1.104 SourcePackage: linux UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2012-11-15 (144 days ago) dmi.bios.date: 09/26/2012 dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO dmi.bios.version: 6MET92WW (1.52 ) dmi.board.name: 4313CTO dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO dmi.board.version: Not Available dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information dmi.chassis.type: 10 dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO dmi.chassis.version: Not Available dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr6MET92WW(1.52):bd09/26/2012:svnLENOVO:pn4313CTO:pvrThinkPadT510:rvnLENOVO:rn4313CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable: dmi.product.name: 4313CTO dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T510 dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO ** Affects: network-manager Importance: Unknown Status: Unknown ** Affects: linux (Ubuntu) Importance: Undecided Status: New ** Tags: amd64 apport-bug raring ** Patch added: "84770fab4e3fc6ba.txt" https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1166648/+attachment/3633814/+files/84770fab4e3fc6ba.txt ** Bug watch added: GNOME Bug Tracker #697460 https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=697460 ** Also affects: network-manager via https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=697460 Importance: Unknown Status: Unknown -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1166648 Title: Frequent disconnects from MIT wireless network To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/network-manager/+bug/1166648/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
