Mageia forum

I recently installed Mageia 4 on a new laptop. It has Ralink RT3290 wireless module.

Initially i was able to make a connection using 'Control Center' > 'Network Center'. It connected, but disconnects every now and then. What can I do to resolve this?

Check your signal strenght. It may sharpen somewhere and weakenned somewhere else.....
Mageia has package called 'u-wifi' by default, so run it (as root) and copy log it produces.....

developer wrote:Mageia has package called 'u-wifi' by default, so run it (as root) and copy log it produces.....

What does that package do exactly, and where did you get it from? Certainly we don't have either a binary or package of that name neither installed by default nor in our repos at all:

Code: Select all

[doktor5000@Mageia4 ~]$ urpmf u-wifi
[doktor5000@Mageia4 ~]$ urpmf -f --name u-wifi
[doktor5000@Mageia4 ~]$

sorry for the delayed response... i had to be away from the system for a while

i could not find u-wifi package or command either.

As for signal strength, the system and the router are in the same room and when it connects shows excellent strength. Connection disconnects without changing its position.
the good part is 'Mageia 4 connects', there are many other distros (mint, ubuntu, sabayon, bodhi) which i tried and they failed to connect. so i was wondering if it is an issue with RT3290?

Which media did you use to install Mageia, and which desktop environment are you using? Do you use net_applet or NetworkManager?
And please provide the output of the following commands:

Code: Select all

lspcidrake -v | grep -i -e net -e wire
ps -ef | grep -v grep | grep -ie net -e wpa


and, as root:

Code: Select all

journalctl -b -u network --no-pager -a
systemctl status network.service -a
journalctl -b | grep -i firmware

I used DVD install media (got it with a magazine).
Desktop is Gnome
I believe i am using net_applet (normally i use the graphical interface in control center)

below is the output:

lspcidrake -v | grep -i -e net -e wire

Code: Select all

[panda@localhost ~]$ lspcidrake -v | grep -i -e net -e wire
r8169           : Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.|RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [NETWORK_ETHERNET] (vendor:10ec device:8136 subv:103c subd:1983) (rev: 07)
rt2800pci       : Ralink corp.|RT3290 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe [NETWORK_OTHER] (vendor:1814 device:3290 subv:103c subd:18ec)
hid_logitech_dj : Logitech Unifying Device. Wireless PID:400e
hid_logitech_dj : Logitech Unifying Device. Wireless PID:4008


ps -ef | grep -v grep | grep -ie net -e wpa

Code: Select all

[panda@localhost ~]$ ps -ef | grep -v grep | grep -ie net -e wpa
root        24     2  0 08:36 ?        00:00:00 [netns]
root      1231     1  0 08:36 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -B -i wlo1 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -D wext
panda     3286  3035  1 08:37 ?        00:00:02 /usr/bin/perl /usr/bin/net_applet


journalctl -b -u network --no-pager -a

Code: Select all

[root@localhost panda]# journalctl -b -u network --no-pager -a
-- Logs begin at Sun 2014-03-16 15:04:34 IST, end at Fri 2014-03-21 08:40:56 IST. --
Mar 21 08:36:45 localhost.localdomain systemd[1]: Starting LSB: Bring up/down networking...
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain network[917]: Bringing up loopback interface:  [  OK  ]
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain network[917]: Configuring wireless regulatory domain  [  OK  ]
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(eno1)[1169]: ifplugd 0.28 initializing.
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(eno1)[1169]: Using interface eno1/A0:48:1C:21:32:4B with driver <r8169> (version: 2.3LK-NAPI)
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(eno1)[1169]: Using detection mode: SIOCETHTOOL
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(eno1)[1169]: Initialization complete, link beat not detected.
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain network[917]: Bringing up interface eno1:  [  OK  ]
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain network[917]: Bringing up interface wlo1:  Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain network[917]: SET failed on device wlo1 ; Invalid argument.
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain network[917]: ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Invalid argument
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain network[917]: ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Invalid argument
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: ifplugd 0.28 initializing.
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Using interface wlo1/80:56:F2:25:A7:A7 with driver <rt2800pci> (version: 3.12.13-desktop-2.mga4)
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Using detection mode: SIOCETHTOOL
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Initialization complete, link beat not detected.
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain network[917]: [  OK  ]
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain systemd-sysctl[1254]: Overwriting earlier assignment of kernel/sysrq in file '/etc/sysctl.d/51-alt-sysrq.conf'.
Mar 21 08:36:47 localhost.localdomain systemd[1]: Started LSB: Bring up/down networking.
Mar 21 08:36:48 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Link beat detected.
Mar 21 08:36:49 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Executing '/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action wlo1 up'.
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain dhclient[1318]: DHCPREQUEST on wlo1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain dhclient[1318]: DHCPACK from 192.168.2.1
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain dhclient[1318]: bound to 192.168.2.3 -- renewal in 2147483648 seconds.
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client: Determining IP information for wlo1... done.
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client:  Job for vnstat.service failed. See 'systemctl status vnstat.service' and 'journalctl -xn' for details.
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client: [FAILED]
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client: run-parts: /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup.d/vnstat_ip-up exited with return code 1
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Program executed successfully.

systemctl status network.service -a

Code: Select all

[root@localhost panda]# systemctl status network.service -a
network.service - LSB: Bring up/down networking
   Loaded: loaded (/etc/rc.d/init.d/network)
   Active: active (running) since Fri 2014-03-21 08:36:47 IST; 5min ago
  Process: 917 ExecStart=/etc/rc.d/init.d/network start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
   CGroup: /system.slice/network.service
           ├─1169 /sbin/ifplugd -I -b -i eno1
           ├─1231 /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -B -i wlo1 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -D wext
           ├─1233 /sbin/ifplugd -I -b -i wlo1
           └─1488 dhclient -1 -q -lf /var/lib/dhclient/dhclient--wlo1.lease -pf /var/run/dhclient-wlo1.pid wlo1

Mar 21 08:36:48 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Link beat detected.
Mar 21 08:36:49 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Executing '/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action wlo1 up'.
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain dhclient[1318]: DHCPREQUEST on wlo1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain dhclient[1318]: DHCPACK from 192.168.2.1
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain dhclient[1318]: bound to 192.168.2.3 -- renewal in 2147483648 seconds.
Mar 21 08:36:50 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client: Determining IP information for wlo1... done.
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client:  Job for vnstat.service failed. See 'systemctl status vnstat.service' and 'journalctl -xn' for details.
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client: [FAILED]
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: client: run-parts: /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup.d/vnstat_ip-up exited with return code 1
Mar 21 08:36:51 localhost.localdomain ifplugd(wlo1)[1233]: Program executed successfully.

journalctl -b | grep -i firmware

Code: Select all

[root@localhost panda]# journalctl -b | grep -i firmware
Mar 21 08:36:31 localhost.localdomain kernel: [Firmware Info]: CPU: Re-enabling disabled Topology Extensions Support
Mar 21 08:36:31 localhost.localdomain kernel: [Firmware Info]: CPU: Re-enabling disabled Topology Extensions Support
Mar 21 08:36:31 localhost.localdomain kernel: [Firmware Info]: CPU: Re-enabling disabled Topology Extensions Support
Mar 21 08:36:31 localhost.localdomain kernel: [Firmware Info]: CPU: Re-enabling disabled Topology Extensions Support
Mar 21 08:36:31 localhost.localdomain kernel: [Firmware Bug]: ACPI: BIOS _OSI(Linux) query ignored
Mar 21 08:36:31 localhost.localdomain kernel: acpi PNP0A08:00: [Firmware Info]: MMCONFIG for domain 0000 [bus 00-3f] only partially covers this bridge
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain kernel: ieee80211 phy0: rt2x00lib_request_firmware: Info - Loading firmware file 'rt3290.bin'
Mar 21 08:36:46 localhost.localdomain kernel: ieee80211 phy0: rt2x00lib_request_firmware: Info - Firmware detected - version: 0.37

Well, everything looks peachy so far. Please also provide the output of

Code: Select all

ifconfig -a

as root

What you could try is to disable hardware encryption or disable power management.
For hardware encryption see the lower half of e.g. viewtopic.php?p=6368#p6368

For power management that would be as root:

Code: Select all

iwconfig wlo1 power off
iwconfig wlo1 txpower fixed

here is the output for ifconfig -a

Code: Select all

[root@localhost panda]# ifconfig -a
eno1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr A0:48:1C:21:32:4B 
          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)

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback 
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:65536  Metric:1
          RX packets:85 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:85 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:16088 (15.7 KiB)  TX bytes:16088 (15.7 KiB)

wlo1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 80:56:F2:25:A7:A7 
          inet addr:192.168.2.3  Bcast:192.168.2.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1492  Metric:1
          RX packets:661 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:536 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:660730 (645.2 KiB)  TX bytes:70561 (68.9 KiB)


let me try power mgmt and check if it stays stable. I will report back in some time on the results

I've recently had a similar problem with a desktop machine running Mageia 4, using a Ralink RT2500 pci card. It would continuously drop and re-establish the connection, throwing up a train of annoying error messages on the desktop.

I found this thread after Googling for an answer. I have now turned the power management off, as suggested above, and since then the connection has remained stable. I haven't tried rebooting yet, so I don't know if it maintains that status, but if not, it should be a simple matter to add a couple of lines to the bootup scripts to turn the power management off on each reboot.

Many thanks for the solution to this annoying problem!

UPDATE: No it doesn't maintain over a reboot, but if you go into the wireless advanced configuration page, you can add extra iwconfig parameters there. I'm using KDE and Network Manager. Adding "power off" (without the inverted commas) to the "iwconfig command extra arguments" box seems to have completely solved the problem. I didn't need to fix the Tx power.

--
Pete

pchristy wrote:UPDATE: No it doesn't maintain over a reboot, but if you go into the wireless advanced configuration page, you can add extra iwconfig parameters there.

Exactly. It will only stay permanently enabled if you add it to the network interface configuration file.

so yes the connection is stable now.. i will mark this thread as solved. many thanks for looking into it and for your valuable suggestions

And what did you change exactly?

not much... just the power mgmt codes you suggested.