Re: [gentoo-user] lost wireless network

[Michael Mol]

On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 3:31 PM, pat <pat@××××××××.org> wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:08:17 +0000, Mick wrote
>> On Saturday 28 Jan 2012 17:00:35 Canek Peláez Valdés wrote:
>> > On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 6:52 AM, pat <pat@××××××××.org> wrote:
>> > > On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:46:37 +0100, Florian Philipp wrote
>> > >
>> > >> Am 28.01.2012 12:38, schrieb pat:
>> > >> > Hi,
>> > >> >
>> > >> > I've used wireless network about half of a year ago. Now I need it and
>> > >> > it doesn't start :-( My gentoo is up to date.
>> > >> >
>> > >> > I'm using network manager (and it's nm-applet).
>> > >> >
>> > >> > Wireless info:
>> > >> > description: Wireless interface
>> > >> > product: WiFi Link 6000 Series
>> > >> > vendor: Intel Corporation
>> > >> > capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
>> > >> > wireless configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwlagn
>> > >> > driverversion=3.0.6-tuxonice firmware=9.221.4.1 build 25532 latency=0
>> > >> > link=no multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abgn
>> > >> >
>> > >> > After switching on, the dmesg says:
>> > >> > iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to enable radio.
>> > >> > usb 2-1.7: new full speed USB device number 78 using ehci_hcd
>> > >> >
>> > >> > but wireless control doesn't indicate that it's on and nm-applies says
>> > >> > the wireless is disabled by hw switch.
>> > >> >
>> > >> > It worked on tuxonice-sources-2.6.38-r1 but now it doesn't work on it
>> > >> > too :-( Current kernel is tuxonice-sources-3.0.6 (planing upgrade to
>> > >> > 3.0.17, but only with wireless :-) ).
>> > >> >
>> > >> > Please, could someone help me? I have no idea where to start :-\
>> > >> >
>> > >> > Thanks
>> > >> >
>> > >> >      Pat
>> > >>
>> > >> Do you have the rfkill module loaded?
>> > >>
>> > >> Regards,
>> > >> Florian Philipp
>> > >
>> > > Yes.
>> > > rfkill                 15504  1 cfg80211
>> >
>> > I think Florian meant the rfkill package:
>> >
>> > net-wireless/rfkill
>> >
>> > Install it, and run "rfkill list"; mine says:
>> >
>> > # rfkill list
>> > 0: sony-wifi: Wireless LAN
>> >     Soft blocked: no
>> >     Hard blocked: no
>> > 1: sony-bluetooth: Bluetooth
>> >     Soft blocked: no
>> >     Hard blocked: no
>> > 3: phy0: Wireless LAN
>> >     Soft blocked: no
>> >     Hard blocked: no
>> > 31: hci0: Bluetooth
>> >     Soft blocked: no
>> >     Hard blocked: no
>> >
>> > As you can see, all of them say "Hard blocked: no". If in your case
>> > one says "Hard blocked: yes", you can change it with "rfkill unblock
>> > wlan0", for example.
>>
>> ... or pushing the wireless button on the machine?
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>> Mick
>
> Hi,
>
> I've installed the rfkill and when hw switch is off:
> 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
>        Soft blocked: no
>        Hard blocked: yes
>
> And when on:
> 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
>        Soft blocked: no
>        Hard blocked: no
>
> Thanks for help

That means there's a physical toggle switch somewhere on the device
that's turning the wireless access on and off. Sometimes that's a
switch on the side, sometimes that's a dedicated button, and sometimes
that's something like Fn+(some other keyboard key).

My old Acer Aspire laptop had a wireless toggle button that the side
of my left hand kept resting on. If my wireless dropped, the first
thing I always did was poke that button a couple times. (This was
before any Linux distro properly supported toggling the LED on that
particular button...)

-- 
:wq