Strange issue with torrent files.

So my netbook in my signature is having some network issues.

Problem: Whenever downloading a torrent file using deluge, or transmission, my internet connection willl stay connected (as it shows I am connected) but my browser, downloads, torrent files all stop having internet access.

I have tried to fix it by doing: Installing a different OS (Tried Ubuntu, Xubuntu), tried a different network in a different city. Downloaded the file from a different computer on the same network and it works fine. I can start the download, then when the internet goes out I can disconnect and reconnect and it will work again, then go out again.

I am thinking it is either an Linux issue or my netwok card on my netbook is going out.


What do you guys think? Any Ideas?

* Also the issue does NOT happen until I start using a torrent program and downloading through that. Regular downloads through FTP, HTTP work fine.

 

Have you tried reducing the number of connections or reducing upload speed?

 

I haven't tried that, but I wonder why all of a sudden this would be happening? I can download the same file on other computers on the same network with no problems. And I used to be able to use this netbook with out any issues. It just started happening a month or so ago. Also I have tried on two different networks -- though both have the same wireless router -- and I still have the same issue.

 

Had the same issue, and it was a hardware failure... wireless card. Most likely yours is an Atheros card? Mine was an AR9285.

 

I'm not sure what adapter these gateway netbooks use, even a google search didn't come back with anything worth noting.

The driver that ubuntu is reporting is: ath9k. If that helps.

 

I would have said you are maxxing out your connection table in the router but if it's only one computer that's not it.

Maybe there is something going on with your wireless drivers.

Try to get it to happen while you view the log file in the terminal:

Code:

tail -f /var/log/syslog

 

I have an Acer nettop with the atheros card. It stinks, especially under load. My solution was to simply jack the nettop into the router ethernet style. Others have easily replaced the Atheros with the low-end intel card.

I would google around and see if anyone has been able to replace their Atheros with an intel card that works better with Linux. The other option is to go windows.

 

Yeah Ill give that a shot in a bit. I think it might be a driver problem, because this has never happened before I installed the 11.04's *buntu's.

 

I've run into problems where you won't get anything in the log file, if you lose your connection entirely except you stay associated I have some suggestions that I can post about starting wpa_supplicant by hand (in the foreground so you can see its logs), it is just a little complicated but it will lead to further clues for debugging.

If you want a quick (and really dirty) fix when this does happen:

Code:

sudo modprobe -r ath9k; sudo modprobe ath9k

 

Ubuntu and Xubuntu are not different OSes. From the kernel to the wireless driver to the torrent client it's all the same. If you think it's related to the distributions software selection try something like Slackware or Fedora!

No need for such a drastic step. There's still BSD.

 

And Solaris. Opps...I meant OpenIndiana.

 

This time the computer's wireless completely went out. Even the light that shows my wireless adapter's status went out. I had to restart to get it back on.

Here is what the syslog said right when it happened:


Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.532913] ath: Failed to stop TX DMA in 100 msec after killing last frame
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.541337] ath: Failed to stop TX DMA in 100 msec after killing last frame
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.541377] ath: Failed to stop TX DMA!
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.553610] ath: DMA failed to stop in 10 ms AR_CR=0x00000024 AR_DIAG_SW=0x02000020
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.553619] ath: Could not stop RX, we could be confusing the DMA engine when we start RX up
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.565827] ath: DMA failed to stop in 10 ms AR_CR=0x00000024 AR_DIAG_SW=0x02000020
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 wpa_supplicant[883]: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=c0:c1:c0:c4:3c:7b reason=0
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 NetworkManager[787]: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state: completed -> disconnected
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.624099] cfg80211: All devices are disconnected, going to restore regulatory settings
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.624182] cfg80211: Restoring regulatory settings
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.624393] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
Jun 24 05:36:41 nate-LT23 NetworkManager[787]: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state: disconnected -> scanning
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874489] cfg80211: Ignoring regulatory request Set by core since the driver uses its own custom regulatory domain
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874503] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874508] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874516] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874523] cfg80211: (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874529] cfg80211: (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874536] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 kernel: [ 4675.874543] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 NetworkManager[787]: <info> WiFi now disabled by radio killswitch
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 NetworkManager[787]: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 8 -> 2 (reason 0)
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 NetworkManager[787]: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 0).
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 avahi-daemon[775]: Interface wlan0.IPv6 no longer relevant for mDNS.
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 avahi-daemon[775]: Leaving mDNS multicast group on interface wlan0.IPv6 with address fe80::7ae4:ff:fed2:60b2.
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 avahi-daemon[775]: Interface wlan0.IPv4 no longer relevant for mDNS.
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 avahi-daemon[775]: Leaving mDNS multicast group on interface wlan0.IPv4 with address 192.168.1.103.
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 avahi-daemon[775]: Withdrawing address record for fe80::7ae4:ff:fed2:60b2 on wlan0.
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 avahi-daemon[775]: Withdrawing address record for 192.168.1.103 on wlan0.
Jun 24 05:36:42 nate-LT23 NetworkManager[787]: <info> (wlan0): canceled DHCP transaction, DHCP client pid 1423


- my wireless adapter is: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)

 

Yeah I've seen that one, it's a bug.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/736171

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=27392

You should *not* need to reboot when that happens, just reload the module:

Code:

sudo modprobe -r ath9k; sudo modprobe ath9k

 

Ah ok. I give that a shot next time it happens. At this point though I have moved to 10.04LTS *buntu and haven't had the issue yet.

So It looks like a bug within the newer kernel 2.6.38.x and certain wireless pci cards/adapters.

I guess I will just continue to use 10.04LTS and NOT update to the newest kernel until this bug gets zapped.

Thanks for help all.

 

Just a data point, I'm running 10.10 on an Acer 4820TG with an Atheros AR9287 and don't have the problem you describe either. So 10.10 is probably safe.

 

There's always a chance it's a problem with the card (they are made by different manufacturers with slightly different specs) or a BIOS issue. It may not be the ath9k driver itself, although the solution probably lies there.

 

Just an update:

Just like aforementioned the problem a lot of users are having is because of issues in the kernel linux 2.6.38.x. I installed kernel 2.6.39.2 and have no issues with the wireless any longer.

Might help some others as well.

 

Cool you got your wireless fixed

Just something I wanted to add to this thread - I have an Intel wifi card in my laptop, and have hardly had any issues in running linux for the past 3-4 yrs, but a lot of friends of mine had issues especially with Broadcom, Realtek Ethernet and Atheros WiFi cards.

Most of these issues were fixed by downloading drivers (sometimes proprietary) from the manufacturer's site (not the ones usually provided by some distro's repo).

In fact I recently bought a rig and it came with a Realtek card. I had lost packets issues and opening only selective websites. I was able to fix it by downloading the driver source from realtek website, compiling it and insmodding it instead during bootup. Never had any issues after that.

And like someone else in the thread suggested, if you feel the torrent application is the only one getting bandwidth, you might need to configure the app to limit its bandwidth usage.