Connection with Asus PCE-N15 wireless card falls out.

[globetrotterdk]

I installed a Slackware current kernel on my Salix64 KDE 13.37 system, in an attempt to get my Asus PCE-N15 wireless card working. The card is listed as:

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# lspci -knn
---snip---
07:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188CE 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter [10ec:8178] (rev 01)
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:84b6]
---snip---

It is believed that the device uses the RealTek rtl8192ce chipset. The following confirms that the driver for the chipset gets loaded.

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# modprobe -l | grep rtl8192ce
kernel/drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192ce/rtl8192ce.ko

The wireless connection falls out and shouldn't be influenced by signal strength as the computer is only two meters from the wireless router. Other computers experience no difficulty connecting at that distance. What is causing this problem, and how can it be solved?

Edit:
If I disconnect from the wireless connection and connect to a wired connection and then connect again (after disconnecting from the wired connection) to the wireless connection, I get the following error, despite nothing having been changed in the setup: "Connection Failed: Bad password". Could this be a wicd issue instead of a driver issue?

[mimosa]

I'm not sure about the main problem. but for what it's worth, as I understand it, that modprobe -l code doesn't show that the driver got loaded, it shows its availability from the kernel. lsmod | grep rtl will tell you which related modules/drivers are actually loaded at any time.

Also if you're getting any connectivity out of the card at all, that suggests the problem doesn't lie with the driver.

Sorry not to be more help!

[globetrotterdk]

I'm not sure about the main problem. but for what it's worth, as I understand it, that modprobe -l code doesn't show that the driver got loaded, it shows its availability from the kernel. lsmod | grep rtl will tell you which related modules/drivers are actually loaded at any time.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry, I posted the wrong code, as you discovered.

Also if you're getting any connectivity out of the card at all, that suggests the problem doesn't lie with the driver.
Sorry not to be more help!

I'll try to do some more research on the issue.

[globetrotterdk]

And the weirdness continues.

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# lsmod | grep rtl8192ce
rtl8192ce              71535  0 
rtl8192c_common        55719  1 rtl8192ce
rtlwifi                90396  1 rtl8192ce
mac80211              227240  3 rtl8192ce,rtl8192c_common,rtlwifi

Looks fine, but the wicd applet doesn't load and when I access wicd from Kicker, wicd says that it can't find any wireless networks.

[gapan]

There is a "Wireless interface" setting in wicd preferences. It's set to wlan0, but your card might have another name. Check by running iwconfig from a root terminal.

[globetrotterdk]

There is a "Wireless interface" setting in wicd preferences. It's set to wlan0, but your card might have another name. Check by running iwconfig from a root terminal.

Thanks for the reply.

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# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr=2347 B   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          
eth0      no wireless extensions.

Edit:
BTW, I am running the computer on the ethernet connection at this time, so that may be why iwconfig reports that the access point isn't associated. I have kept the computer running all morning, with no changes, just accessed wicd a minute ago and I see that the wireless networks have returned.

[mimosa]

I think wicd has some option determining whether it automatically reconnects if there is a break. Or maybe something else to do with wicd. Wicd normally "just works", but in this case, probably if you fiddle with it a bit it will resolve whatever is happening.

Failing that there are other ways - but wicd is normally the most straightforward solution.

[gapan]

If you are already connected using the wired interface, wicd will not show wireless networks. Why should it? You're already connected.

[globetrotterdk]

If you are already connected using the wired interface, wicd will not show wireless networks. Why should it? You're already connected.

I booted the system with my wireless connection set as default, but the wireless connection kept dropping out and then died all together. That is when I looked at wicd, no wireless connections were listed, tried a refresh, still nothing. First then did I connect to the wired connection. BTW, wicd normally shows wireless connections if the card is configured in the wicd preferences, regardless of whether a wired or wireless connection is being used.

[globetrotterdk]

I think wicd has some option determining whether it automatically reconnects if there is a break. Or maybe something else to do with wicd. Wicd normally "just works", but in this case, probably if you fiddle with it a bit it will resolve whatever is happening.
Failing that there are other ways - but wicd is normally the most straightforward solution.

Cheers. I experienced some system instability as well in connection with my latest shutdown. None of the options (logout, restart, shutdown) in the Kicker menu worked. I had to shut down the computer by going into a terminal and issuing:

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# shutdown -h now

I assume some instability is to be expected with the new kernel, but I sure hopes it calms down soon