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On 29/01/2024 17:14, Will Dormann wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Since my reconfiguration of where my MythTV backend lives, it now
> requires connectivity via Wi-Fi as opposed to a wired LAN.  The
> results have been... disappointing.
>
> Every couple of days I'll notice playback of a recording needing to
> consistently rebuffer.  Logging into the MythTV box, I'll see NFS
> errors (my recordings live on an NFS location), and I'll also see
> messages like:
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.
> Rebooting the MythTV box "fixes" the problem, but obviously that's not
> a reasonable solution.
>
> My current Wi-Fi NIC is an Intel AX210. Given the reliability of Intel
> gigabit NICs, I figured this would be a safe bet.
>
> I get that people *might* be able to put up with a tablet or a laptop
> client where Wi-FI occasionally flakes out, and might even need a
> reboot of the device.  But for a system that is essentially set up
> like a server this seems... completely unacceptable?
>
> This experience makes me wonder: is there an accepted, tried-and-true
> Wi-Fi solution for Linux?  Ideally one that supports Wi-Fi 6E, since I
> have that available.

You don't actually need a cutting-edge WiFi card for this use case.

Mine is the following. Tried and tested.

                description: Wireless interface
                product: Wireless 8265 / 8275
                vendor: Intel Corporation
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
                logical name: wlp3s0
                version: 78
                serial: 34:41:5d:25:27:09
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
ethernet physical wireless
                configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwlwifi
driverversion=5.15.0-92-generic firmware=36.ca7b901d.0 8265-36.ucode
ip=192.168.1.184 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11
                resources: irq:139 memory:df000000-df001fff

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On 29/01/2024 16:14, Will Dormann wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Since my reconfiguration of where my MythTV backend lives, it now requires connectivity via Wi-Fi as
> opposed to a wired LAN.  The results have been... disappointing.
>
> Every couple of days I'll notice playback of a recording needing to consistently rebuffer.  Logging
> into the MythTV box, I'll see NFS errors (my recordings live on an NFS location), and I'll also see
> messages like:
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.
> Rebooting the MythTV box "fixes" the problem, but obviously that's not a reasonable solution.
>
> My current Wi-Fi NIC is an Intel AX210. Given the reliability of Intel gigabit NICs, I figured this
> would be a safe bet.
>
> I get that people *might* be able to put up with a tablet or a laptop client where Wi-FI
> occasionally flakes out, and might even need a reboot of the device.  But for a system that is
> essentially set up like a server this seems... completely unacceptable?
>
> This experience makes me wonder: is there an accepted, tried-and-true Wi-Fi solution for Linux?
> Ideally one that supports Wi-Fi 6E, since I have that available.
>
This is your problem:

iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.

Looks like you have out-of-date or incompatible microcode. I'd investigate there first.

Alternatively, go round *all* your neighbors and unplug their wifi routers ;)

--

Mike Perkins


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On 1/29/24 11:50 AM, Mike Perkins wrote:
> This is your problem:
>
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.
>
> Looks like you have out-of-date or incompatible microcode. I'd
> investigate there first.


Ok, I'll admit that I'm a touch confused. What leads you to believe that
the microcode is out of date? The firmware load line in dmesg is:

loaded firmware version 83.e8f84e98.0 ty-a0-gf-a0-83.ucode op_mode iwlmvm

Isn't the firmware version a factor of the kernel being used? In my
case, 6.5.0. And if so, wouldn't that imply that you don't just choose
or change firmware versions unilaterally?


The "Microcode SW error detected" is one example of Wi-Fi trouble in the
system logs. Other occasional signs of trouble include:
iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Unhandled alg: 0x707
iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: WRT: Invalid buffer destination



-WD

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On 29/01/2024 18:30, Will Dormann wrote:
> On 1/29/24 11:50 AM, Mike Perkins wrote:
>> This is your problem:
>>
>> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.
>>
>> Looks like you have out-of-date or incompatible microcode. I'd investigate there first.
>
>
> Ok, I'll admit that I'm a touch confused. What leads you to believe that the microcode is out of
> date?  The firmware load line in dmesg is:
>
> loaded firmware version 83.e8f84e98.0 ty-a0-gf-a0-83.ucode op_mode iwlmvm
>
> Isn't the firmware version a factor of the kernel being used?  In my case, 6.5.0.  And if so,
> wouldn't that imply that you don't just choose or change firmware versions unilaterally?
>
>
> The "Microcode SW error detected" is one example of Wi-Fi trouble in the system logs.  Other
> occasional signs of trouble include:
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Unhandled alg: 0x707
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: WRT: Invalid buffer destination
>
"or confused." Just because the kernel loads a lump of binary code doesn't mean the contents
necessarily do what the API says they ought to. All I meant was that it looks like the microcode has
some bugs which need fixing. It depends on your distro whether they got the fixes or not - or even
if there are any fixes yet.

--

Mike Perkins


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On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 7:32?PM Will Dormann <wdormann@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 1/29/24 11:50 AM, Mike Perkins wrote:
> > This is your problem:
> >
> > iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.
> >
> > Looks like you have out-of-date or incompatible microcode. I'd
> > investigate there first.
>
>
> Ok, I'll admit that I'm a touch confused. What leads you to believe that
> the microcode is out of date? The firmware load line in dmesg is:
>
> loaded firmware version 83.e8f84e98.0 ty-a0-gf-a0-83.ucode op_mode iwlmvm
>
> Isn't the firmware version a factor of the kernel being used? In my
> case, 6.5.0. And if so, wouldn't that imply that you don't just choose
> or change firmware versions unilaterally?
>
>
> The "Microcode SW error detected" is one example of Wi-Fi trouble in the
> system logs. Other occasional signs of trouble include:
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Unhandled alg: 0x707
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: WRT: Invalid buffer destination
>
>
>
> -WD
>
>
Is the backend always on?
Do you use suspend / wake on RTC / wakeonlan ?
In the latter case, it could be a power supply issue ( +5V standby ) which
also caused issues on my side.

Roland

On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 6:32?PM Will Dormann <wdormann@gmail.com> wrote:

> loaded firmware version 83.e8f84e98.0 ty-a0-gf-a0-83.ucode op_mode iwlmvm

I believe ...86... is actually the latest. I don't
know the differences between ...83... and
...86..., but it does suggest you are a bit
backlevel.

> Isn't the firmware version a factor of the kernel being used?

The firmware is loaded from user space files,
and your distro needs to make it available.
Typically it would be in the linux-firmware
package (sometimes your distro will subdivide
linux-firmware into multiple packages to
reduce the size(s), so just upgrading the
base may not be enough).
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On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 7:08?PM Gary Buhrmaster
<gary.buhrmaster@gmail.com> wrote:

> The firmware is loaded from user space files,
> and your distro needs to make it available.

I forgot to mention that the kernel will request
firmware from the max API version supported,
down to the minimum API version supported
for that kernel. It is possible the 6.5 kernel
only supports ...83... as the highest validated
firmware version. As 6.5 is EOL, you might
need to move to a later kernel to get support
for a later firmware level (I know kernel 6.7
supports the version 86 version firmware).
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On 1/29/24 2:32 PM, Gary Buhrmaster wrote:
> I forgot to mention that the kernel will request
> firmware from the max API version supported,
> down to the minimum API version supported
> for that kernel.


Ok, yeah, this seems to be the case. Just on a whim, by dropping the
iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-86.ucode blob with the rest of the firmwares, Linux
sill loads the older 83 version. So presumably this is evidence that
indeed the kernel does have a maximum version that it'll attempt to load.


It is possible the 6.5 kernel
> only supports ...83... as the highest validated
> firmware version. As 6.5 is EOL, you might
> need to move to a later kernel to get support
> for a later firmware level (I know kernel 6.7
> supports the version 86 version firmware).


Yeah, it might be an option. Though TBH, this is Ubuntu 22.04 with the
updated HWE kernel. I played briefly with the mainline
<https://github.com/bkw777/mainline> package for installing Ubuntu
mainline kernel builds. And while it did install 6.7 OK, it put
packages in a weird state because the kernel package was built on a
system that had a newer version of libc than what 22.04 provides. So I
pretty quickly jettisoned that idea.

I also briefly played with a Broadcom Wi-Fi adapter that I happened to
have around and that was a complete nightmare in and of itself that I
gave up on before getting it completely working.


For now, I've got some iwlwifi module options set to see if they help:
options iwlmvm power_scheme=1
options iwlwifi bt_coex_active=0

But I probably won't be confident that it's had an effect for a week
maybe. I've also heard that the ALFA AWUS036AXML is also an option that
"just works" and well at that, while also supporting Wi-Fi 6E, FWIW.

Failing any of that, I suppose when Ubuntu 24.04 is released, maybe the
kernel is new enough to avoid most of this trouble. It's just
disappointing to see how much of a wild west the whole concept as
rudimentary as "working wifi" is in the land of Linux in the year 2024. :-/



-WD


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On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 2:58?PM Will Dormann <wdormann@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 1/29/24 2:32 PM, Gary Buhrmaster wrote:
> > I forgot to mention that the kernel will request
> > firmware from the max API version supported,
> > down to the minimum API version supported
> > for that kernel.
>
>
> Ok, yeah, this seems to be the case. Just on a whim, by dropping the
> iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-86.ucode blob with the rest of the firmwares, Linux
> sill loads the older 83 version. So presumably this is evidence that
> indeed the kernel does have a maximum version that it'll attempt to load.
>
>
> It is possible the 6.5 kernel
> > only supports ...83... as the highest validated
> > firmware version. As 6.5 is EOL, you might
> > need to move to a later kernel to get support
> > for a later firmware level (I know kernel 6.7
> > supports the version 86 version firmware).
>
>
> Yeah, it might be an option. Though TBH, this is Ubuntu 22.04 with the
> updated HWE kernel. I played briefly with the mainline
> <https://github.com/bkw777/mainline> package for installing Ubuntu
> mainline kernel builds. And while it did install 6.7 OK, it put
> packages in a weird state because the kernel package was built on a
> system that had a newer version of libc than what 22.04 provides. So I
> pretty quickly jettisoned that idea.
>
> I also briefly played with a Broadcom Wi-Fi adapter that I happened to
> have around and that was a complete nightmare in and of itself that I
> gave up on before getting it completely working.
>
>
> For now, I've got some iwlwifi module options set to see if they help:
> options iwlmvm power_scheme=1
> options iwlwifi bt_coex_active=0
>
> But I probably won't be confident that it's had an effect for a week
> maybe. I've also heard that the ALFA AWUS036AXML is also an option that
> "just works" and well at that, while also supporting Wi-Fi 6E, FWIW.
>
> Failing any of that, I suppose when Ubuntu 24.04 is released, maybe the
> kernel is new enough to avoid most of this trouble. It's just
> disappointing to see how much of a wild west the whole concept as
> rudimentary as "working wifi" is in the land of Linux in the year 2024.
> :-/
>
>
>
> -WD
>
>
>
>
For what its worth, I've been a long time linux user and used to only use
intel nics/wifi adapters since they used to be well supported and just
worked but some years ago I started having issues with the intel drivers
and started using Atheros Wifi and have had better luck with stability and
just working. Maybe they are not as fast etc but for me I have had much
better luck using them vs intel, YMMV.

Bishop

On 29/01/2024 20:57, Will Dormann wrote:
> It's just disappointing to see how much of a wild west the whole
> concept as rudimentary as "working wifi" is in the land of Linux in the year 2024.  :-/
>
You have obviously never tried to get bluetooth working adequately! You definitely need to sacrifice
a chicken even to get started.

--

Mike Perkins


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On 1/29/2024 11:14 AM, Will Dormann wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Since my reconfiguration of where my MythTV backend lives, it now
> requires connectivity via Wi-Fi as opposed to a wired LAN.  The
> results have been... disappointing.
>
> Every couple of days I'll notice playback of a recording needing to
> consistently rebuffer.  Logging into the MythTV box, I'll see NFS
> errors (my recordings live on an NFS location), and I'll also see
> messages like:
> iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Microcode SW error detected. Restarting 0x0.
> Rebooting the MythTV box "fixes" the problem, but obviously that's not
> a reasonable solution.
>
> My current Wi-Fi NIC is an Intel AX210. Given the reliability of Intel
> gigabit NICs, I figured this would be a safe bet.
>
> I get that people *might* be able to put up with a tablet or a laptop
> client where Wi-FI occasionally flakes out, and might even need a
> reboot of the device.  But for a system that is essentially set up
> like a server this seems... completely unacceptable?
>
> This experience makes me wonder: is there an accepted, tried-and-true
> Wi-Fi solution for Linux?  Ideally one that supports Wi-Fi 6E, since I
> have that available.
>
>
> Thanks
> -WD
>
>
Have you considered using an older router to create a wireless bridge.
I've used dd-wrt firmware and ASUS WRT Merlin firmware so that I can
connect a computer via ethernet to the wireless router which the
communicates via WiFi to the main router.

Another option might be MoCA, if you've got coax cable in both the main
router's location and the remote computer's location. With MoCA, you'll
get a physical connection capable of up to 2.5 Gbps.
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On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 5:53?PM Mike Perkins <mikep@randomtraveller.org.uk>
wrote:

> On 29/01/2024 20:57, Will Dormann wrote:
> > It's just disappointing to see how much of a wild west the whole
> > concept as rudimentary as "working wifi" is in the land of Linux in the
> year 2024. :-/
> >
> You have obviously never tried to get bluetooth working adequately! You
> definitely need to sacrifice
> a chicken even to get started.
>
>
> What's really funny about this situation is that I just helped my stepson
build a AMD7700x based system with a gigabit motherboard. The on-board
Wifi worked great when I booted up the Ubuntu flash drive with the live
system just to test that everything was put together correctly.

But Windows 11 refused to see it and we had to download the drivers and
load them on the system manually to get it to work at all. While chicken
sacrifices were not involved, it seemed very backwards.
--
Justin B. Alcorn
The views expressed are not necessarily my own, much less anyone else's
PGP Fingerprint CCEB F776 C3FD 1050 C8DB 532E B8B9 BED7 7764 406C

On 1/30/24 2:00 PM, faginbagin wrote:
> Have you considered using an older router to create a wireless bridge.
> I've used dd-wrt firmware and ASUS WRT Merlin firmware so that I can
> connect a computer via ethernet to the wireless router which the
> communicates via WiFi to the main router.


Yeah, I've considered this. But then part of my brain jumped in to say
"well, actually... a router is basically a Linux device with working
NICs, so why not just put a wireless NIC in the Linux box you already
have?" :-/

I suppose the advantage of an OpenWRT-compatible router is that it sort
of guarantees a Linux-compatible hardware list.


So far my iwlwifi options for disabling sleep and bluetooth seem to have
resulted in a stable connection. But it's still too early to tell. If
that fails, I've already got an AWUS036AXML on order, and I hear that
the MediaTek chipset it uses is very Linux friendly.


-WD

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Hoi Will,

Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 9:48:31 PM, you wrote:

> On 1/30/24 2:00 PM, faginbagin wrote:
>> Have you considered using an older router to create a wireless bridge.
>> I've used dd-wrt firmware and ASUS WRT Merlin firmware so that I can
>> connect a computer via ethernet to the wireless router which the
>> communicates via WiFi to the main router.


> Yeah, I've considered this. But then part of my brain jumped in to say
> "well, actually... a router is basically a Linux device with working
> NICs, so why not just put a wireless NIC in the Linux box you already
> have?" :-/

> I suppose the advantage of an OpenWRT-compatible router is that it sort
> of guarantees a Linux-compatible hardware list.


> So far my iwlwifi options for disabling sleep and bluetooth seem to have
> resulted in a stable connection. But it's still too early to tell. If
> that fails, I've already got an AWUS036AXML on order, and I hear that
> the MediaTek chipset it uses is very Linux friendly.


> -WD

You should look at this in a different way. Connect the backend by
cable to a dedicated wifi router and connect your frontends directly
to that wifi router. That way you have only one wifi connection
between backend and frontend. You can then bridge the router to your
internet wifi router. In essence you create two wifi networks. One for
mythtv and one for other things. If I remember correctly you have your
backend in the basement, you can place the router without moving the
backend in the most advantageous spot down there. Also if more
frontends connect they do not share the same connection.


Tot mails,
Hika mailto:hikavdh@gmail.com

"Zonder hoop kun je niet leven
Zonder leven is er geen hoop
Het eeuwige dilemma
Zeker als je hoop moet vernietigen om te kunnen overleven!"

De lerende Mens

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On Wednesday, January 31, 2024 5:03:09 AM AWST Hika van den Hoven wrote:
> You should look at this in a different way. Connect the backend by
> cable to a dedicated wifi router and connect your frontends directly
> to that wifi router. That way you have only one wifi connection
> between backend and frontend. You can then bridge the router to your
> internet wifi router. In essence you create two wifi networks. One for
> mythtv and one for other things. If I remember correctly you have your
> backend in the basement, you can place the router without moving the
> backend in the most advantageous spot down there. Also if more
> frontends connect they do not share the same connection.

This works well with hardly (but not NO) differences from a wired frontend

[Slight delay in editing, occasional freeze fot 1/2 second]

James


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On 1/29/24 3:57 PM, Will Dormann wrote:
> For now, I've got some iwlwifi module options set to see if they help:
> options iwlmvm power_scheme=1
> options iwlwifi bt_coex_active=0


FWIW, with these options the Wi-FI has been reliable. Perhaps not as
rock solid as wired network, but the errors have gone away, as have the
symptoms.


-WD

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