Fwd: Re: Bug#1091799: installation-reports: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 detected, wifi networks seen but no network connection

[magnus@autistici.org]

Hi Debian Linux kernel maintainers,

As the problem described in this bug is present not only in the
installer but also in the installed system (one time it worked)
I'm asking you for help to debug it: according to Cyril it's

   "most likely a problem with the Linux kernel modules and/or firmware"
   https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1091799#10

I believe that the Linux kernel module is this one:
https://wiki.debian.org/ath9k
According to the firmware-summary attached to my installation
report I suppose that the firmware package is the following:
firmware-atheros

Using the 12.8.0 Netinst I tried to install on 2024-12-05 experiencing
the problem described in the Subject, with the two different mobile
phones. You can find the syslog of the installation attached to the
bug log. Months later instead the wifi network did successful connect,
with an access point of an Internet café and both mobile phones.

On 2025-10-09 I tried to upgrade Bookworm and full-upgrade to Trixie.
But unfortunately there was again the same problem: the wifi network
of my mobile phone was seen but no successful network connection. I
completed both upgrades using my AR9271 USB wifi adapter (which is
using free firmware compiled from source) and my mobile phone.

Feel free to ask me for logs, command outputs, etc! Thank you in
advance!

Kind regards, Magnus


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Bug#1091799: installation-reports: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 
detected, wifi networks seen but no network connection
Date: 2025-10-10 19:42
From: magnus@autistici.org
To: Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org>
Cc: 1091799@bugs.debian.org, Cyril Brulebois <kibi@debian.org>, 
magnus@autistici.org

Hi Pascal, hi kibi,

On 2025-02-10 11:28, magnus@autistici.org wrote:

> On 2025-02-05 11:47, Pascal Hambourg wrote:
> > On 05/01/2025 at 19:48, magnus@autistici.org wrote:
> > > > magnus@autistici.org <magnus@autistici.org> (2024-12-31):
> > > > > The problem during the installation was the following: d-i detected 
> > > > > the
> > > > > Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 wireless network card, but it couldn't 
> > > > > connect
> > > > > for some reason! This problem is present in the installed system, 
> > > > > too:
> > > > > the wifi networks are shown but no connections despite correct 
> > > > > passwords.
> > > > > I tested with two different mobile phones using tethering wifi.
> > (...)
> > > My friend came again to my home with his Notebook. So I prepared a 
> > > USB
> > > stick with the Trixie Alpha 1 Netinst (...)
> > >
> > > Unfortunately the problem is the same as with the bookworm installer
> >
> > I am not surprised. Atheros AR9485 is more than 10 years old and 
> > supported since linux 2.6.38 so I did not expect any improvement in 
> > Trixie. Can you try with other access points than mobile phones ?
>
> Yes, will do when my friend will come again to my home: we will go to a
> nearby coffee shop as we both only have mobile phones as access points.

Time ago my friend and I tried the wifi network of the coffee shop and
it worked. We were surprised that tethering wifi with the two different
mobile phones were successful that time, too!

Yesterday I tried to upgrade the notebook of my friend from Bookworm to
Trixie. But tethering wifi with my mobile phone did not work anymore! 
:-(
The problem is the same: many wifi networks are seen but the connection
does not succeed! I completed the upgrade to Trixie using my AR9271 USB
wifi adapter (which is using free firmware compiled from source) and my
mobile phone.

Would you be willing to debug the problem? Of course, I would provide
all the logs you need. But I have to say that my friend has only this
notebook, therefore I expect that he wants it back quite soon!

Thank you in advance!

Kind regards, Magnus