Hardware problem

**bnei** · 01-27-2007

Is there anyone who had the problem that the computer is making a kind of "beeping" noise when i'm connected to a wireless connection but doesn't make any sounds when i'm plugged in with the networkcable?

This is my problem and I have no idea what's wrong but some things I have done as a debugging:

First of all, the sound is not a quick "beep" and then stop, it's closer to a constant ringing, so quick beeps with a little paus in between. So you don't think that its saying "beep" once and no more :P

The problem is only in linux, when I use my wireless in windows everything is fine and also windows wired connection is quite. So I booted into debian and directly disabled the wireless, no weird sounds. Put my ear against the keyboard and unplugged the network-cable, directly network-manager started to search for other networks and the same second the sound started.

Keept my ear against the keyboard and plugged the network-cable back in, and the sound disappeared directly so it has something to do with the wireless connection. Since it works in windows xp it should not be a hardware problem with the network card so i'm blaming the wireless driver.

I have a intel pro wireless 2200BG and using the ipw2200 driver and 2.6.18-3-686 linux-kernel on a debian etch system. My computer is a Latitude x1.

Is there anyone who has heard of this problem before because i'm going nuts from the sound, its to loud and to irritating to just ignore?

Can it be some kind of conflict between the driver and the kernel or anything close to that?

edit: Is there anyone who knows about a GUI for the networkcard to make configurations? And by that I don't mean to configure wireless network connection, I mean to configure the networkcard?

**antidrugue** · 01-27-2007

You can see if the system acknowledge is some way the problem.

Check the output of

Code:

dmesg

And of

Code:

cat /var/log/syslog

to see if you can find any clues.

Also, you can perhaps force the system to load the ipw2200 with some specific parameters.

For example, create a file /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200 with this content :

Code:

options ipw2200 hwcrypto=0

as the default hardware cryptography is sometimes buggy.

Then reload the module.

**bnei** · 01-27-2007

Originally Posted by antidrugue

You can see if the system acknowledge is some way the problem.

Check the output of

Code:

dmesg

And of

Code:

cat /var/log/syslog

to see if you can find any clues.

Ok, I will check this out for clues!

Also, you can perhaps force the system to load the ipw2200 with some specific parameters.

For example, create a file /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200 with this content :

Code:

options ipw2200 hwcrypto=0

as the default hardware cryptography is sometimes buggy.

A hardware bug sounds exactly like the thing I need to eliminate

Then reload the module.

by doing

Code:

modprobe ipw2200 ?

i have had som problems with modprobe when I was using ndiswrapper so I want to be sure that this is what I am suppose to do.

Will try this now, thank you.

**antidrugue** · 01-28-2007

Code:

modprobe -r ipw2200

will unload it.

Code:

modprobe ipw2200

will load it.

As always, check the man pages for more :

Code:

man modprobe

**bnei** · 01-28-2007

Originally Posted by antidrugue

Code:

modprobe -r ipw2200

will unload it.

Code:

modprobe ipw2200

will load it.

Yep, I did find that.

As always, check the man pages for more :

Code:

man modprobe

Yes, i figured that I could find it there so I did check the man pages, stupid of me to ask.

Reloading the module did not do any difference. Consider the following:

My computer is a latitude x1, which means that I have no fans or other moving parts except the harddrive, so the only thing that is able to cause the noise is the harddrive. My question is, how can the harddrive make weird noises when I'm using a wireless connection and not when I use the wired?

I just got a new harddrive from dell so the problem is not the hardware i presume (had the same trouble with the last harddrive aswell) and only in linux that time to.

Does anyone know of a graphical tool to make network-card changes? There is some sort of conflict that I can't seem to find.

"dmesg" and "cat /var/log/syslog" didn't give me anything, it just said that the network-card is found and in use and so on..

edit: i'm going to try to find something similar from intel who made the card. If anyone else has ideas, your are more then welcome.
I've tried with something called "mii-diag" but that only monitored my wired connection, it did not recognize my eth2 (which is the one used for wireless)

**antidrugue** · 01-28-2007

Originally Posted by bnei

My computer is a latitude x1, which means that I have no fans or other moving parts except the harddrive, so the only thing that is able to cause the noise is the harddrive. My question is, how can the harddrive make weird noises when I'm using a wireless connection and not when I use the wired?

I just got a new harddrive from dell so the problem is not the hardware i presume (had the same trouble with the last harddrive aswell) and only in linux that time to.

What do you mean you had the same problem with the old hard drive ? The exact same noise ? And a new hard drive solved it ?

While you are at it, you can as well upgrade your BIOS to the latest Latitude X1 System Bios version A06 from Dell. It is a simple thing to try, and it just might help.

**bnei** · 01-28-2007

Originally Posted by antidrugue

What do you mean you had the same problem with the old hard drive ? The exact same noise ? And a new hard drive solved it ?

I'm sorry if I confused you. My last harddrive had the same problem that I have now, it made a weird sound when I was using a wireless connection but only in debian (not in XP). But the last harddrive got very hot and after a while it started to smell like it was burning so something was wrong with the "arm" on the last harddrive from my understanding. I thought that the noise it made in debian would go away aswell but it didn't so now I don't think it's the harddrives fault.

While you are at it, you can as well upgrade your BIOS to the latest Latitude X1 System Bios version A06 from Dell. It is a simple thing to try, and it just might help.

Ok, I will do this right away, it might do some good.

edit: flashing BIOS didn't help i'm affraid. I don't know what to do about this, I don't think that dell will give me support when I say "i'm using debian", so I don't know were else to turn but here : (

**bnei** · 01-30-2007

My problem is finally gone and if someone ever has the same problem, here is how to get rid of it.

The problem was that the processor has the ability to make noises when entering some of it's possible states. Depending on operating system and drivers, this function can go nuts and start beeping when it's not suppose to (atleast I don't want it to).

So create a script that does

Code:

echo 2 > /sys/module/processor/parameters/max_cstate

should make the beeping go away. The script disallows the processor to be able to make the beepsounds (if I understood it correctly).

Thank you all for trying to help me!

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