Mint Wireless problem on Sony Vaio VGN-NR498E

[Skip73]

I've just installed Mint 13 on a Sony Vaio VGN-NR498E laptop and everything seems to work fine except for the wireless. It continually tries to connect and drops, tries to connect and drops, etc. The wireless controller is a "Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN".

Thanks for any help that can be provided. Below is the output from the recommended utilities:

============ lspci ============
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub [8086:2a00] (rev 0c)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (primary) [8086:2a02] (rev 0c)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: i915
Kernel modules: intelfb, i915
00:02.1 Display controller [0380]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (secondary) [8086:2a03] (rev 0c)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
00:1a.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 [8086:2834] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.1 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 [8086:2835] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.7 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 [8086:283a] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:284b] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:283f] (rev 03)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 [8086:2841] (rev 03)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 [8086:2843] (rev 03)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:2830] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.1 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:2831] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.2 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:2832] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.7 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 [8086:2836] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801HM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller [8086:2815] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt
00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801HM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller [8086:2850] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 82801HM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [8086:2829] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:283e] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel modules: i2c-i801
02:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8039 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller [11ab:4353] (rev 15)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: sky2
Kernel modules: sky2
06:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN [Kedron] Network Connection [8086:4229] (rev 61)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Vaio VGN-SZ79SN_C [8086:1100]
Kernel driver in use: iwl4965
Kernel modules: iwl4965
08:03.0 CardBus bridge [0607]: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Cardbus Controller [104c:8039]
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: yenta_cardbus
Kernel modules: yenta_socket
08:03.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller [104c:803a]
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: firewire_ohci
Kernel modules: firewire-ohci
08:03.2 Mass storage controller [0180]: Texas Instruments 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD) [104c:803b]
Subsystem: Sony Corporation VAIO VGN-NR120E [104d:902d]
Kernel driver in use: tifm_7xx1
Kernel modules: tifm_7xx1

============ lsusb ============
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

============ lsmod ============
Module Size Used by
usblp 17885 0
joydev 17393 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 174055 1
arc4 12473 2
snd_hda_intel 32765 5
snd_hda_codec 109562 2 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 13276 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 80845 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
pcmcia 39791 0
snd_seq_midi 13132 0
snd_rawmidi 25424 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 14475 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 51567 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
i915 414568 3
snd_timer 28931 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 14172 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
rfcomm 38139 0
bnep 17830 2
parport_pc 32114 0
bluetooth 158438 10 rfcomm,bnep
ppdev 12849 0
drm_kms_helper 45466 1 i915
yenta_socket 27428 0
tifm_7xx1 12937 0
iwl4965 117368 0
iwl_legacy 71134 1 iwl4965
psmouse 87140 0
tifm_core 15040 1 tifm_7xx1
mac80211 436455 2 iwl4965,iwl_legacy
drm 197692 4 i915,drm_kms_helper
snd 62064 18 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec, snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,sn d_seq_device
pcmcia_rsrc 18367 1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core 21511 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
cfg80211 178679 3 iwl4965,iwl_legacy,mac80211
serio_raw 13027 0
binfmt_misc 17292 1
i2c_algo_bit 13199 1 i915
soundcore 14635 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 14115 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
mac_hid 13077 0
sony_laptop 39681 0
video 19068 1 i915
lp 17455 0
parport 40930 3 parport_pc,ppdev,lp
firewire_ohci 40180 0
firewire_core 56906 1 firewire_ohci
crc_itu_t 12627 1 firewire_core
sky2 49545 0

============ dmesg-firmware ============
[ 18.304367] iwl4965 0000:06:00.0: loaded firmware version 228.61.2.24

============ kernel version ============
3.2.0-23-generic

============ ifconfig ============
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1a:80:f6:55:81
inet addr:192.168.1.121 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::21a:80ff:fef6:5581/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:284992 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:145235 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:415206201 (415.2 MB) TX bytes:11516288 (11.5 MB)
Interrupt:16

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:1174 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:1174 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:114444 (114.4 KB) TX bytes:114444 (114.4 KB)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1f:3b:af:8e:67
inet6 addr: fe80::21f:3bff:feaf:8e67/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:4784 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:566 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:431891 (431.8 KB) TX bytes:136045 (136.0 KB)


============ iwconfig ============
wlan0 IEEE 802.11abgn ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=14 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off

[hagfish52]

Some people have reported the driver doesn't handle wireless n very well so they turn it off.

Create an /etc/modprobe.d/disable_11n.conf file and add the following line to it and then reboot:

options iwl4965 11n_disable=1