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[N <1586650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Public bug reported:

I just recently did a fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04 on my desktop last
weekend, and since that time my household had to reconfigure our modem
and router setup (from bridge mode to DHCP mode). As a result, I lost
all ability on my computer to connect to WiFi or the Internet. This
isn't the first time this has happened on an Ubuntu version.

However, all other devices in my household (there are over eight other
devices between my family members), including my iPad and my
PlayStation, had Internet connection. Growing desperate, I
troubleshooted for days, trying out multiple solutions posted on
AskUbuntu.com. I even opened up two AskUbuntu.com questions, and some
people helped me troubleshoot the issue for a while. But eventually they
gave up and left me alone with my problem.

I felt so frustrated and exasperated. I thought I was never going to get
Internet on my desktop again. Or that I would have to completely
reinstall Ubuntu 16.04, because some old settings had been imprinted on
my file system or something. But I can't be reinstalling my OS every
time someone in my house alters something on our modem or router.

Finally, this morning, I decided I would try one last thing: power-
cycling our router and modem. I was very reluctant to do this, because
the Internet had at last been working great for everyone in our house
(we'd been having chronic Internet problems over the previous months),
and I didn't want to compromise that. But I really need to have Internet
on my desktop. So I power-cycled our router and modem, and finally,
FINALLY my Internet works on my computer. It is a bit slow (only 2 Mbps
download speed, and web pages load up slowly), but it actually works.
I'm of course very skeptical that it will stop working at any time, but
for now, it's functional.

The issue I have with Ubuntu is that the networking seems extremely
touchy and fragile, and isn't very resilient when something changes on
your home network. My iPad doesn't have that problem at all; it will
reconnect to any router within seconds, and you'll be back on the
Internet in no time. My PlayStation can reestablish a new connection
profile pretty much automatically and get you back gaming online within
minutes. It's with Ubuntu, or Linux, that I've repeatedly encountered
this debilitating issue, where reconnecting to an altered network is
such a precarious thing.

I'd really, REALLY like to continue using Ubuntu. For at least a few
years, I no longer have Windows on my machine, I game heavily on Steam
for Linux, and I really need the Internet on my desktop for work and for
pleasure. But if I can't get Internet reliably with Linux, I fear I'm
going to have to switch to another OS. And that would be a real shame.

Please, improve the WiFi networking on Ubuntu so that it is just as
snappy and resilient as my iPad, and I will be a very happy Ubuntu user
for years to come.

Thank you for reading.

My system specifications:
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (64-bit)
Asus M4A78LT-M LE Motherboard
AMD Athlon II X4 645, 3.10 GHz
Mushkin 8 GB PC3 Blackline RAM (2 x 4 GB)
500 GB Hard Disk
Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti

(* I bought the Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter
specifically to work with Ubuntu from a Linux-friendly retailer. It
normally works great, and no matter what it always at least shows WiFi
signals nearby, even if I can't connect to them.)

** Affects: linux (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: 16.04 internet modem networking router wifi

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1586650

Title:
  Ubuntu 16.04 touchy WiFi Internet

Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I just recently did a fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04 on my desktop last
  weekend, and since that time my household had to reconfigure our modem
  and router setup (from bridge mode to DHCP mode). As a result, I lost
  all ability on my computer to connect to WiFi or the Internet. This
  isn't the first time this has happened on an Ubuntu version.

  However, all other devices in my household (there are over eight other
  devices between my family members), including my iPad and my
  PlayStation, had Internet connection. Growing desperate, I
  troubleshooted for days, trying out multiple solutions posted on
  AskUbuntu.com. I even opened up two AskUbuntu.com questions, and some
  people helped me troubleshoot the issue for a while. But eventually
  they gave up and left me alone with my problem.

  I felt so frustrated and exasperated. I thought I was never going to
  get Internet on my desktop again. Or that I would have to completely
  reinstall Ubuntu 16.04, because some old settings had been imprinted
  on my file system or something. But I can't be reinstalling my OS
  every time someone in my house alters something on our modem or
  router.

  Finally, this morning, I decided I would try one last thing: power-
  cycling our router and modem. I was very reluctant to do this, because
  the Internet had at last been working great for everyone in our house
  (we'd been having chronic Internet problems over the previous months),
  and I didn't want to compromise that. But I really need to have
  Internet on my desktop. So I power-cycled our router and modem, and
  finally, FINALLY my Internet works on my computer. It is a bit slow
  (only 2 Mbps download speed, and web pages load up slowly), but it
  actually works. I'm of course very skeptical that it will stop working
  at any time, but for now, it's functional.

  The issue I have with Ubuntu is that the networking seems extremely
  touchy and fragile, and isn't very resilient when something changes on
  your home network. My iPad doesn't have that problem at all; it will
  reconnect to any router within seconds, and you'll be back on the
  Internet in no time. My PlayStation can reestablish a new connection
  profile pretty much automatically and get you back gaming online
  within minutes. It's with Ubuntu, or Linux, that I've repeatedly
  encountered this debilitating issue, where reconnecting to an altered
  network is such a precarious thing.

  I'd really, REALLY like to continue using Ubuntu. For at least a few
  years, I no longer have Windows on my machine, I game heavily on Steam
  for Linux, and I really need the Internet on my desktop for work and
  for pleasure. But if I can't get Internet reliably with Linux, I fear
  I'm going to have to switch to another OS. And that would be a real
  shame.

  Please, improve the WiFi networking on Ubuntu so that it is just as
  snappy and resilient as my iPad, and I will be a very happy Ubuntu
  user for years to come.

  Thank you for reading.

  My system specifications:
  Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (64-bit)
  Asus M4A78LT-M LE Motherboard
  AMD Athlon II X4 645, 3.10 GHz
  Mushkin 8 GB PC3 Blackline RAM (2 x 4 GB)
  500 GB Hard Disk
  Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
  Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti

  (* I bought the Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter
  specifically to work with Ubuntu from a Linux-friendly retailer. It
  normally works great, and no matter what it always at least shows WiFi
  signals nearby, even if I can't connect to them.)

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