Is there an ath9k regression in recent stable x86_64 kernels?

[David Corking]

I haven't seen problems mentioned in recent posts, so I suspect it is
only me experiencing trouble.

I have been using kernel 3.1.9-1.fc16.x86_64 which gives great WiFi
connectivity for a little Fedora netbook I look after.

However I tried upgrades to current stable kernels, and it can no
longer connect to its WPA-PSK network. (I haven't tried other
networks.) These are the log messages from 3.6.6-1

Nov 11 10:58:21 brownsea kernel: [  318.841665] IPv6:
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Nov 11 10:58:21 brownsea avahi-daemon[751]: Joining mDNS multicast
group on interface wlan0.IPv4 with address 192.168.1.7.
Nov 11 10:58:21 brownsea avahi-daemon[751]: New relevant interface
wlan0.IPv4 for mDNS.
Nov 11 10:58:21 brownsea avahi-daemon[751]: Registering new address
record for 192.168.1.7 on wlan0.IPv4.
Nov 11 10:58:22 brownsea kernel: [  319.899275] wlan0: authenticate
with cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8
Nov 11 10:58:22 brownsea kernel: [  319.911844] wlan0: send auth to
cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 (try 1/3)
Nov 11 10:58:22 brownsea kernel: [  320.112069] wlan0: send auth to
cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 (try 2/3)
Nov 11 10:58:22 brownsea kernel: [  320.313063] wlan0: send auth to
cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 (try 3/3)
Nov 11 10:58:22 brownsea kernel: [  320.514066] wlan0: authentication
with cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 timed out
Nov 11 10:58:26 brownsea dbus-daemon[808]: ** Message: No devices in use, exit
Nov 11 10:58:27 brownsea fcoemon: error 111 Connection refused
Nov 11 10:58:27 brownsea fcoemon: Failed to connect to lldpad
Nov 11 10:58:33 brownsea kernel: [  330.851849] wlan0: authenticate
with cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8
Nov 11 10:58:33 brownsea kernel: [  330.864192] wlan0: direct probe to
cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 (try 1/3)
Nov 11 10:58:33 brownsea kernel: [  331.065042] wlan0: direct probe to
cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 (try 2/3)
Nov 11 10:58:33 brownsea kernel: [  331.266068] wlan0: direct probe to
cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 (try 3/3)
Nov 11 10:58:33 brownsea kernel: [  331.467063] wlan0: authentication
with cc:5d:4e:bf:9c:b8 timed out

lspci -vvv
<snip>
07:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285
Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
       Subsystem: Lite-On Communications Inc Device 6613
      Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop-
ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
       Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort-
<TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
       Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
       Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 17
       Region 0: Memory at f0100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
       Capabilities: <access denied>
       Kernel driver in use: ath9k
       Kernel modules: ath9k
<snip>

uname -a
Linux brownsea 3.6.6-1.fc16.x86_64 #1 SMP Mon Nov 5 16:56:43 UTC 2012
x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Other kernels with similar failures for me are 3.6.5-2.fc16.x86_64 and
3.6.2-1.fc16.x86_64

I'd like to narrow this down, and so be able to use more recent
kernels. Your suggestions, please, for other kernels or kernel patches
to try? Or ideas what mistake I may have made?

David

p.s. In case it helps, we don't use a connection manager, but connect
directly with these commands:
wpa_supplicant -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -B
ifconfig wlan0 192.168.1.7/24
ip route replace default via 192.168.1.1