Hello everyone.
I've been using my D-Link DWA-160 network adapter for around two years
without any issue for a couple of years. Some weeks ago however, it
started misbehaving.
After I use it as usual for a seemingly random amount of time (but see
below), spanning from a few minutes to several hours, I suddenly get disconnected from wifi. After that, if I try to connect again with nmcli
my computer freezes and I can only force it off. However, if I unplug
the adapter, plug it in again and then reconnect with nmcli everything
works fine - until I get disconnected again.
At first I didn't bother to even look for a solution, since this
happened only once in a few days. However, now it happens several times
a day, and most often when I reach high download speeds. Anything around
2 MiB/s for more than a handful of seconds seems to be a granted
trigger.
I couldn't find any useful information online and I know nothing about
wifi hardware or software. Can anyone help troubleshooting this?


--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Is there anything you have changed to the system lately? Is there another adapter you can use and try and recreate the issue?- - -
Lucas Rufkahr





Feb 5, 2025 at 09:24 by ceppo@oziosi.org:

Hello everyone.
I've been using my D-Link DWA-160 network adapter for around two years without any issue for a couple of years. Some weeks ago however, it
started misbehaving.
After I use it as usual for a seemingly random amount of time (but see below), spanning from a few minutes to several hours, I suddenly get disconnected from wifi. After that, if I try to connect again with nmcli
my computer freezes and I can only force it off. However, if I unplug
the adapter, plug it in again and then reconnect with nmcli everything
works fine - until I get disconnected again.
At first I didn't bother to even look for a solution, since this
happened only once in a few days. However, now it happens several times
a day, and most often when I reach high download speeds. Anything around
2 MiB/s for more than a handful of seconds seems to be a granted
trigger.
I couldn't find any useful information online and I know nothing about
wifi hardware or software. Can anyone help troubleshooting this?

--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Wed, Feb 05, 2025 at 04:27:20PM +0100, Lucas Rufkahr wrote:

Is there anything you have changed to the system lately?

I can't recall any update of related stuff. But I am on sid and update
almost every day, and at first I didn't pay much attention to the issue,
so I could have missed something.
The only thing I can think of is the firmware from firmware-carl9170.
But I use version 1.9.9-450-gad1c721+dfsg-0.1, that should be from June,
and if I remember correctly the issue didn't arise before the end of September.

Is there another adapter you can use and try and recreate the issue?-

Not right now. You mean another adapter with the same chipset? I may
have a chance to borrow one next week, but I'm not sure about the
chipset.


--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2/5/25 10:16, Ceppo wrote:

At first I didn't bother to even look for a solution, since this
happened only once in a few days. However, now it happens several times
a day, and most often when I reach high download speeds. Anything around
2 MiB/s for more than a handful of seconds seems to be a granted
trigger.

If you unplug-replug faster does it crash sooner? Conversely, if you stick
it in the freezer does it last longer before crashing? Also, is this USB or
a card? If USB, does it have a case you can remove? My hypothesis is that some component is overheating based on its failures being related to throughput.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Wed, Feb 05, 2025 at 12:17:40PM -0500, eben@gmx.us wrote:

On 2/5/25 10:16, Ceppo wrote:

At first I didn't bother to even look for a solution, since this
happened only once in a few days. However, now it happens several
times a day, and most often when I reach high download speeds.
Anything around 2 MiB/s for more than a handful of seconds seems to
be a granted trigger.

If you unplug-replug faster does it crash sooner?

I don't have any real statistics about this, but I'll try.
What I can tell at the moment, is that when it disconnect it doesn't
matter how long I wait before unpluggin and (immediately) replugging: it crashes again in less than 1 minute under heavy load, or anything from a
few minutes to several hours otherwise.

Conversely, if you stick it in the freezer does it last longer before crashing?

I don't dare placing any hardware in such a wet environment, but
refrigeration by contact with an ice pack doesn't produce any
difference.

Also, is this USB or a card? If USB, does it have a case you can
remove?

It's USB, and I think I can't remove the outer plastic case without
breaking it. See this [image].

My hypothesis is that some component is overheating based on its
failures being related to throughput.

This is an interesting idea, but if this was the reason I couldn't
imagine why the issue only arised after ~2 years of use without any significant change in my network activity habits. E.g. I use to download
huge and higly available files throught bittorent very often, so 2 MiB/s
or more is not an unusual throughput.


[image]: http://web.archive.org/web/20250206100923if_/https://media.pangoly.com/img/8/1/7/f/817f0ce6-9cad-4f47-8481-9dd9166abc46.jpg


--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2/6/25 06:06, Ceppo wrote:

On Wed, Feb 05, 2025 at 12:17:40PM -0500, eben@gmx.us wrote:

On 2/5/25 10:16, Ceppo wrote:

Also, is this USB or a card? If USB, does it have a case you can
remove?

It's USB, and I think I can't remove the outer plastic case without
breaking it. See this [image].

Yeah, it doesn't have much thermal mass so the theory is harder to test.

My hypothesis is that some component is overheating based on its
failures being related to throughput.

This is an interesting idea, but if this was the reason I couldn't
imagine why the issue only arised after ~2 years of use without any significant change in my network activity habits. E.g. I use to download
huge and higly available files throught bittorent very often, so 2 MiB/s
or more is not an unusual throughput.

Thermal compound (if there is any) dried out? If you can trigger a failure
by heating the device with say a hair dryer, that's supporting evidence.
But yeah, it might be some software. Or some component aging and changing
its behavior slightly out of spec.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thu, Feb 06, 2025 at 09:36:28AM -0500, eben@gmx.us wrote:

Thermal compound (if there is any) dried out?

There's none. At least not visible, or replaceable.

If you can trigger a failure by heating the device with say a hair
dryer, that's supporting evidence. But yeah, it might be some
software. Or some component aging and changing its behavior slightly
out of spec.

I performed the hair dryer test, but couldn't trigger the disconnection.
I kept the adapter warm, to a temperature higher than what I get during regular use, for around 15 mins. Under heavy load this is long enough
for 2-4 disconnections.


--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usen

On 2/10/25 05:16, Ceppo wrote:

On Thu, Feb 06, 2025 at 09:36:28AM -0500, eben@gmx.us wrote:

Thermal compound (if there is any) dried out?

There's none. At least not visible, or replaceable.

If you can trigger a failure by heating the device with say a hair
dryer, that's supporting evidence. But yeah, it might be some
software. Or some component aging and changing its behavior slightly
out of spec.

I performed the hair dryer test, but couldn't trigger the disconnection.
I kept the adapter warm, to a temperature higher than what I get during regular use, for around 15 mins. Under heavy load this is long enough
for 2-4 disconnections.

Welp, there goes my theory. Thanks for checking. Ah well.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Mon, Feb 10, 2025 at 10:08:46AM -0500, eben@gmx.us wrote:

Welp, there goes my theory. Thanks for checking. Ah well.

Well, it was worth checking. Thanks for the suggestion.
I guess I'll file a bug report.


--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usen

On Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 09:32:25AM +0700, Max Nikulin wrote:

Something might change outside your machine: you installed another
router, more devices have been added to your wifi network, including
ones actively using multicast (IPTV), some of your neighbors installed
new access point working with higher power on the same channel...

Nothing I can recall.

I have seen various recipes, but I have not tried them, so unsure
concerning real effect: explicitly disable 802.11a and 802.11b low
bitrate modes, try fixed frequency instead of autoselect, disable dual frequency channel mode on 2.4GHz band.

I tinkered a little with the settings, to no avail. Of course, not
knowing what I'm looking for I may have missed something important...

I assume, you have tried backports kernel and latest firmware.

Yes. I'm on sid with linux-image-6.12.15-amd64 version 6.12.15-1 and firmware-carl9170 version 1.9.9-450-gad1c721+dfsg-0.1.


--
Ceppo
https://wiki.debian.org/Ceppo
Please, encrypt our messages with the key at the link above and send me yours.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usen