Wpa_supplicant scanning a lot, causing ping spikes

Issues & Assistance
1

Output of wpa_cli -i wlan0:

<3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-58 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
As you can see, it scans a lot. And it impacts my ping heavily.
How can I fix this? Running CachyOS with KDE and stock settings.
Will be more than happy to provide relevant logs ;), cheers!

EDIT: Also locking in the BSSID in KDE Settings didnā€™t help.
EDIT 2: after running the command mentioned above for a while, it now shows:

<3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-50 noise=9999 txrate=816700 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-58 noise=9999 txrate=816700 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-56 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-57 noise=9999 txrate=816700 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-58 noise=9999 txrate=816700 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-58 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-57 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-57 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-58 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-55 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-55 noise=9999 txrate=680600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-58 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-50 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-52 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-50 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-52 noise=9999 txrate=864800 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-55 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-55 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-55 noise=9999 txrate=720600 <3>CTRL-EVENT-SIGNAL-CHANGE above=1 signal=-57 noise=9999 txrate=720600

2

Also, using nmcli dev wifi connect FC:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx --ask to directly connect to the AP still shows the behavior

Using iwd showed worse results, and it is worth mentioning that the AP broadcasts both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz on the same SSID.

3

Try LTS kernel and see if behavior is the same.

4

Thanks for the reply!
It definitely helped but didinā€™t entirely ā€œfixā€ the issue, I now see smaller ping spikes (6ms-30ms, previously 100ms+)
and this is the output of wpa_cli -i wlan0:

<3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available <3>WNM: Preferred List Available
Also I donā€™t want to use lts kernel (I prefer to keep my system all bleeding-edge, if thatā€™s possible), so any help?
iwd showed worse results.

5

After an update:
wpa_supplicant[749]: wlan0: WNM: Preferred List Available
This floods the log and causes tremendous lag
Any helps? Thank you

6

Mine had ceased, I hoped it was fixed in the kernel, but upon checking again after your post, itā€™s back :frowning: Sorry, I had hoped for a solution too.
Things that had happened since:

  1. Machine moved several times (into shop for additional hardwareā€“donā€™t have the eyesight any more to do much), thus necessitating moving the wireless ā€˜antennaeā€™
  2. Obviously updates.
  3. Stupid person installed test/play other distro over top of Cachy and had to reinstall.
    I donā€™t think any of them are key, but putting them down because.
    Signal strength is between 97 and 89%.
7

Yeah, we can at least remain hopeful xd

8

You could just try using iwd instead of wpa_supplicant.

Personally I have much better results with iwd.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Iwd

9

Thank you for the reply!
Unfortunately, iwd showed worse results.

10

I am not seeing any error in the journal after configuring iwd. Iā€™ll try a reboot and make sure everything works and the trend continues.
I will edit THIS post and confirm/deny :slight_smile:
Ok, there are no iwd or wpa_supplicant messages appearing after an initial 5 minute interval after changing to using iwd under NetworkManager. Iā€™m running the default cachy kernel. Whoo Hoo, in the scheme of things, it probably doesnā€™t make much difference, but I like it to be cleaner.
Thanks @deex

11

What kernel are you using @Danny_Barron?
EDIT: When using iwd (with NM) it does this and my ping goes haywire:

 blackpc iwd[4336]: event: roam-scan

Also I experience frequent disconnects and other stuff with iwd
Glad that it works for you though :wink:

12

Have you installed wireless-regdb?

$ pacman -Ss wireless-regdb
core/wireless-regdb 2024.10.07-1 [installed]
    Central Regulatory Domain Database

Did not need it before but it seems recommended now.
Results, for me, are the same with or without, so I went with.

13

I just reinstalled one day this week, after a mistaken partition disaster, so Iā€™m a ā€˜withā€™. Incidentally that could be a change in rescanning, because Iā€™m pretty sure I didnā€™t add that manually to my July install.

14

Yes, it is installed on my system.
Same reason as Danny :slight_smile:

1 Like
15

Bumping since I want to get more help.
Again.

16

Bumping again.

17

UPDATE:
While blackpc wpa_supplicant[762]: wlan0: WNM: Preferred List Available is still causing ping spikes, there is also another message now:

blackpc wireplumber[1038]: wp-event-dispatcher: <WpAsyncEventHook:0x587f971de630> failed: failed to activate item: Object activation aborted: proxy destroyed

I am so lost, can someone help me? Cheers.

18

Bumping for advice.