[Solved] Wi-Fi doesn't work properly with Bluetooth

[Phairnix]

I have the same problem as in the original post. When I activate Bluetooth, Wi-Fi does not work properly.

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inxi -Fxxxrz
System:    Kernel: 5.4.0-58-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 4.6.7 wm: muffin 4.6.3 
           dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 20 Ulyana base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Acer product: Aspire E1-530 v: V2.06 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Acer model: EA50_CX v: V2.06 serial: <filter> UEFI: Insyde v: 2.06 date: 10/08/2013 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT1 charge: 25.5 Wh condition: 25.5/37.0 Wh (69%) volts: 17.1/14.8 model: SANYO Li_Ion_4000mA type: Li-ion 
           serial: <filter> status: Full 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Pentium 2117U bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Ivy Bridge rev: 9 L2 cache: 2048 KiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 7183 
           Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 800/1800 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 798 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel 
           bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0156 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.8 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 2500 (IVB GT1) v: 4.2 Mesa 20.0.8 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: snd_hda_intel 
           v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:1e20 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-58-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries NetXtreme BCM57786 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI 
           driver: tg3 v: 3.137 port: 2040 bus ID: 02:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:16b3 
           IF: enp2s0f0 state: down mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565 / AR9565 Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Lite-On driver: ath9k v: kernel 
           port: 2040 bus ID: 03:00.0 chip ID: 16System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-58-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 4.6.7 wm: muffin 4.6.3 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20 Ulyana base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Acer product: Aspire E1-530 v: V2.06 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Acer model: EA50_CX v: V2.06 serial: <filter> UEFI: Insyde v: 2.06 
  date: 10/08/2013 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 25.5 Wh condition: 25.5/37.0 Wh (69%) volts: 17.1/14.8 
  model: SANYO Li_Ion_4000mA type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Full 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Pentium 2117U bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Ivy Bridge rev: 9 L2 cache: 2048 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 7183 
  Speed: 1796 MHz min/max: 800/1800 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1796 2: 1796 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics 
  vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  chip ID: 8086:0156 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.8 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
  resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 2500 (IVB GT1) 
  v: 4.2 Mesa 20.0.8 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio 
  vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel 
  bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:1e20 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-58-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries NetXtreme BCM57786 Gigabit Ethernet 
  PCIe 
  vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: tg3 v: 3.137 port: 2040 
  bus ID: 02:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:16b3 
  IF: enp2s0f0 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565 / AR9565 Wireless Network Adapter 
  vendor: Lite-On driver: ath9k v: kernel port: 2040 bus ID: 03:00.0 
  chip ID: 168c:0036 
  IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
  Device-3: Lite-On Atheros AR3012 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb 
  bus ID: 1-1.1:11 chip ID: 04ca:300b 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 112.28 GiB (12.1%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 
  size: 931.51 GiB speed: 6.0 Gb/s rotation: 5400 rpm serial: <filter> 
  rev: 1A01 scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 91.17 GiB used: 14.49 GiB (15.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
  ID-2: /home size: 273.84 GiB used: 38.41 GiB (14.0%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/sda3 
  ID-3: swap-1 size: 3.91 GiB used: 13.2 MiB (0.3%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda8 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Info:
  Processes: 195 Uptime: 11h 51m Memory: 3.73 GiB used: 1.60 GiB (42.9%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 8c:0036 
           IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
           Device-3: Lite-On Atheros AR3012 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb bus ID: 1-1.1:11 chip ID: 04ca:300b 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 112.28 GiB (12.1%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 size: 931.51 GiB speed: 6.0 Gb/s rotation: 5400 rpm 
           serial: <filter> rev: 1A01 scheme: GPT 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 91.17 GiB used: 14.49 GiB (15.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
           ID-2: /home size: 273.84 GiB used: 38.41 GiB (14.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3 
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 3.91 GiB used: 18.9 MiB (0.5%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda8 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 50.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
           1: deb http://ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/packages.linuxmint.com ulyana main upstream import backport
           2: deb http://ubuntu.grn.cat/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
           3: deb http://ubuntu.grn.cat/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           4: deb http://ubuntu.grn.cat/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
           6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Info:      Processes: 197 Uptime: 13h 24m Memory: 3.73 GiB used: 1.58 GiB (42.3%) Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: 
           gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

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modinfo -p ath9k
debug:Debugging mask (uint)
nohwcrypt:Disable hardware encryption (int)
blink:Enable LED blink on activity (int)
led_active_high:Invert LED polarity (int)
btcoex_enable:Enable wifi-BT coexistence (int)
bt_ant_diversity:Enable WLAN/BT RX antenna diversity (int)
ps_enable:Enable WLAN PowerSave (int)
use_chanctx:Enable channel context for concurrency (int)
use_msi:Use MSI instead of INTx if possible (int)

I am not sure if I should try this, as there is no explanation regarding what it actually does:

Now lets see what this next command tells us

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modinfo -p ath9k

debug:Debugging mask (uint)
nohwcrypt:Disable hardware encryption (int)
blink:Enable LED blink on activity (int)
btcoex_enable:Enable wifi-BT coexistence (int)
bt_ant_diversity:Enable WLAN/BT RX antenna diversity (int)
ps_enable:Enable WLAN PowerSave (int)

Try

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echo "options ath9k btcoex_enable=1" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/ath9k.conf

reboot and see if there is any improvement

So far, I have understood that the problem probably has to do with the Wi-fi/Bluetooth coexistence, but I am helpless with respect the configuration. Am I on the right track?

[Phairnix]

Well, I realized that I was almost there indeed. I hesitated because I try to be cautious and never sudo if I don't know what I am doing.

In this case, I thus tried to make sense of the command...

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echo "options ath9k btcoex_enable=1" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/ath9k.conf

...and I found out that it creates a configuration file for the program modprobe, that deals with the kernel modules. The syntax of the file is still a mystery to me, but I interpret the meaning to be: "Enable the coexsistence of Bluetooth and Wifi in the kernel module that operates the chip". Given that I do have the same Linux kernel driver supporting the Atheros chip as in the mentioned original post, I deduced that it would be somewhat safe to try out what happens. And so it was.

I have not observed the issue anymore. If someone who is more knowledgeable wants to clarify any of the misunderstandings that I may have included, please feel free to do so, but I mark this post as resolved already.

[Phairnix]

Unfortunately, the problem does persist after all.

I hope that the issue can be resolved, but even more I would love to learn how to analyse these kind of problems. I would like to provide you with relevant information, but I am not really competent in the use of the logs. Could you please help me with the search?

[Phairnix]

I did recently a reinstall and changed from Cinnamon to Mate and thus the problem disappeared. I have no idea what it was that solved the issue, but I guess I can mark this post as solved (kind of).