Comment 41 for bug 292054

This seems to be the crucial bit in the logs:

1230757793.729916: RTM_NEWLINK: operstate=0 ifi_flags=0x11003 ([UP][LOWER_UP])
1230757793.730072: RTM_NEWLINK, IFLA_IFNAME: Interface 'ath0' added
1230757793.730156: Wireless event: cmd=0x8b15 len=20
1230757793.730175: Wireless event: new AP: 00:0f:cb:ae:62:62

sometimes we don't get this and authentication times out, the AP is
blacklisted, and then about 60s passes before the AP is un-blacklisted and
authentication happens.

I don't know what causes this LOWER_UP / "new AP" event, or why it doesn't
occur sometimes.

I have tried the ath5k driver from linux-backports-modules package and still saw the bug.

I got a new wifi USB card with a different chipset to eliminate the driver as a source of error. Using zd1211rw chipset / driver this issue does not occur (associated 20 times without a single wpa_supplicant timeout). So the problem is probably with the madwifi driver. It would be useful if others that see this problem could mention whether their driver is madwifi or not.