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From: mm0fmf <none@invalid.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.raspberry-pi
Subject: Weird Wifi problem Pi Zero W
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2024 11:07:09 +0100
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
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I have a Pi Zero W with a weird Wifi issue.

The Pi runs an SSH gateway and is powered from a USB port on the router. 
It's been running faultlessly for about 2years now with a few tweaks to 
the standard setup to mount regularly written to files on a ramdisk to 
preserve the SDcard. The system reboots every 24hrs as a simple way of 
stopping the ramdisk  filling up.

After a new router was installed, this Pi has issues connecting to Wifi.

Power it up and there's a 75% chance it will connect. If it doesn't 
removing and reapplying power makes it likely to connect. If you reboot 
it from the command line it fails to connect most times.

I have a spare Pi Zero W and swapped the SDcard into the spare. Connects 
every time on reboot or on power-cycle. I place another SDcard in the 
intermittent one and the same Wifi connection problem exists. One card 
is Debian 12 with NetworkManager and one is Debian 11 with old style 
networking setup.

The fault moves with the Pi and doesn't seem to be software dependent. 
Using Debian 12 and checking with a USB Ethernet connection the Wifi 
fails with "could not activate connection: Activation failed: secrets 
were required but not provided" even though the password is set and has 
connected. I've checked there's no dust/dirt or other contamination on 
the PCB. I've powered it from several different USB ports (desktop, 
router, phone charger).  The rest of the Pi seems to work fine when the 
Ethernet connection is in use. Or when it was in an original Pi Model A 
with a USB Wifi dongle, it boots and the Wifi connects. The software 
image appears OK. It's just this Pi Zero W with iffy Wifi.

Has anyone seen anything like this? Most annoying. Any ideas?