Wireless gets DHCP but can't Ping

eddieroger · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 18

Hello,

I have a Dell Inspiron 8100 and an Orinoco Class Gold (rev. 8.72, FWIW), and I can't get it on the Internet! Basically, it runs DHCPCD successfully and gets an IP address, a valid one, but won't ping or do anything. Starting manually or via script at boot, it goes, gets an address, but can't do anything else. I have changed the /etc/conf.d/wireless to DHCP, added the route of my wireless AP as the gateway both manually and in the script, but it still fails. It can't even ping based on IP to my router (at 192.168.1.1). I know I'm missing some small thing somewhere, but I don't know what or where it went. The wired connection works perfectly when plugged in and can ping, traceroute, surf, anything, but the wireless just fails. Please help! Thanks.

-eddieroger

jdaugherty · n00b Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 23

If you're getting an IP address then I assume it's connected to the router. Maybe this is a router issue?

Have you tried looking at your router to see if it has any mac address filtering enabled? I know that sometimes you can still get an IP but if you're not given explict permission (on the router's end) to access the network, then you cannot. Usually these settings are accessible from an internet browser at the address 192.168.1.1

Thanks,
JD

eddieroger · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 18

The router works great, actually. I have the computer plugged in to the router via Ethernet and wireless, and only the wired works. I know, however, that the wireless works overall since other computers can access it, invluding other machines using the same wireless card. Further, I haven't enabled any MAC blocked or WEP keys. Just a basic open network and a stubborn little laptop. Thanks for the suggestion though.

jdaugherty · n00b Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 23

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The MAC address filtering usually only is enabled for wireless, this could explain why you can connect via wired and not wireless. But, as you said, the wireless is accessible from other machines so unless those mac addresses are enabled,I cannot think of any reason why you can't connect if you have an IP address. Some ideas are below, see if these help:

You do have the wireless nic as your default interface, yes? It is possible that your IP traffic is still trying to go over the wired interface and timing out. It's been awhile since I've messed with that, but you can do a search on the forums/google and find out about it.

If you do the following command, "iwconfig <network interface name>" where network interface name is the name of the interface located in /etc/init.d/ and has the prefix net.* The mac address listed on that interface is the router's right? It should be, otherwise it's connecting with another router.

Those are the only other ideas I can think of at the moment.

Thanks,
JD

eddieroger · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 18

I really do appreciate your help. Yeah, its the right MAC address of my router and scanning with my PowerBook shows that none of my neighbors are running one either (I must be the last person in the world in this position), so its on.

Retracing my steps, I realize that I made a noob mistake last night which is probably the cause of my current woes. I emerge something, I think the Orinoco drivers, and blindly (here comes the mistake) ran etc-update and let it do what it wanted. Problem is I didn't think it through and now must kick my own rear. Can you think of any specific file I must have overwritten that would be messing it up? If it helps, My hostname has gone from not being overwritten by DHCP and set by /etc/conf.d/hostname to being "localhost". I'm going to keep turning through files, but would love to be pointed in the right direction.

Again, thanks for the help. I am just insanely mad at myself for making such a dumb mistake.

-eddieroger

eddieroger · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 18

OK, so a power cycle of the router cleared this up. Chalk it up to acciden, ghosts in the machine, karma, alignment of the planets, something, but the router just needed a good smack.

FWIW I had a really elaborate story about how in the midst of a power cycle the router went out too and everything worked, but that wouldn't help anyone, would it? Moral is, powercycle everything when troubleshooting.

Seriously though, thanks for the help.

-eddieroger-