Wireless problems -- help! (Resolved)

[cjohnsoia]

Can someone please help me?

I have followed all the directions (and howto's) I can find regarding this subject and am running into what I think are configuration issues

I have an HP HDX 18 Laptop with the following:

prompt: dmesg | grep iwl
[ 0.572527] iwlagn: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, 1.3.27kds
[ 0.573253] iwlagn: Copyright(c) 2003-2008 Intel Corporation
[ 0.573770] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 0.574245] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 0.574276] iwlagn: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100AGN REV=0x54
[ 0.603551] iwlagn: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 24 802.11a channels
[ 0.604141] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[ 0.604855] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-agn-rs'
[ 18.247579] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 18.247646] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: restoring config space at offset 0x1 (was 0x100002, writing 0x100006)
[ 18.247778] firmware: requesting iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode
[ 20.478592] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:radio
[ 20.478614] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:assoc
[ 20.478632] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:RX
[ 20.478650] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:TX

I am using wpa_supplicant configured as follows:

/etc/conf.d/wpa_supplicant:

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ctrl_interface_group=0
#ap_scan=1 # Am not scanning as the network does not broadcast it's SID (ie Hidden)
network={
ssid="mynet"
proto=WPA2
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
pairwise=CCMP TKIP
group=CCMP TKIP
psk="secret" # Should this be ascii text?
priority=2
}

/etc/init.d/net:

# Wired
dns_domain_lo="icjohnson.com"
dns_servers_eth0=( "192.168.0.2" )
config_eth0=( "192.168.0.6 netmask 255.255.255.0 brd 192.168.0.255" )
routes_eth0=( "default via 192.168.0.1" )

# Wireless
modules=( "wpa_supplicant" );
wpa_supplicant_wlan0="-Dwext"

preferred_aps=( "my_network_sid" )
associate_order_wlan0="forcepreferredonly"

dns_servers_wlan0=( "192.168.0.2" )
dns_domain_wlan0="local_domain"
dns_search_domains_wlan0="192.168.0.2"
config_wlan0=( "192.168.0.4 netmask 255.255.255.0 brd 192.168.0.255" )
routes_wlan0=( "default via 192.168.0.1" )

Contents of /etc/init.d:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 6 Dec 18 01:34 net.eth0 -> net.lo
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 30696 Dec 15 17:09 net.lo
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 6 Dec 18 12:07 net.wlan0 -> net.lo

After system boot:

iwconfig:

wlan0 IEEE 802.11abgn ESSID:"SMC"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: 00:04:E2:FD:73:B6
Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=15 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2352 B
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality=22/100 Signal level:-78 dBm Noise level=-87 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

Question 1: Why is ESSID set to SMC (a local network in the area)?

ifconfig:

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:21:5d:aa:da:ce
inet6 addr: fe80::221:5dff:feaa:dace/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:3 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:298 (298.0 B)

Question 2: Why is there no ip/mask/brd assigned to the interface (ignoring the fact that I am not using DHCP and thus am not recieving the one presumable sent via SMC). I am explicitly setting these in /etc/conf.d/net?

/var/log/messages: (Bring up wlan0 immediately after boot)

Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 18.247579] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 18.247646] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: restoring config space at offset 0x1 (was 0x100002, writing 0x100006)
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 18.247778] firmware: requesting iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 20.478592] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:radio
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 20.478614] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:assoc
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 20.478632] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:RX
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 20.478650] Registered led device: iwl-phy0:TX
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 21.461519] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready (comment: The card is now being woken up)
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 23.433686] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:04:e2:fd:73:b6
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 23.436270] wlan0: authenticated
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 23.436273] wlan0: associate with AP 00:04:e2:fd:73:b6
Dec 18 13:44:21 icjohnson [ 23.441204] wlan0: deauthenticated (comment: ??????)

Then again continuously:

Dec 18 13:44:22 icjohnson [ 24.443042] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:04:e2:fd:73:b6
Dec 18 13:44:22 icjohnson [ 24.445779] wlan0: authenticated
Dec 18 13:44:22 icjohnson [ 24.445784] wlan0: associate with AP 00:04:e2:fd:73:b6
Dec 18 13:44:22 icjohnson [ 24.457758] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:04:e2:fd:73:b6 (capab=0x421 status=0 aid=1)
Dec 18 13:44:22 icjohnson [ 24.457763] wlan0: associated
Dec 18 13:44:22 icjohnson [ 24.464096] wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason=3)

At this point I know wireless networking is up and running because I can:

prompt: iwlist scan:

Cell 05 - Address: 00:04:E2:FD:73:B6
ESSID:"SMC"
Mode:Master
Channel:6
Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
Quality=12/100 Signal level:-79 dBm Noise level=-84 dBm
Encryption key:off
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=000000120c7bc181
Extra: Last beacon: 17ms ago
Cell 06 - Address: 00:13:46:CF:30:86
ESSID:"klhome"
Mode:Master
Channel:11
Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
Quality=46/100 Signal level:-81 dBm Noise level=-127 dBm
Encryption key:on
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=000000881c2cbe84
Extra: Last beacon: 4163ms ago

Question 3: Why do I get this unprotected network and not my own? Note that even if I start broadcasting my SID from the router I can see my network can't seem to login to it.

I've tried everything I can think of and still cannot access my network. My expectation is that if I were to enable dhcp (which I do not want to do), the SMC network will provide my intereface with an ip address on the SMC network.

Can anyone help me here - I'm pulling my hair out.

[cjohnsoia]

I should add the following just in case:

uname -r: 2.6.27-gentoo-r2

And:

prompt # /etc/init.d/net.wlan0 restart
* Caching service dependencies ... [ ok ]
* Stopping wlan0
* Bringing down wlan0
* Shutting down wlan0 ... [ ok ]
* Stopping wpa_cli on wlan0 ... [ ok ]
* Stopping wpa_supplicant on wlan0 ... [ ok ]
* Starting wlan0
* Starting wpa_supplicant on wlan0 ...
ioctl[SIOCSIWAUTH]: Operation not supported [ ok ]th param 4 value 0x0 -
* Starting wpa_cli on wlan0 ... [ ok ]
* Backgrounding ...

Although it does not seem to keep the card from working?

[dmpogo]

In my experience things like

ioctl[SIOCSIWAUTH]: Operation not supported [ ok ]th param 4 value 0x0 -

appear when your module (iwlagn) or firmware is not working right. Do you have a proper firmware installed ?.

[d2_racing]

Hi, first before checking your wifi configuration, we need to see if actualy you have a working Wifi

So, after a fresh reboot, can you post this

[cjohnsoia]

Thanks dmpogo:

I believe I am using the correct ucode for this hardware - at lease according to intel: /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode

Update:

I have now got this card working - Points to note for those who may have the same problems:

1. In order to use wpa_supplicant - and thus WPA2 support your access point must be broadcasting.
2. Hidden network support is not supported.
3. According to the wpa_supplicant documentation you should be able to use wpa_suppplicant scan level ap_scan=2
to access hidden networks using ndiswrapper. (I could not for the life of me get this to work).
4. Using ndiswrapper, setting ap_scan=2 and forcing essid_wlan0="network" and unsetting preferred_aps_wlan0 - what seems to happen is that the card scans for the first available network and makes the association. Thus ignoring the essid=wlan0 setting?

Here are my updated configs:

/etc/init.d/net:

modules=( "wpa_supplicant" );
wpa_supplicant_wlan0="-Dwext"

#essid_wlan0="ssid"
mode_wlan0="managed"
preferred_aps_wlan0=( "ssid" )
associate_order_wlan0="forcepreferredonly"
mac_essid_001cf0eae59b="ssid"

dns_servers_wlan0=( "192.168.0.2" )
dns_domain_wlan0="my_domain"
dns_search_domains_wlan0="192.168.0.2"
config_wlan0=( "192.168.0.4 netmask 255.255.255.0 brd 192.168.0.255" )
routes_wlan0=( "default via 192.168.0.1" )

/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf:

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ctrl_interface_group=0
ap_scan=1
network={
ssid="mysid"
proto=WPA2
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
pairwise=CCMP TKIP
group=CCMP TKIP
#psk="text_key"
psk=hex_key <- this is a must
priority=2
}

# I got the same scanning behavior regardless of this was here or not
# I am including it to access any open network when laptop is moved or for some reason my access point fails
network={
key_mgmt=NONE
priority=-9999999
}

I am not sure if this will help anyone but hope so....

This thread can be marked resolved - would do it but am new to this forum and do not know how