using both wpa_supplicant and gentoo's init scripts

[truekaiser]

i just recently got a new laptop with a ath9k wireless chip, frankly i love the fact that it works right out of the box even on the install cd. but right now i am running into my limit's on wireless configuration on linux. i plan on eventually migrating to wireless n but i do not know how to set up the machine so it will connect to my home ap automatically with the gentoo init scripts so i don't have to worry about starting things manually like ntp and nfs but still allow it to be managed by wpa_supplicant to connect to other ap's if i want via the qt4 gui. right now i got the laptop set up to connect automatically to my ap running in G mode with wep. the gentoo documentation i have found seems to indicate either the init scripts or wpa_supplicant but not both..


this is the wireless card

Code: Select all

08:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Foxconn International, Inc. Device e01f
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
        Memory at f1000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
        Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Count=1 Masked-
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
        Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
        Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
        Kernel driver in use: ath9k
        Kernel modules: ath9k

wpa_supplicant can't seem to find my card this is my /etc/conf.d/net

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# This blank configuration will automatically use DHCP for any net.*
# scripts in /etc/init.d.  To create a more complete configuration,
# please review /etc/conf.d/net.example and save your configuration
# in /etc/conf.d/net (this file :]!).
#modules=("wpa_supplicant") #makes configuration solely wpa_supplicant's responsibility  
wpa_supplicant_wlan0="-Dwext"
config_eth0=("dhcp")
config_wlan0=("dhcp")
essid_wlan0="wscale"
ap_wlan0="00:14:6C:AE:C5:38"
mode_wlan0="managed"
channel_wlan0="1"
key_wscale="" #like i am telling the whole world :P

[oRDeX]

why don't using modules=( "wpa_supplicant" )

and putting your WEP network inside the wpa_supplicant.conf?
Of course you have to choose is you want to use wpa_supplicant or to configure it manually (by gentoo script)

[truekaiser]

why don't using modules=( "wpa_supplicant" )

and putting your WEP network inside the wpa_supplicant.conf?
Of course you have to choose is you want to use wpa_supplicant or to configure it manually (by gentoo script)

so it's not 'either/or'? if i set up wpa supplicant to do wep for now the net.wlan0 init script will call on wpa_supplicant to start the interface?

[dreadlorde]

Why would you use WEP?

[truekaiser]

Why would you use WEP?

because at the moment it's the only security option available that all my devices have in common.

[lxg]

By the way, you could also have a look at NetworkManager, it can be integrated into your desktop as a tray icon (nm-applet, a Gnome app, but should also work in KDE) and lets you configure your networks very userfriendly. It also supports WEP, WPA, WPA2. There's a nice guide in the (inofficial) Gentoo Wiki, which worked fine for me: http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/NetworkManager

[truekaiser]

By the way, you could also have a look at NetworkManager, it can be integrated into your desktop as a tray icon (nm-applet, a Gnome app, but should also work in KDE) and lets you configure your networks very userfriendly. It also supports WEP, WPA, WPA2. There's a nice guide in the (inofficial) Gentoo Wiki, which worked fine for me: http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/NetworkManager

ok spent all afternoon getting that to work. like it so far and i got it to connect to my router but not in full n mode. my mother's laptop with the same card can get up to 130mbps while i am still stuck at 54mbps cause it seems wpa supplicant and my draft n router don't like each other's versions of wpa2 aes encryption.