[gentoo-user] Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[gentoo-user] Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Grant]

I've been struggling to get my wireless card to connect to the WEP
Airport router at my housing complex.  It turns out it connects just
fine using a Knoppix disc and manual ifconfig/iwconfig commands, but
the same commands don't work in Gentoo.  My Gentoo packages are
totally up to date.  I'm using madwifi.  Any suggestions?

- Grant

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Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Rob Oravec]

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On Thu, 2006-02-16 at 23:32 -0500, Grant wrote:
> I've been struggling to get my wireless card to connect to the WEP
> Airport router at my housing complex.  It turns out it connects just
> fine using a Knoppix disc and manual ifconfig/iwconfig commands, but
> the same commands don't work in Gentoo.  My Gentoo packages are
> totally up to date.  I'm using madwifi.  Any suggestions?
> 
> - Grant
> 

Hi Grant,

Firstly have you got wireless extensions enabled in the kernel?
-CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y
I believe that is a requirement.

Is the madwifi-driver installed and the module loaded?
-modprobe ath_pci

If it can't find the module emerge the madwifi-driver package
-emerge madwifi-driver
or alternatively try the madwifi-ng code at http://madwifi.org
Both methods should give you a "ath0" interface.

Are you getting any error messages?, when you run "iwconfig" does it
show wireless related settings on the relevant interface?

Hope this helps.
Let us know,

Rob




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Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Robert Crawford]

On Friday 17 February 2006 05:17, Rob Oravec wrote:
> On Thu, 2006-02-16 at 23:32 -0500, Grant wrote:
> > I've been struggling to get my wireless card to connect to the WEP
> > Airport router at my housing complex.  It turns out it connects just
> > fine using a Knoppix disc and manual ifconfig/iwconfig commands, but
> > the same commands don't work in Gentoo.  My Gentoo packages are
> > totally up to date.  I'm using madwifi.  Any suggestions?
> >
> > - Grant
>
> Hi Grant,
>
> Firstly have you got wireless extensions enabled in the kernel?
> -CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y
> I believe that is a requirement.
>
> Is the madwifi-driver installed and the module loaded?
> -modprobe ath_pci
>
> If it can't find the module emerge the madwifi-driver package
> -emerge madwifi-driver
> or alternatively try the madwifi-ng code at http://madwifi.org
> Both methods should give you a "ath0" interface.
>
> Are you getting any error messages?, when you run "iwconfig" does it
> show wireless related settings on the relevant interface?
>
> Hope this helps.
> Let us know,
>
> Rob

You also need to emerge madwifi-tools, and you need ath_hal loaded too.
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Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Rob Oravec]

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On Fri, 2006-02-17 at 06:29 -0500, Robert Crawford wrote:
> You also need to emerge madwifi-tools, and you need ath_hal loaded too.

Emerging madwifi-driver will emerge madwifi-tools.

I have never needed to explicitly load "ath_hal" as "ath_pci" loads it
dynamically even with the older madwifi code.



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[gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Grant]

> > I've been struggling to get my wireless card to connect to the WEP
> > Airport router at my housing complex.  It turns out it connects just
> > fine using a Knoppix disc and manual ifconfig/iwconfig commands, but
> > the same commands don't work in Gentoo.  My Gentoo packages are
> > totally up to date.  I'm using madwifi.  Any suggestions?
> >
> > - Grant
> >
>
> Hi Grant,
>
> Firstly have you got wireless extensions enabled in the kernel?
> -CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y
> I believe that is a requirement.
>
> Is the madwifi-driver installed and the module loaded?
> -modprobe ath_pci
>
> If it can't find the module emerge the madwifi-driver package
> -emerge madwifi-driver
> or alternatively try the madwifi-ng code at http://madwifi.org
> Both methods should give you a "ath0" interface.
>
> Are you getting any error messages?, when you run "iwconfig" does it
> show wireless related settings on the relevant interface?
>
> Hope this helps.
> Let us know,

Hi Rob,

I should have mentioned that this card works great with all other
access points: WEP, WPA, and unencrypted.  It just seems to have a
problem with this Airport under Gentoo.

- Grant

> Rob

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[gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Grant]

> > > I've been struggling to get my wireless card to connect to the WEP
> > > Airport router at my housing complex.  It turns out it connects just
> > > fine using a Knoppix disc and manual ifconfig/iwconfig commands, but
> > > the same commands don't work in Gentoo.  My Gentoo packages are
> > > totally up to date.  I'm using madwifi.  Any suggestions?
> > >
> > > - Grant
> > >
> >
> > Hi Grant,
> >
> > Firstly have you got wireless extensions enabled in the kernel?
> > -CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y
> > I believe that is a requirement.
> >
> > Is the madwifi-driver installed and the module loaded?
> > -modprobe ath_pci
> >
> > If it can't find the module emerge the madwifi-driver package
> > -emerge madwifi-driver
> > or alternatively try the madwifi-ng code at http://madwifi.org
> > Both methods should give you a "ath0" interface.
> >
> > Are you getting any error messages?, when you run "iwconfig" does it
> > show wireless related settings on the relevant interface?
> >
> > Hope this helps.
> > Let us know,
>
> Hi Rob,
>
> I should have mentioned that this card works great with all other
> access points: WEP, WPA, and unencrypted.  It just seems to have a
> problem with this Airport under Gentoo.
>
> - Grant

Ok, this must be a package version issue right?  Which packages should
I be examining?  I'm thinking wireless-tools.  Anything else?  What
file should I look at on the Knoppix disc to find out what version
it's running so I can match it on the Gentoo system?

- Grant

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Rob Oravec]

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On Sun, 2006-02-19 at 12:38 -0800, Grant wrote:
> Ok, this must be a package version issue right?  Which packages should
> I be examining?  I'm thinking wireless-tools.  Anything else?  What
> file should I look at on the Knoppix disc to find out what version
> it's running so I can match it on the Gentoo system?
> 
> - Grant
> 

Might be worth giving wpa_supplicant a shot instead of wireless-tools.
It can replace wireless-tools as it supports WEP, no-encryption and WPA.
I don't think that package versions would be the issue here but you
never know.

What "iwconfig" commands are you running ?

Rob

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Grant]

> > Ok, this must be a package version issue right?  Which packages should
> > I be examining?  I'm thinking wireless-tools.  Anything else?  What
> > file should I look at on the Knoppix disc to find out what version
> > it's running so I can match it on the Gentoo system?
> >
> > - Grant
> >
>
> Might be worth giving wpa_supplicant a shot instead of wireless-tools.
> It can replace wireless-tools as it supports WEP, no-encryption and WPA.
> I don't think that package versions would be the issue here but you
> never know.
>
> What "iwconfig" commands are you running ?
>
> Rob

I was originally using wpa_supplicant with this Airport and it wasn't
working.  John Jolet said:

"well, you DON'T use wpa_supplicant."

and I've been working with wireless-tools ever since.  I'm using:

ifconfig ath0 up
iwconfig ath0 essid Myessid
iwconfig ath0 key s:Mykey
pump -i ath0

I tried dhcpcd and it didn't work either.  Knoppix was using pump
sucessfully so I tried that with Gentoo as above.

Honestly, how could this not be a package versions issue?  The above
commands work on the Knoppix 4 DVD but not on up-to-date Gentoo.

- Grant

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Eric Bliss]

On Tuesday 21 February 2006 16:35, Grant wrote:
> and I've been working with wireless-tools ever since.  I'm using:
> 
> ifconfig ath0 up
> iwconfig ath0 essid Myessid
> iwconfig ath0 key s:Mykey
> pump -i ath0
> 

I don't know if it matters, but try running the iwconfig lines BEFORE the 
ifconfig up.  That's the order I've got them in in my script to connect to an 
Airport, and it could be that the iwconfig commands aren't actually changing 
the config while the interface is "up".

Just a guess, based on a similar script that works for me. 

-- 
Eric Bliss
systems design and integration,
CreativeCow.Net
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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Rob Oravec]

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On Tue, 2006-02-21 at 16:35 -0800, Grant wrote:

> I was originally using wpa_supplicant with this Airport and it wasn't
> working.  John Jolet said:
> 
> "well, you DON'T use wpa_supplicant."

I'm not aware of any issues regarding the use of wpa_supplicant with
regards to WEP.
It is supported.

> and I've been working with wireless-tools ever since.  I'm using:
> 
> ifconfig ath0 up
> iwconfig ath0 essid Myessid
> iwconfig ath0 key s:Mykey
> pump -i ath0

> I tried dhcpcd and it didn't work either.  Knoppix was using pump
> sucessfully so I tried that with Gentoo as above.

> Honestly, how could this not be a package versions issue?  The above
> commands work on the Knoppix 4 DVD but not on up-to-date Gentoo.
> 
> - Grant

For the sake of testing change your commands to what I use.
This works on all the access points that I connect to:

iwconfig ath0 essid [YOUR_ESSID]
iwconfig ath0 mode managed
iwconfig ath0 channel [no]
iwconfig ath0 enc [YOUR_HEXKEY]

Maybe just specifying the channel and mode......just a long shot.

Could you post the output of "iwconfig"?.

Come to think of it what does your "/etc/conf/net
and /etc/conf/wireless" have set.
There could be some conflicting configurations.
Check those two files out!!!

Rob

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Wireless works with Knoppix CD but not Gentoo

[Grant]

> > I was originally using wpa_supplicant with this Airport and it wasn't
> > working.  John Jolet said:
> >
> > "well, you DON'T use wpa_supplicant."
>
> I'm not aware of any issues regarding the use of wpa_supplicant with
> regards to WEP.
> It is supported.
>
> > and I've been working with wireless-tools ever since.  I'm using:
> >
> > ifconfig ath0 up
> > iwconfig ath0 essid Myessid
> > iwconfig ath0 key s:Mykey
> > pump -i ath0
>
> > I tried dhcpcd and it didn't work either.  Knoppix was using pump
> > sucessfully so I tried that with Gentoo as above.
>
> > Honestly, how could this not be a package versions issue?  The above
> > commands work on the Knoppix 4 DVD but not on up-to-date Gentoo.
> >
> > - Grant
>
> For the sake of testing change your commands to what I use.
> This works on all the access points that I connect to:
>
> iwconfig ath0 essid [YOUR_ESSID]
> iwconfig ath0 mode managed
> iwconfig ath0 channel [no]
> iwconfig ath0 enc [YOUR_HEXKEY]
>
> Maybe just specifying the channel and mode......just a long shot.
>
> Could you post the output of "iwconfig"?.
>
> Come to think of it what does your "/etc/conf/net
> and /etc/conf/wireless" have set.
> There could be some conflicting configurations.
> Check those two files out!!!
>
> Rob

I am very happy to report that this has been fixed and is now working
with the Gentoo init.d script.  It was a package version issue with
madwifi-driver.  These are in portage:

0.1443.20060207
0.1440.20060206
0.1420.20060201
0.1401.20060117
0.1_pre20050420-r1

and the ONLY one that will connect to the Airport router is
0.1401.20060117.  I should submit a bug, no?

- Grant

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