Re: [gentoo-user] strange problem with Wifi

[Philip Webb <purslow@ca.inter.net>]

241224 Michael wrote:
> On Monday 23 December 2024 23:35:21 GMT Philip Webb wrote:
>> I've encountered a strange problem logging into my local Wifi.
>> There are  2  services I can use : (1) the household service,
>> part of my landlord's home-office system ; (2) my cell-phone's hotspot.
>> (2) is ok, but trying to use (1) has been offering challenges.
>> First, there's no problem with my hardware or that of my landlord
>> nor with 'wpa_supplicant' installed on my Gentoo system AFAIK.
>> The problem arose when I tried to log into (1)
>> after a power outage caused my landlord to restart his box,
>> at which time he renamed the service with a slightly different password ;
>> he's intelligent + friendly, but not upto fine-tuning it.
>> I have updated the config file below to match the new strings.
> Did he *only* change the SSID and password
> or did he also change the encryption and key management method ?

Only the former : he's not skilled enough to do the latter.
I suspect that originally someone set it up for him
& altered some default setting(s), then when he restarted it,
the default setting(s) returned & that's not working with my software.

> Check there are no empty spaces left at the end of the strings
> in any entries you edited in your wpa_supplicant.conf.

There are none.

> Check you have not altered the access rights of the file :
>   chmod -v 600 /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

The permission is '644', which is ok for my cellpbone's hotspot.

>> I can use 'wpa_gui' with a bit of fussing & editing.
> Currently, it shows the correct adapter + service name & below it lists :
>>   Status : completed (station)
>>   Last message : <blank>
>>   Authentication : WPA2-PSK
>>   Encryption : CCMP + TKIP
>>   SSID : <service name>
>>   BSSID : < 12 hex digits >
>>   IP address : < 11 digits >
> The first method looks good to me, beyond the points I mentioned above.
> Check what the landlord's AP wants to use by running wpa_cli in a terminal:
>   > scan
> will start scanning for APs. after few secs, you will have some results :
>   > scan_results

It shows nothing : see output below.

> The landlord's BSSID will list
> what encryption his AP has been configured to use; e.g.:
>  > 01:23:45:67:89:01  2427 0  [WPA-PSK-CCMP+TKIP][WPA2-PSK-CCMP+TKIP]
     LL's-SSID
> You'll need to reflect what the wpa_cli results revealed
> in your wpa_supplicant.conf.
> If you want to be able to edit the AP configuration
> and save the results using your wpa_gui directly,
> you have to add in your wpa_supplicant.conf:
> ====================================================
> # Whether to allow wpa_supplicant to update (overwrite) configuration
> # This option can be used to allow wpa_supplicant
> # to overwrite configuration file whenever configuration is changed
> # (e.g., new network block is added with wpa_cli or wpa_gui
> # or a password is changed).  This is required for wpa_cli/wpa_gui
> # to be able to store the configuration changes permanently.
> # Please note that overwriting configuration file will remove comments.
>     update_config=1
> HTH.

Thanks for your usually very helpful suggestions (smile).
Here is the output via 'wpa_cli' as I start & stop Wifi.
I connect & disconnect with my cell-phone 'Athene' + landlord's service,
whose name is 'Watch Iovedocs ... ',
& which I have to access via 'wpa_gui' (I used  2  terminals).

output of 'wpa_cli' as I wake up Athene's service :

  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-NETWORK-NOT-FOUND 
     ... these lines occur frequently : duplicates deleted ...
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=BEACON_HINT type=UNKNOWN
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS 
  <3>SME: Trying to authenticate with 16:c4:a5:6b:1e:6e (SSID='Athenes Hot Spot' freq=5745 MHz)
  <3>Trying to associate with 16:c4:a5:6b:1e:6e (SSID='Athenes Hot Spot' freq=5745 MHz)
  <3>Associated with 16:c4:a5:6b:1e:6e
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SUBNET-STATUS-UPDATE status=0
  <3>WPA: Key negotiation completed with 16:c4:a5:6b:1e:6e [PTK=CCMP GTK=CCMP]
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-CONNECTED - Connection to 16:c4:a5:6b:1e:6e completed [id=0 id_str=]
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=16:c4:a5:6b:1e:6e reason=1
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=CORE type=WORLD
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=BEACON_HINT type=UNKNOWN
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-NETWORK-NOT-FOUND 

  I tried queries :

  > status
    wpa_state=SCANNING
    address=f8:89:d2:7a:26:9b
  > ifname
    wlp5s0
  > set
    Invalid SET command - at least 2 arguments are required.
  > pmksa
    Index / AA / PMKID / expiration (in seconds) / opportunistic
  > list_networks
    network id / ssid / bssid / flags
    0       watch iovedocs on YouTube       any

  using wpa_gui to start/stop landlord's 'Watch ... ' :

  <3>WNM: Preferred List Available
  <3>SME: Trying to authenticate with 68:ff:7b:47:c9:13 (SSID='watch iovedocs on YouTube ' freq=5200 MHz)
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=CORE type=WORLD
  <3>Trying to associate with 68:ff:7b:47:c9:13 (SSID='watch iovedocs on YouTube ' freq=5200 MHz)
  <3>Associated with 68:ff:7b:47:c9:13
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SUBNET-STATUS-UPDATE status=0
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=BEACON_HINT type=UNKNOWN
  <3>WPA: Key negotiation completed with 68:ff:7b:47:c9:13 [PTK=CCMP GTK=TKIP]
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-CONNECTED - Connection to 68:ff:7b:47:c9:13 completed [id=1 id_str=]
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS 
  <3>WNM: Preferred List Available
  <3>SME: Trying to authenticate with 7a:ff:7b:47:c8:7f (SSID='watch iovedocs on YouTube ' freq=5200 MHz)
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=CORE type=WORLD
  <3>Trying to associate with 7a:ff:7b:47:c8:7f (SSID='watch iovedocs on YouTube ' freq=5200 MHz)
  <3>Associated with 7a:ff:7b:47:c8:7f
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SUBNET-STATUS-UPDATE status=0
  <3>WPA: Key negotiation completed with 7a:ff:7b:47:c8:7f [PTK=CCMP GTK=TKIP]
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-CONNECTED - Connection to 7a:ff:7b:47:c8:7f completed [id=1 id_str=]
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=BEACON_HINT type=UNKNOWN
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS 
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=7a:ff:7b:47:c8:7f reason=3 locally_generated=1
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-DSCP-POLICY clear_all
  <3>CTRL-EVENT-REGDOM-CHANGE init=CORE type=WORLD

-- end of output --

I've had difficulty determining the exact sequence of commands with wpa_gui.
It seems to be : 'manage networks' -- 'edit' to add password -- 'save' --
  'scan' : a list of services is offered, a '5200' is double-clicked --
  back to 'current status' -- 'connect' & it fills in the details
  & takes another  15 sec  to get an IP address & I/net cb accessed.

Any further suggestions very welcome.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
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