Wireless - WPA Issues

[sirdj]

Hi,
I am relatively new to Linux and am having a lot of trouble trying to get the wireless network working at my Uni.
I have Herd 4 installed on my Acer Travelmate 4150.

1) I have to manually enable wireless every time using sudo dhclient. Why is my wireless not enabled automatically? Is there anyway to resolve this?

2) Does herd 4 have the 'new' WPA features(I believe Herd 3 had it)If yes then why dont i get the username and password prompts when trying to connect? Can anyone please help. I have just spent a whole day trying to figure this out. My Uni tech support say that I require xsupplicant, but it is my understanding that with the new WPA features you dont require xsupplicant.

Someone please help

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

25 views and not even a single reply

This is the kind of network login screen I wish to get

[sky]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

Hi,

It seems that the screenshot you give is from gnome, so ubuntu-desktop. I don't know if networkmanager is getting a popup like this to connect to wpa, did you try it ?
Or maybe in systemsettings ?

Cheers

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

Yes the screenshot is from gnome, and has been taken off a website where this chap has been able to successfully connect to his university wireless.
He says in his blog that this is using wpasupplicant. Since Kubuntu is supposed to use wpasuplicant too I would presume that something similar would be possible. but in the Wireless security dropdown list i dont get the option for WPA.

[mitchhobbs]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

I've been running herd 2, 3, 4, 5, on my laptop and each one has had an automatic login through Knetworkmanager. The first time I run each version after install I get the tray icon on the right and when I click on it I can see my home network listed. The first time I select it I get the passphrase screen similar to the one in your snapshot and enter my password. Kwallet then opens up and I store in under a universal password. After all that, when I reboot it automatically starts, finds my network, Kwallet opens, I put in my password, and I'm on my network. I didn't configure any of this, herd has always ran for me this way. I take my laptop to work and it auto connects there also. I would try K-menu, internet, select knetworkmanager and see if that works. Hope this helps...

Mitch

[noridlo]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

To Sirdj,

Welcome to Linux, and specifically to Kubuntu. I am hoping you will find this a fun and challenging experience. I have had success with wireless on my notebook using Knetworkmanager and WPA. Since you can manually start a WiFi connection we know that drivers are not an issue. Here is what I have learned so far. You will need to edit etc/network/interfaces to comment out everything except the "lo" references. KnetworkManager will not manage anything managed by the interfaces file. Install Knetworkmanager from repository (this will also install network-manager and wpasupplicant. I think it is correct that you will not need xsupplicant. After a reboot (with no ethernet cable if you have one, since KNM will default to the cable) you should be able to configure Knetworkmanager as explained by mitchhobbs in a previous response. Here are some good helps links:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...untu#EasySteps

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...roubleshooting

The ubuntu community wiki is a great source of information. You may well need to read several to get the whole understanding as these documents are a work in progress.

I am now able to use WiFi by starting Knetworkmanager and configuring my secure connection manually. I still have not been able to get it to autostart but, I like that for security. So far I have not had occasion to use WiFi on an open network, only on my home secure network using WPA security.

I hope that you find this helpful for your situation.

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

You will need to edit etc/network/interfaces to comment out everything except the "lo" references. KnetworkManager will not manage anything managed by the interfaces file. Install Knetworkmanager from repository (this will also install network-manager and wpasupplicant.

Thanks so much for your advise, I shall try it out when I'm in the Uni on Monday.
Secondly will I need to install Knetworkmanager from repository if I already have it?

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

Have tried out everything suggested so far, still unable to connect to my university wireless. Looks like I will have to stick to windows XP.

[jck]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

sirdj,

don't give up, man. I have been working on getting things to work for 4 months and just succeeded this weekend.

Let me try to give you some pointers:

1) If you have a 64-bit system...try using the 32-bit distro. That's what I had to do, and it worked like a charm.

2) If you can do ifconfig and see "wlan0" or whatever your wireless device has been designated as on install, then take a look at your iwconfig. If it has your wireless but you are seeing "ESSID: off/any" or "Access Point: Not associated", you will probably have to set those manually in iwconfig.

If you know your ESSID and channel of your router...try doing these commands (where wlan0 is your wireless device...yours may be different):
sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid <your router ESSID>
sudo iwconfig wlan0 channel <your router channel>

once you set these, then do a sudo iwlist wlan0 scan and see if your router shows up. If so, note the MAC address of your router...then, do this command:

sudo iwconfig wlan0 ap <your router MAC address>

This worked for my machine. Kubuntu 7.04 Beta, upon reboot, loaded KNetworkManager, and then loaded KWallet and prompted me for my admin password and started trying to connect. Then, I had to go into KNetworkManager and click on my router name...and it asked me for my WPA password. After this, it has worked flawlessly.

I will try to check back and help, if I can...but, I am no Linux guru and I am learning things myself...and, I work a lot so I can't always check back every day.

Good luck. I know how it feels to have to struggle with getting it to work...but trust me...it is well worth it.

jck

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

I have a 32-bit system and a 32-bit distro & will try out what you have suggested when I get to the Uni on friday.

Microsoft is already pushing Vista by giving everyone in my faculty a free business edition. > > They dropped a free disk in my bag as well.

[jck]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

I am not sure about Kubuntu, as I am new to it.

I hear that MEPIS and Ubuntu have the capability to interface with Windows file systems, and that MEPIS specifically (and I assume Ubuntu since MEPIS is somewhat a derivative?) can interface with Active Directory?

I am not sure about Vista and its filesystem/AD compatibility, as I have ignored Vista after I saw the cheapest I could upgrade XP for was $278 and that everyone was recommending not to do upgrades.

I am not purchasing any new MS operating systems. Vista from what I have read several places requires excellent hardware to run well, and I'm not willing to sacrifice my gaming experience for Vista to run Aero and take over 1GB of my ram up.

I am sorry that they are pushing Vista on you. As I said, I will help you as much as I am able to do so.

Let me know how things go.

jck

[jck]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

I wanted to add something to configuring:

Once you have rebooted and put in your WPA password and KNetworkManager is trying to connect you, you might have to open a console window and use the iwconfig commands I gave you.

Then, try waiting to see if it connects when you set them.

If it times out, then go into KNetworkManager again and re-select your wireless to re-start the configuration and start-up of your wireless while leaving the console window open.

If a connection happens, then enter this command in the console window:

sudo iwconfig wlan0 commit

where wlan0 is whatever your install set your wireless to be.

This should commit your settings, from what I can tell, if you have the same Realtek 8187 chipset as I do.

A really great thread on how to configure wireless is on the ubuntu forums. I hope it's not too taboo to put that here, but it is a great resource for anyone trying to configure an *buntu distro:

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=202834

If this is not considered good, please someone with the forums let me know that I am out of place in doing so.

Thanks,

jck

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

sudo iwconfig wlan0 ap <your router MAC address>

No Luck
when I try sudo iwconfig wlan0 ap <my router MAC address>
I got the following error message :-

Error : unrecognised wireless request "00:E0:63:50:36:98"

If i try connecting normally using the knetworkmanager
Everything else seems to be ok, the router even appears in the list of wireless networks available...........but when I try to connect It tries to do a WEP authentication and asks for a passphrase instead of trying a WPA enterprise connection and ask for a username and password.

[sirdj]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

if you have the same Realtek 8187 chipset as I do.

Nope, my laptop is a centrino with the default Intel PRO wireless 2200BG card.

It installs perfectly. no problems with that.

[jck]

Re: Wireless - WPA Issues

I used to get that error when I was trying to get the 6.10 64-bit version to install.

I have had much better luck with getting the 7.04 beta 32-bit to work.

You should try the 7.04 beta of Kubuntu. Also, get ndiswrapper 1.28 or higher (whatever will work...1.38 and 1.39 would not compile on my box) and the Windows drivers (all versions from Windows 98-Windows XP) that your laptop company offers for the wireless card.

I never was able to solve that problem with the error message. But, 32-bit Kubuntu 7.04 Beta worked fine for me with ndiswrapper 1.28 and my Windows 98/ME driver.

If you can, try that. If you get it up and running, you can then load Adept Manager and do Fetch Updates...and it will let you update your Kubuntu to the latest libraries through Adept Updater.

Are you trying to ndiswrapper the Windows drivers, or are you trying to use the Linux drivers?

Good luck. Let me know how it goes.

jck