Can't connect to a wifi hotspot

[Snowhog]

My laptop doesn't connect to an open wifi hotspot and I'm trying to determine why.

This is my current /etc/network/interfaces file:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto ath0
iface atho inet dhcp

I use a Wireless-G Linksys (Model #WRT54G) and am prepared to provide data as to how it is configured if needed.

At home, KNetworkManager works properly in that it sees the available wireless networks and I connect to mine without any difficulty. When visiting a wifi hotspot location that has an open wireless network, I can select it for connection and am prompted to provide the passphrase (the encryption type is WEP Passphrase and Authentication is Open System) but I am never able to connect - it reaches 57% and stops, finally presenting me with the WEP Passphrase prompt screen again.

Any suggestions on what's going on and what I need to do in order to use my laptop at hotspots would be appreciated.

[Snowhog]

Re: Can't connect to a wifi hotspot

Well, discovered something interesting - to me anyway - about settings in the /etc/network/interfaces file. As written, the stanza for my wireless connection:

auto ath0
iface atho inet dhcp

allows KNetworkManager to see the available networks, but as stated, won't connect to a wifi 'open' hotspot. If I change the 'logical' interface (atho) to ath0 (which the documentation says you should normally use (name the logical interface to match the physical interface), then KNetworkManager can no longer see any networks. Hmmm.

So, I rebooted into Recovery Mode and at the prompt, CD'd into /etc/network and made a copy of the interfaces file - cp interfaces interfaces_WORKING and then edited the interfaces file with vi to remove the eth0 and ath0 stanzas, leaving only the lo stanza. Saved the file and rebooted.

I still had a connection to the Internet (I'm connected to my wireless router by cable too). Interesting I said. Checked the /etc/network/interfaces file. Yup, it only had the single lo stanza. I had the the KNetworkManager icon in the system try. Right-clicked it and it displayed the rotating blue gear, and after a few seconds, displayed the available networks window, with all of the local wireless networks present!! I clicked on mine, was prompted by KWallet for my password, and viola, I'm connected to my wireless network!

So, apparently, the other two stanzas in the interfaces file are not required at all!

[MoonRise]

Re: Can't connect to a wifi hotspot

I remember reading about knetworkmanager about a year to a year and a half ago about how it works. Basically it said that that file shouldn't have anything in it relating to any network adapter. It handles it all. As a mater of fact, my Interfaces file has bn kept at this since I read that.

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
address 127.0.0.1
netmask 255.0.0.0

Nothing else and really I haven't had issues yet. Still playing around with KDE4 on a desktop, so I've yet to test knetworkmanager on a laptop.

[Snowhog]

Re: Can't connect to a wifi hotspot

I'm going to try again, probably tomorrow, taking the laptop to the coffee shop I frequent, and see if I can now connect to their open wireless network.