how to debug WEP connection?

Gentree · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:18 am Post subject: how to debug WEP connection?

Hi,

I have got some way to establishing a link to a wireless router (Orage livebox) but don't know how to move forward.

I have followed the handbook and installed a patched wpa_supplicant that works with ralink rt73
http://mjh.name/Ralink_rt73_wpa_supplicant_rt2x00_wpa2

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

ssid is the name of your network (as configured on router)
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Gentree · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks,

what do you mean "the name of your network"? Domain name ?

In fact
thanks.
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smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

I mean this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_set_identifier

(BTW: do you really use 2yrs old kernel as you say in signature?)
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Gentree · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:14 am Post subject:

Thanks , that link explains it all beautifully. ssid , ESSID all becomes clear. Once I have understood all this I'll open a bug to suggest improvements to handbook. It seems to assume you know what all this means already, hardly the point of a howto.

Yes I'm still running 2.6.20. At one time I was madly updating my kernel with every release. I grew out of it once the novelty wore off. Now I wait until there's a need. Neddy Sygoon has pointed out that there was pretty bad security whole in many kernels from 2.6.17 - 2.6.24 so I'm in the process of finding a newer release.

The ralink rt73 driver only handles WEP , so I'm working on using that now. The device loads the driver and firmware OK on plugin and the ACT light starts flashing so it's searching for a connection. However dhcpcd is failing to communicate with the router. (wpa_cli that I was running before established that the network was available and provided confirmation of what I now know to be the ssid).

The problem is probably indicated by errors that I get during boot when the static network gets activated. The lines defining the WEP key produces an error.

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

Newer kernels contain sometimest substantial improvements of drivers,
some things that were broken suddenly work or gain new features.

Ralink chipset drivers are now inside kernel and work beautifully with WPA2
I'm using this right now with TL-WN321G, so I know what I'm talking about

Drivers form Ralink website are now obsolete, better use those from rt2x00:
Dev.drivers->Net.dev.supp.->Wireless LAN->Ralink driver support
(rt24xx and rt25xx PCI/PCMCIA/USB chips at least)

Of course I mean "reasonably new kernel", after 24 Jan 2008 (>=2.6.24) which
is still 1y old! That's why I asked about this (howto you used is from 2007!)

The World Keeps Changing

My wpa_supplicant.conf:

Gentree · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:46 am Post subject:

hi,

I just installed a 2.6.28 kernel and then remembered why I had not updated before. Nvidia-drivers that I need for my Geforce2 card dont compile to recent kernels.

<rant>
The lack of backward compatability in Linux is becoming a major headache. I object to having to update my hardware in order to update my kernel. It should be the other way around!
This sort of thing just makes maintaining software more of a job than writing it in the first place.

How many good project have gone to the wall because the developers can't devote their lives to constantly modifying their code to catch up with other's laziness. :roll:

</rant>

So I'm stuck with wireless for the moment and I need to find out why the handbook example code does not work

Thanks.
_________________
Linux, because I'd rather own a free OS than steal one that's not worth paying for.
Gentoo because I'm a masochist
AthlonXP-M on A7N8X. Portage ~x86

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

IMO Linux is perfectly backward compatible. At least much better than any other system.
I'm running small home server on hardware manufactured befofe 2000 and the newest
kernel works perfectly. On desktop I have GeForce4 MX 440 AGP 8x which also requires
older nvidia drivers and I managed to compile nvidia module, which also runs just fine
(I remember, that it required some not very obvious steps, but finally it worked)

Gentree · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:16 pm Post subject:

thanks, what nvidia-drivers are you using? I'm using x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-96.43.07

if they work with 2.6.26 that would at least get a safer kernel and probably allow me to use WPA

thx
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Linux, because I'd rather own a free OS than steal one that's not worth paying for.
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smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

Currently 96.43.01.

BTW: AFAIR the problem is because of gcc NOT because of kernel (ebuild tries -m64 or something like that)
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d2_racing · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:19 pm Post subject:

Hi, when I debug someone, I always ask this :

Gentree · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject:

OK here goes. Some of it does not apply but it's your list so I'll let you pick through it.

Gentree · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject:

ignore earlier typo , result is as stated:

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

I have never used wireless-tools, not even installed - just wpa_supplicant.
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Microsoft is not the answer, Microsoft is the question, the answer is no.

Gentree · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:28 pm Post subject:

Well it's in the guide and it seems pretty close to working with the rt73 driver.

But if you can remember the trick you needed to get nv to build I'll be happy to give supplicant another blow. I need to get rid of this flakey insecure kernel anyway.

thanks for your help.

_________________
Linux, because I'd rather own a free OS than steal one that's not worth paying for.
Gentoo because I'm a masochist
AthlonXP-M on A7N8X. Portage ~x86

d2_racing · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:16 pm Post subject:

Hi, ok you have 2 problems.

First, your /etc/conf.d/net

d2_racing · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject:

You should double check this thread too : https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-739292-highlight-rt73.html

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

Okay, this one is dirty and tricky, but I don't know the proper way... d2_racing: maybe you can help us?

Try to emerge nvidia-drivers: emerge -v =nvidia-drivers-${PV}
After it fails go to ${WORKDIR}/${NV_PACKAGE}${PKG_V}/usr/src/nv (where the module sources are)
Compile it manually: make clear module (this time kbuild is invoked with proper ABI)
Fake compilation by creating empty file touch ${WORKDIR}/../.compiled
Perform next two steps of emerge: ebuild /usr/portage/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers/${PV} install
and ebuild /usr/portage/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers/${PV} qmerge

For example, to compile 96.43.07:

Gentree · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:03 am Post subject:

Thanks , I've got it sussed now. Seems /usr/lib/file had disappeared for some reason

now running 2.6.28 with rt73usb module. and wpa_supplicant-0.6.4

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

/usr/lib/file?

As I said before, I use just wpa_supplicant:

Gentree · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:44 am Post subject:

This seems different to your usage since you use one of the standard drivers. I seem to have a missing link since wpa_supplicant is not running and that's presumably why I don't get the essid etc.

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

Well, wpa_cli simply fails to connect to running wpa_supplicant.
(it has nothing to do with ability to see APs or not, encryption, keys and stuff like that)

Make sure, that your ctrl_interface and wpa_cli -p parameter are consistent.
Check permissions (ctrl_interface_group, or just use root account only).
Check where your wpa_supplicant listen for connections (lsof -p `pidof wpa_supplicant`).

However, if you use wpa_supplicant from conf.d/net everything should work out of the box.

I do not like wireless-tools because AFAIR it can't use WPA2 and tries to connect to unsecured
hotspots first (maybe it can be configured/finetuned, I don't know, wpa_supplicant works for me)

I don't know, what 'iwlist scan' does internally.
Make wpa_cli connect to wpa_supplicant and use wpa_cli scan/scan_results.

Why don't you like wext? This funny rt-something was for legacy Ralink drivers.
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Gentree · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject:

No, rt73 was the legacy driver, that was what I started with (and did scan).

rt73usb is part of the rt2x00 driver project, now integrated into main line kernel. I though it should be available to wpa_supplicant so maybe something is wrong there.

I didnot realise I could use wext or else I would not huffing and puffing with specific drivers. I assume this project was not adopted into the kernel for no reason. Are you using it with a ralink device?

thx.

_________________
Linux, because I'd rather own a free OS than steal one that's not worth paying for.
Gentoo because I'm a masochist
AthlonXP-M on A7N8X. Portage ~x86

smerf · l33t Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 778 Location: Polska

No, no, no, no

The name you use with -D is not the name of the kernel driver!!!

AFAIK you should use always Linux Wireless EXTensions, except for
ndiswrapper, prism cards and some special cases (like legacy ralink)

I think, that you really need to read wpa_supplicant manual and wpa_supplicant -h output (drivers: section)

I've already posted all related configuration I use

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Microsoft is not the answer, Microsoft is the question, the answer is no.

Gentree · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:45 pm Post subject:

Thanks I read the man page but the "documentation" on wext is hardly explanatory.