Cant find network, atheros (configured)

**beli0135** · 23-Jul-2008, 20:58

...I never give up.

I have installed 10.3, downloaded new kernel, set it up, compiled, then backed up.

Installed 11.0 back on, did make modules_install and make install and it started to function properly. Now I have wireless driver directly from kernel.
Card is properly reckognized and configured.

Now I have another problem. wpa_supplicant is installed.
Network on router (cisco linksys) is set to WPA personal, with AES and passphrase.
However, KWiFiManager cannot find any networks. (even though there are 2 unprotected networks around, as well as few WPA2 and bunch of WPA in the range - windows XP reports it)

When I do: #> ifup wlan0
it gives me following warning: "WPA Configured but may be unsupported by this device."
"wpa_supplicant aready running on interface"

Wireless is configured to DHCP,
Operating mode: managed
ESSID: varnus (name of my network set on router)
Authentication: WPA-PSK
Key input type: passphrase

Any suggestions?

**beli0135** · 25-Jul-2008, 05:42

Anyone can help?

**lornix** · 25-Jul-2008, 07:32

beli0135 wrote:

>
> Anyone can help?
>
>

You have installed the Madwifi drivers, that much you've made plain.

By the fact that 'wlan0' exists, you are NOT using the madwifi drivers, you
are still using the ATH5K module.

As was mentioned before, you need to blacklist the ath5k driver, which will
THEN allow the madwifi drivers to find the card. Your wifi will then be
named 'ath0'.

You need to put 'blacklist ath5k' into a file in the /etc/modprobe.d subdir.

This command (as root) will do that:

echo "blacklist ath5k" > /etc/modprobe.d/ath5k.blacklist

Then reboot your system. If you have installed the Madwifi drivers
properly, you *should* get 'ath0' as your wireless nic name. Everything
should work at that point.

There is a MadWifi repository, which may be used to *automatically* install
Madwifi drivers, without you needing to compile and install then yourself.
The repo driver will also update as necessary if the kernel is updated. If
you installed the drivers by hand, you will lose wireless when the kernel
is updated, until you remember (how) to recompile/reinstall the driver
again.

The MadWifi Repo is *highly* recommended as a solution.

But you still need to blacklist ath5k.

--
L R Nix
lornix@lornix.com

**gdelta9** · 25-Jul-2008, 08:45

Originally Posted by beli0135

Tried, but nothing happens.
Just for test, I dropped suse and installed Kubuntu... same problem with wireless.
Simply, cannot find network.

Seems that my atheros, on my Asus is highy unfriendly and uncooperative.

I have the same card and its working perfectly under kubuntu.So there is something u are doing wrong.Unfortunatelly i have opensuse intalled on the desktop pc wich does not have the same card.Im afraid i cant help u,but again card works on ubuntu.So see what u are doing wrong.

Question:U cannot see any wireless neteworks at all?

**beli0135** · 25-Jul-2008, 17:31

I am not using madwifi. I did clean install of openSUSE 11.0, downloaded kernel 2.6.26, enabled atheros driver, compiled and installed.
Atheros was immediately reckognized, and I set it up.

Now, I added wpa_supplicant.conf in this manner:

Code:

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
eapol_version=1
ap_scan=1
network={
	ssid="varnus"
	scan_ssid=1
	proto=WPA
	pairwise=TKIP
	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
	psk="secret passphrase"
}

butm it just rolls over nothing as usual.

Code:

RTM_NEWLINK: operstate=0 ifi_flags=0x1003 ([UP])
Wireless event: cmd=0x8b19 len=8
Received 0 bytes of scan results (0 BSSes)
Scan results: 0
Selecting BSS from priority group 0
Try to find WPA-enabled AP
Try to find non-WPA AP
No suitable AP found.
Setting scan request: 5 sec 0 usec
Starting AP scan (broadcast SSID)
Scan requested (ret=0) - scan timeout 30 seconds

Do I really need MadWiFi, since I have kernel driver?

**cookdav** · 26-Jul-2008, 13:05

Originally Posted by beli0135

I am not using madwifi. I did clean install of openSUSE 11.0, downloaded kernel 2.6.26, enabled atheros driver, compiled and installed.

Do I really need MadWiFi, since I have kernel driver?

Did you REALLY get to kernel 2.6.26? The rest of us are all still back at
2.6.25.11-0.1
[Do 'uname -a']

As has been pointed out elsewhere, the LAST thing you want to try is to learn
how to compile your own driver (only after everything ELSE fails). [And compiling
your own kernel is even more of an advanced exercise.]

YES, you really need MadWifi driver, since your present one is returning
ZERO BYTES from the attempt to scan for existing APs. [That's exactly
what it did for me, which is why I blacklisted it (ath5k) and installed the
(older) madwifi drivers.]

You do NOT need to compile the madwifi driver
(if you are running a distributed kernel, which you should be.)
Instead, you can use these instructions to install:
Atheros madwifi - openSUSE

[Didn't some wise person say something about 'You can lead a horse to water, but...'?]

**beli0135** · 26-Jul-2008, 18:55

[Didn't some wise person say something about 'You can lead a horse to water, but...'?]

I have dne nothing to offend you in any way, and I do demand to be addressed with a respect, as to any other member.

I do know how to compile a kernel and I do have substantial knowledge, however, I do not have knowledge about wireless, that is why I addressed the member here to help.
And I do not see why I 'should' use original kernel? It is compiled with so much modules and drivers, and for i586, so this doesn't run as I want it to. But that is for another thread.

OK, I understand that I need MadWiFi driver, so I will black-list atheros kernel driver, and I will compile it from source.
Thanks for advice.
I will post the progress.

**beli0135** · 26-Jul-2008, 19:58

First I downloaded madwifi source, but didn't compiled and I am too tired to debug right now.
So, what I did.

1. I booted suse's pae kernel that was installed by default.
2. blacklisted ath5k
3. rebooted
4. installed madwifi for the pae kernel from repository
5. modprobe ath_pci
6. rebooted

DOESNT WORK!

in Yast, there is Atheros - Not Configured, edit button disabled, I can't put ath_pci in module combobox.

I tried doing modprobe fewtimes more and rebooting, same thing.

**beli0135** · 26-Jul-2008, 20:39

FINALLY!!

It is working, but on the most stupid workaround.

OK, I told you above that it didn't wanna load ath_pci...
Then I went to a sysconfig and forced module loading. That didnt helped either.
Then I installed windows driver through ndiswrapper and set card to load that module. modprobed it, and rebooted.

Then, I went to YaST, and guess what? The card was up with ath_pci ?!?!?! Why it didn't want to load before I modprobed ndiswrapper, I really do not know, but now is working... Stupid, but working.