connecting to an AP

Hello,

I just managed to get my wireless USB adapter to work. I use OpenSUSE 11.2 32-bit and the device is a Trendnet TEW-424UB.

I can see the networks around.

But I can’t connect my device to an Access Point!

To make things easier I put the wireless router with no encryption.

I made the configuration in YaST2 and I selected my SSID. But no luck!

So, here you have some listing if it’s someone willing to give me a hint.

suse112:/home/robert # dmesg | less
...
  173.909365] ndiswrapper version 1.55 loaded (smp=yes, preempt=no)
  174.060075] usb 1-2: reset full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 3
  174.235676] ndiswrapper: driver sis163u (TRENDnet,11/02/2005,5.1.1039.1050) loaded
  176.129729] wlan0: ethernet device 00:40:f4:e6:18:cc using NDIS driver: sis163u, version: 0x1000000, NDIS version: 0x501, vendor: 'NDIS Network Adapter', 0457:0163.F.conf
  176.161960] wlan0: encryption modes supported: WEP; TKIP with WPA, WPA2, WPA2PSK; AES/CCMP with WPA, WPA2, WPA2PSK
  176.162131] usbcore: registered new interface driver ndiswrapper

suse112:/home/robert # iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:off/any
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  **Access Point: Not-Associated**
          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:17 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:39/100  Signal level:-71 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

suse112:/home/robert # iwlist scan
lo        Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0      Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0     Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 02:25:15:10:F1:BA
                    ESSID:"SFR WiFi FON"      
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11g     
                    Mode:Managed
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality:48/100  Signal level:-65 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:54 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s
                              2 Mb/s; 1 Mb/s
                    Extra:bcn_int=100
                    Extra:atim=0
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:25:15:10:F1:B8
                    ESSID:"9BoxRobert"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11g
                    Mode:Managed
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality:43/100  Signal level:-68 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:54 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s
                              2 Mb/s; 1 Mb/s
                    Extra:bcn_int=100
                    Extra:atim=0
          Cell 03 - Address: 02:25:15:10:F1:B9
                    ESSID:"Neuf WiFi FON"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11g
                    Mode:Managed
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality:43/100  Signal level:-68 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:54 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s
                              2 Mb/s; 1 Mb/s
                    Extra:bcn_int=100
                    Extra:atim=0

I need some more info:

Is this a laptop?
Do you use Networkmanager or traditional method (ifup) ?
Is this on KDE4 or Gnome?

The card works so something in the configuration is wrong. Please post answers and we’ll help you.

Sorry, I forget to give the essential information:

  • It’s a quite old desktop computer (Intel Pentium 4 @ 2 GHz, essentially a modified HP VL420) with 768 MBytes of RAM.
  • This computer will be a third computer at home, put in a place where I can’t pass a CAT5 cable. (I know I can use Ethernet over the power cable adapters, but I want to learn some Linux, too).
  • I use the ifup method (with YaST2) because in the Network Manager everything was grayed out. Now I understand that people can choose one method or another.
  • I use the KDE 4 desktop which came with the standard installation of OpenSUSE 11.2.
  • The USB adapter is working fine on an old laptop with Windows 2000.

So it must be in the network config. First do this:

Go into Yast, Network Settings and disable ipV6. Also check in the config of the wireless card, if it’s set to start at boottime. Configure it to use DHCP, leave all automatic.
Please let us know, the card shows up, so IMHO we should be able to get this working.

So, I don’t know why, but now I’m connected to my AP. But DHCP is unable to work for the wireless connection (it was working fine for the wired connection).

I tried to change some settings in Yast (Network card setup) like:

  • changed from DHCP both versions 4 and 6 to 4 only (like the ethernet card)
  • adding ndiswrapper in the module name box in the Kernel Module.

The light on the device is now blinking (before it was lit continously)

suse112:/home/robert # rcnetwork restart
Shutting down network interfaces:       
    eth0      device: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM/CA/CAM Ethernet Controller (rev 03)
    eth0                                                                                                                                                        done
    wlan0     name: Silicon Integrated WLAN controller                                                                                                              
    wlan0                                                                                                                                                       done
Shutting down service network  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .                                                                                                        done
Hint: you may set mandatory devices in /etc/sysconfig/network/config                                                                                                
Setting up network interfaces:                                                                                                                                      
    eth0      device: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM/CA/CAM Ethernet Controller (rev 03)                                                                             
    eth0      Starting DHCP4 client. . . . . . . .
    eth0      DHCP4 continues in background
    eth0                                                                                                                                                        waiting
    wlan0     name: Silicon Integrated WLAN controller
    wlan0     warning: using NO encryption
command 'iwconfig wlan0 ap 9BoxRobert' returned
 Interface wlan0 doesn't support IP addresses
wlan0     Interface doesn't support IP addresses
Error for wireless request "Set AP Address" (8B14) :
    invalid argument "9BoxRobert".
    wlan0                                                                                                                                                       done
Setting up service network  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .                                                                                                        done
SuSEfirewall2: Setting up rules from /etc/sysconfig/SuSEfirewall2 ...
SuSEfirewall2: Warning: no default firewall zone defined, assuming 'ext'
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
SuSEfirewall2: batch committing...
SuSEfirewall2: Firewall rules successfully set


suse112:/home/robert # iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"**9BoxRobert**" 
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: 00:25:15:10:F1:B8
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:17 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:31/100  Signal level:-76 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

suse112:/home/robert # rcnetwork status
Checking optional network interfaces:
    eth0      device: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM/CA/CAM Ethernet Controller (rev 03)
    eth0      DHCP4 client (dhcpcd) is running
    eth0      . . . but is still waiting for data
    eth0                                                                                                                                                        waiting
    wlan0     name: Silicon Integrated WLAN controller
    wlan0     DHCP4 client NOT running
wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"9BoxRobert"
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: 00:25:15:10:F1:B8
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:17 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:46/100  Signal level:-66 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

    wlan0                                                                                                                                                       dead
Checking mandatory network interfaces:
    lo
    lo        IP address: 127.0.0.1/8
    secondary lo IP address: 127.0.0.2/8
    lo                                                                                                                                                          running
Checking service network .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .                                                                                                        running


It’s strange that in rcnetwork status it’s telling me: wlan0 DHCP4 client NOT running
But the worst is the result of rcnetwork restart :
*wlan0 Interface doesn’t support IP addresses
Error for wireless request “Set AP Address” (8B14) :
invalid argument “9BoxRobert”.
*

The SSID “9BoxRobert” should be good ! It’s even detected in Yast, in Network Manager.

Maybe my Wi-Fi adapter isn’t compatible with Linux after all …

Of course not, otherwise you wouldn’t need ndiswrapper and crappy, closed source windows drivers at all.

There are compatible cards for less than 20€ (USB) or less than 35-40€ (PCI/PCMCIA), an investement to be taken into consideration.

ran into a somewhat similar problem with being unable to assign an AP to wlan0, same error (interface wlan0 doesnt support ip addresses). After not finding a **** thing on that very simple problem, I was able to fix it by retyping the ap, this time remembering to include the apparently crucial :'s (ie, xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx vs xxxxxx…). My guess is that the error we were getting is iwconfig’s polite but not very informative way of saying ‘that isn’t formatted like an AP address, so I’m going to assume you were trying to assign an IP.’
not especially relevant, but this was the first page that came up when I searched for that error. Hope it helps someone.