Wireless card detected but unable to scan the network

Hi
I am very new to Linux and ended up losing my windows configuration due to some wrong installation method followed. Just to tell you how new I am. I read Andy’s post and wanted to provide all the information about my wireless to get help.

1 ) make and model of wireless device – Athreos 5k
2 ) driver version in use – dont know
3 ) any error message. -

abhishek:/ # sudo /usr/sbin/iwlist scan

lo Interface doesn’t support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn’t support scanning.

**
wlan0 Interface doesn’t support scanning : Network is down
**

4 ) what you have tried to rectify the problem.

Tried to install all the patches.

5 ) any trouble-shooting guide you have tried to follow. - The previous two stickies
6 ) openSUSE version 11.3
7 ) type /sbin/lspci -v" in a terminal; copy and paste the section that identifies your wireless card and it’s chipset.

07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 137a

Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 23

Memory at c2000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64]

Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-

Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00

Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Count=1 Masked-

Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting

Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel

Kernel driver in use: ath5k

8 ) if it is a usb device type lsusb in a terminal;copy and paste the result
Internal Wireless

I am unable to access the wireless adapter and scan for any network. Does someone know how to fix this?

Regards
Abhi[/size]

Try running this

modprobe ath5k

But this device should work out of the box. And it looks OK
Make sure the wireless switch is on.

Getting Your Wireless to Work

My Wireless switch is on. I tried Modprobe but it does not seem to do anything.

abhishek:/ # modprobe ath5k
abhishek:/ #

After installing the VM server the status of the wireless adapter has changed to " Device Not ready" under the networking icon on the task bar.

I am sorry, after I choose the NEtwork Setup Method as “User Controlled with Network Manager” and right click to enable wireless on the networking icon on the task bar I get the message " Device not Ready".

I feel I am almost there but something really small missing.

Does some have any experience with such a problem?

i am getting the same problem with mine which also has a AR5001

Yeah I got same problem too. I think the main problem is after “we” installing the VM server because i’ve installed too in 64 bit X86 11.3.
but it is strange that when i try 11.3 with KDE live CD before installing the DVD, i can use wireless by the CD, not with DVD.
strange one it is. i forgot how to set up wireless when using the KDE CD.

I have been trying to bring up my wireless adapter for the last 2 months now. I scrwed up my Windows Vista and do not have the key to re-install it anymore. I tried moving to Ubuntu but did not have much luck there either.

I need some help to bring this up. Any help would be appreciated.

On 12/08/2010 11:36 AM, abhishek2525 wrote:
>
> I have been trying to bring up my wireless adapter for the last 2 months
> now. I scrwed up my Windows Vista and do not have the key to re-install
> it anymore. I tried moving to Ubuntu but did not have much luck there
> either.
>
> I need some help to bring this up. Any help would be appreciated.

The “Network Down” message may be caused by several factors, but two common
factors are missing firmware, or the rfkill switch is set. Please post the
output of the following commands:


lsmod | grep ath
dmesg | grep firmware
/usr/sbin/rfkill list

If the last one says that rfkill cannot be found, do


sudo zypper in rfkill

and repeat the command.

linux-194d:~ # lsmod | grep ath
ath5k 147229 0
mac80211 290013 1 ath5k
ath 11135 1 ath5k
cfg80211 182659 3 ath5k,mac80211,ath
linux-194d:~ # dmesg | grep firmware
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
-bash: /usr/sbin/rfkill: No such file or directory
linux-194d:~ # sudo zypper in rfkill
Loading repository data…
Reading installed packages…
Resolving package dependencies…

The following NEW package is going to be installed:
rfkill

1 new package to install.
Overall download size: 8.0 KiB. After the operation, additional 12.0 KiB will be used.
Continue? [y/n/?] (y): y
Retrieving package rfkill-0.4-3.1.x86_64 (1/1), 8.0 KiB (12.0 KiB unpacked)
Retrieving: rfkill-0.4-3.1.x86_64.rpm [done (0 B/s)]
Installing: rfkill-0.4-3.1 [done]
linux-194d:~ # lsmod | grep ath
ath5k 147229 0
mac80211 290013 1 ath5k
ath 11135 1 ath5k
cfg80211 182659 3 ath5k,mac80211,ath
linux-194d:~ # dmesg | grep firmware
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes
linux-194d:~ #

Now as su -

rfkill unblock all

Still no luck.

linux-194d:~ # rfkill unblock all
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes
linux-194d:~ #

On 12/08/2010 02:36 PM, abhishek2525 wrote:
>
> Still no luck.
>
> linux-194d:~ # rfkill unblock all
> linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
> 0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
> Soft blocked: yes
> Hard blocked: yes
> 1: phy0: Wireless LAN
> Soft blocked: no
> Hard blocked: yes
> linux-194d:~ #

You said earlier that the wireless switch was on, but rfkill thinks otherwise.
That situation needs to be resolved.

Why are there two wireless devices? What is that “hp-wifi”?

I tried that. doesnt seem to be working.

linux-194d:~ # rfkill unblock all
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes

I have only one Wireless adapter and the wireless button is on. In fact i cannot turn it off like in Windows.

On 12/08/2010 03:07 PM, Larry Finger wrote:
> On 12/08/2010 02:36 PM, abhishek2525 wrote:
>>
>> Still no luck.
>>
>> linux-194d:~ # rfkill unblock all
>> linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
>> 0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
>> Soft blocked: yes
>> Hard blocked: yes
>> 1: phy0: Wireless LAN
>> Soft blocked: no
>> Hard blocked: yes
>> linux-194d:~ #
>
> You said earlier that the wireless switch was on, but rfkill thinks otherwise.
> That situation needs to be resolved.
>
> Why are there two wireless devices? What is that “hp-wifi”?

I have learned that the pseudo device that monitors your rfkill switch shows up
as hp-wifi. There must be some way to change it. Both of my HP devices (a
notebook and a netbook) both have switches on the front of the computer. Others
use Fn-F2 to change the state of the rfkill device.

Just a little hint (to anyone except Larry who most certainly knows anyway) WHY rfkill is of no help here:

rfkill - Linux Wireless

Read carefully, especially the last section (#6)!

Any suggestions?

I think the problem should not be too complex. The laptop is able to detect the card and its driver but is not letting me use it. When I had switched to Ubuntu there was a file called blacklist-ath and the ath controller was blacklisted. I removed the blacklist and then could not scan network or connect to hidden networks but the card was working.

Is there some kinda blacklist or a block list in Opensuse too?

Of course there is.

/etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf

Best regards,
Greg

I tried the above command. Here is the output.
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no
linux-194d:~ # rfkill unblock all
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
linux-194d:~ # /usr/sbin/rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: yes
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
linux-194d:~ #

I am still stuck with this. I tried to insert an additional linksys USB wireless lan adapter but it seems to have the same issue. The drivers seem to be there but it says that wireless is diasabled.