Wireless encryption doesn't turn on

English Network/Internet
#1

openSUSE 11.3; MB GigaByte GA-G41M-COMBO R; CPU Intel PDC E6500;

Problem with wireless: Rosewill: RNX-G300LX 54M RTL

I went through the configuration procedure in Yast ->Network Settings. To complete the installation I downloaded kernel-firmware using a LAN ethernet connection on the same computer.

I completed the configuration procedure, including a WPA password.

After finishing configuration, I could not open a browser and I could not
ping my wireless router. My DSL and router are functioning, as other
computers with wireless connections on the network are functioning normally.

DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION

HARDWARE: From Yast-> Hardware


29: PCI 300.0: 0282 WLAN controller
  [Created at pci.318]
  Unique ID: y9sn.gohsp1cSoiA
  Parent ID: 6NW+.4thWDiESYU7
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:03:00.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:03:00.0
  Hardware Class: network
  Model: "RaLink EW-7108PCg"
  Vendor: pci 0x1814 "RaLink"
  Device: pci 0x0301 "RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1814 "RaLink"
  SubDevice: pci 0x2561 "EW-7108PCg"
  Driver: "rt61pci"
  Driver Modules: "rt61pci"
  Device File: wlan0
  Features: WLAN
  Memory Range: 0xfddf8000-0xfddfffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  IRQ: 20 (4781 events)
  HW Address: 00:1a:ef:19:2e:09
  Link detected: yes
  WLAN channels: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
  WLAN frequencies: 2.412 2.417 2.422 2.427 2.432 2.437 2.442 2.447 2.452 2.457 2.462 2.467 2.472 2.484
  WLAN encryption modes: WEP40 WEP104 TKIP CCMP
  WLAN authentication modes: open sharedkey wpa-psk wpa-eap
  Module Alias: "pci:v00001814d00000301sv00001814sd00002561bc02sc80i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: rt61pci is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe rt61pci"
  Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #23 (PCI bridge)

INSTALLATION: From dmesg


    5.337494] rt61pci 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 20 (level, low) -> IRQ 20

   41.326713] rt61pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: requesting rt2561s.bin
   41.354737] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
   42.673136] wlan0: authenticate with 00:26:5a:fc:ca:8c (try 1)
   42.675149] wlan0: authenticated
   42.681134] wlan0: associate with 00:26:5a:fc:ca:8c (try 1)
   42.684679] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:26:5a:fc:ca:8c (capab=0x431 status=0 aid=2)
   42.684683] wlan0: associated
   42.685480] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready

SERVER: from iwlist scan


GBLinux:/home/stevek # /usr/sbin/iwlist scan
lo        Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0      Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0     Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:26:5A:FC:CA:8C
                    Channel:6
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Quality=70/70  Signal level=-28 dBm  
                    Encryption key:on
                    ESSID:"HOMEWiFi"
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
                              9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                    Bit Rates:24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Mode:Master
                    Extra:tsf=000000049e391aa3
                    Extra: Last beacon: 3ms ago
                    IE: Unknown: 0008484F4D4557694669
                    IE: Unknown: 010882848B960C121824
                    IE: Unknown: 030106
                    IE: WPA Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (2) : CCMP TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
                    IE: Unknown: 2A0100
                    IE: Unknown: 32043048606C
                    IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101840003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00
                    IE: Unknown: DD1E00904C334E101BFFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: 2D1A4E101BFFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: DD1A00904C3406071B00000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: 3D1606071B00000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: DD0900037F01010000FF7F
                    IE: Unknown: DD0A00037F04010002004000
                    IE: Unknown: DD9E0050F204104A0001101044000102103B000103104700100000000000001000000000265AFCCA8C10210006442D4C69
				 6E6B1023000D442D4C696E6B20526F75746572102400074449522D363135104200046E6F6E651054000800060050F204000
				  110110016442D4C696E6B2053797374656D73204449522D363135100800020086103C000103104900140024E26002000101
				  600000020001600100020001

WIRELESS CARD: from iwconfig
PROBLEM: ENCRYPTION KEY: OFF


GBLinux:/home/stevek # /usr/sbin/iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11bg  ESSID:"HOMEWiFi"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: 00:26:5A:FC:CA:8C   
          Bit Rate=1 Mb/s   Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=70/70  Signal level=-28 dBm  
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

NETWORK STATUS: from ifconfig

 
GBLinux:/home/stevek # /sbin/ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 1C:6F:65:EA:4C:8A  
          inet addr:192.168.0.107  Bcast:192.168.0.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
          Interrupt:28 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:120 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:120 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:9542 (9.3 Kb)  TX bytes:9542 (9.3 Kb)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1A:EF:19:2E:09  
          inet addr:192.168.0.106  Bcast:192.168.0.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:1203 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:21 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:421302 (411.4 Kb)  TX bytes:5398 (5.2 Kb)

FAILURE: Attempt ping


GBLinux:/home/stevek # ping -c 5 192.168.0.1
PING 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 192.168.0.107: icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.107 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.107 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.107 icmp_seq=4 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.0.107 icmp_seq=5 Destination Host Unreachable

--- 192.168.0.1 ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 0 received, +5 errors, 100% packet loss, time 4000ms
, pipe 3

ENCRYPTION WPA supplicant file


GBLinux:/home/stevek # cat /var/run/wpa_supplicant-wlan0.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ap_scan=1
network={
  scan_ssid=1
  ssid="HOMEWiFi"
  key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
  psk="**********" 
}

To me it looks like the wireless card is defective. I have firmware from the manufacturer but the file is identical with that provided by kernel-firmware.

This is my first attempt at a wireless card configuration so maybe I’m missing something.

#2

It looks like it’s just a configuration issue. I find it much easier to configure the wireless network with network manager. You can switch to network manager in YAST. If the card was defective it wouldn’t turn on.

#3

It looks to me as if it is trying to send the packets out through eth0, so the wireless card is not even being used.

Maybe you just need to tell yast to not use the ethernet card, so that it will then route via the wireless card.

#4

If the wired nic is plugged in, wireless is disabled automatically.

#5

All the configuration information I provided in my original post was obtained with no wired ethernet connection to the wired NIC. One unresolved issue I have concerns the chip to be configured. The installation information given above indicates that the wlan controller is Ralink EW-7108Cg needing driver rt61pci and firmware rt2561s.bin. When I inspected the pci card directly, one of the two chips on the card is a Ralink chip. The other chip on the card is a Marvell chip and the Rosewill web site identifies the chipset for the card as 88W8335 + 88W8010 Marvell. Is openSUSE possibly identifying the wrong chipset to be configured for the card? What should I do if the Marvell is indeed the proper chipset to configure?

#6

CORRECTION: Only one chip on the card can be clearly identified and the chip appears to be Ralink RT2561T. It remains true that the Rosewill site identifies the chipset for the card as 88W8335 + 88W8010 Marvell.

#7

On 04/12/2011 04:06 PM, portlsteve wrote:
>
> CORRECTION: Only one chip on the card can be clearly identified and the
> chip appears to be Ralink RT2561T. It remains true that the Rosewill
> site identifies the chipset for the card as 88W8335 + 88W8010 Marvell.

As with all devices, the PCI or USB IDs will determine what driver is needed.
Rather than looking at the chips, you need to provide the numbers from
‘/sbin/lspci -nn’ or lsusb.

#8

I’ll post the /sbin/lspci report when I’m able. The card was returned to the supplier under a 30 day replacement guarantee and I should have a replecement in a week or so. Thanks everyone for the help.

#9

While the card is gone, here’s the lspci and lspci -n reports that I saved when the card was being installed.
[copy]
GBLinux:/home/stevek # /sbin/lspci
…
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications AR8151 v1.0 Gigabit Ethernet (rev c0)
03:00.0 Network controller: RaLink RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI

GBLinux:/home/stevek # /sbin/lspci -n
…
02:00.0 0200: 1969:1073 (rev c0)
03:00.0 0280: 1814:0301
[/copy]