Fedora 10 iwconfig error: Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :SET failed
 

Hi All,

Just installed fedora 10 on my Gigabyte laptop. (Dual boot with Win XP).
I am trying to configure my wireless network for some time, unfortunately with no real success.
First some details:
[root@localhost devices]# uname -a
Linux None 2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 #1 SMP Tue Nov 18 12:19:59 EST 2008 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
[root@localhost devices]# lspci |grep -i wire
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
[root@localhost devices]# lsmod | grep -i ath
dm_multipath 17164 0
ath5k 112520 0
mac80211 173668 1 ath5k
cfg80211 23816 2 ath5k,mac80211
[root@localhost devices]# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1D:7D:4E:36:EA
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:104 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:73 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:10692 (10.4 KiB) TX bytes:19480 (19.0 KiB)

[root@localhost devices]# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:"GorbageWLAN"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Tx-Power=27 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2352 B
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0


As you can see in the last command, my card can find the desired WLAN (iwscan), but when I try to associate a Key (iwconfig wlan0 key s:"My Key"), I get the following error:
[root@localhost devices]# iwconfig wlan0 key s:{My Key}
Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.

I have googled this problem, but could not resolve it. Please help.

Thanks in advance.

Simply, what the above might mean that your WLAN driver does not support this command, or it is specified incorrectly.

Have you tried getting hold of a newer Linux driver version for your WLAN?

Are you 100% sure you are specifying the key in the correct format? I. e. "My Key" might need to be written 'my key' or somesuch - I've never used a WLAN with Linux but I did have the same types of problems once with a normal wired connection.

I get these. Ignore them - it actually passes the set commands correctly in my case at any rate.

iwconfig has all the set commands. Be root and play with it.Read the man page.

iwlist wlan0 scan shows the channels. Set up for one with iwconfig and then run iwconfig wlan0 ap <your access point from iwlist>

When iwconfig wlan0 shows you associated, try 'dhcpocd wlan0'

Once that sings, tidy your config scripts.