Atheros configured, but can't find any network

beli0135 · 07-25-2008, 07:50 AM

Hello to all. My 1st post here.

At first, I had a problem configuring the card. Used ndiswrapper and madwifi, but didn't worked. Actually with madwifi worked as now does, but now I compiled new kernel with a driver and I am using this.
I have Atheros on ASUS laptop.

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?

Btw, I am using openSUSE 11.0

Thanks

tomtomjkw · 07-26-2008, 03:02 PM

hi

if you compiled new kernel, it was 2.6.26, I suppose. It has ath5k support inside, and there's the problem - ath5k is intended to replace madwifi, but is still in very early stage of development and thus doesn't support any newer atheros chipsets. My Asus F5SL does the same as yours on ath5k - module loads properly, wpa_supplicant loads with no errors but no networks can be found.
Show us the output of

Quote:

lsmod |grep ath

and

Quote:

lspci

- it always helps

beli0135 · 07-27-2008, 08:42 AM

Well, definately ath5k does not work. Madwifi is essential, but somehow, it doesnt load properly either.
For short time, it worked, but after reboot it doesnt, so I really dont know what is going on...

amani · 07-27-2008, 08:51 AM

You are lucky. Atheros has released free Linux drivers...
see madwifi

beli0135 · 07-28-2008, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amani

You are lucky. Atheros has released free Linux drivers...
see madwifi

Oh? when this did happen?

mjjzf · 07-28-2008, 03:52 PM

I have the same experience under Slackware. Ath5k works - essentially; but it stops working! When I use it for a while, it suddenly ceases up, and no data comes through. It does not report link down - it simply stops receiving packages.
I compiled 2.6.25 and after that 2.6.26 in order to see if it was improved. No success. Strangely, it seems to happen when I am transferring larger files, using FF og fetching them with Wget.

tomtomjkw · 07-28-2008, 11:50 PM

mjjzf ->

The reason for your problem might be simple: ath5k doesn't support your atheros chipset or supports its partially. Even though madwifi seems to be left behind by developers, it still supports more chipsets than ath5k and ath9k.

mjjzf · 07-30-2008, 06:30 AM

I have an AR5211. No reason it should not work.
The behavior is odd, I think. I completely fail to see why the file size would have an effect on the system. Some sort of timeout effect, perhaps? Freaky.

beli0135 · 07-30-2008, 01:22 PM

ath5k simply doesn't work with 5122. Works sometimes, but rarely.
Seems that madwifi is the only solution for the time being. Since atheros opened the drivers, I expect that newest version of driver should work.
However, I didn't had time to check out. Maybe on weekend.

storkus · 07-31-2008, 03:31 AM

Sam Leffler, formerly of MadWiFi and now with FreeBSD, has released a new HAL for the original 1/2 open 1/2 closed MadWiFi driver. This driver supports a bunch of new chips.

See http://madwifi.org/ticket/1192 for more info.

Mike

tomtomjkw · 07-31-2008, 04:33 AM

http://snapshots.madwifi.org/madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6/

Try to install the newest one, it could help.

storkus · 07-31-2008, 05:17 AM

Exactly. It worked for me with my AR5007EG aka AR2425 AKA AR5BXB63. (Whew!) If that doesn't work, you may be stuck using winblows drivers and ndiswrapper.

Mike

beli0135 · 07-31-2008, 01:17 PM

Unfortunately, this was a rough week. I will try to do as told here, at weekend. I will post the results.
Thanks!

beli0135 · 08-10-2008, 12:30 PM

OK ladies and gentleman, situation is following:

(just for info, running openSUSE 11.0, card is identified as Atheros AR242x 802.11abg, windows XP identifies it as Atheros 5211)

1. ath5k doesn't work, as we all know, not even from kernel 2.6.26.2
2. madwifi, ath_pci doesn't work either. Tried everything imaginable
situation now: ath5k and ath_pci blacklisted

3. ndiswrapper
--------------
- original driver that came on CD and that WinXP is using (around 82k) doesnt work. Makes no problems but it doesnt work.
--- drivers downloaded from atheros.cz
1. ar5001a - doesnt work, slows the system incredibly
2. ar5001x - doesnt work
3. ar5001x+ - doesnt work
4. ar5007eg - WORKS but locks the system after a minute or two

I am out of ideas. I would be very much obliged for a suggestion

beli0135 · 08-10-2008, 05:33 PM

correction: windows reports ar5007EG

Anyways, installed new ndiswrapper.

ar5007eg still locks the system, but I have some results.
Using driver that windows installed there.

wpa_supplicant returned message:

Code:

> wpa_supplicant -Dwext -iwlan0 -cwpa_supplicant.conf

Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:00:00:00:00:00
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:00:00:00:00:00
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:00:00:00:00:00
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c
CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED - Disconnect event - remove keys
Trying to associate with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c (SSID='varnus' freq=2437 MHz)
Associated with 00:1d:7e:f1:dd:2c
WPA: No SSID info found (msg 1 of 4).

wpa_supplicant.conf is

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="SomeLongPassphrase"
}