Strange issue with DHCP on Slackware 12.1 with custom kernel 2.6.25.4

rvdboom · 06-18-2008, 03:33 AM

Hi!
I have recently upgraded my slack on a MSI laptop to 12.1 (previous was a 4 months old current) running a custom build 2.6.25.4 kernel.
Since this upgrade, DHCP doesn't seem to work anymore through any WIFI router.
I have a RT2500 wifi chip, configured using the in-kernel driver, and can connect using Windows (the laptop is dual-boot). When I start Linux, wpa_supplicant seems to work, I can run "iwconfig wlan0" and see the proper Wifi network configured. If I force an IP address, network communications work properly.
But if I try to get an address through DHCP, I get no answer.
The whole wifi network config seems OK, except DHCP communications.
Anyone has some suggestion?

llin · 06-18-2008, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvdboom

When I start Linux, wpa_supplicant seems to work, I can run "iwconfig wlan0" and see the proper Wifi network configured.

Bring wlan0 down then up, do you see the following in /var/log/messages?:

Code:

kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready

I've noticed that iwconfig will show the proper essid but dhcpcd will fail and take down wlan0. Re-running iwconfig wlan0 essid <your_essid> doesn't change the iwconfig output but a new line will appear in the log:

Code:

kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready

Now dhcpcd will successfully obtain an IP address.

rvdboom · 06-19-2008, 04:05 AM

Thanks for the reply.
Well, I can't test right now, but looking at the /var/log/messages, I see that at boot, I see messages like this :

Code:

Jun 17 09:40:21 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  List of interfaces: 'eth0 eth1 eth2 eth3 wlan0 eth5'
Jun 17 09:40:21 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  /sbin/ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1
Jun 17 09:40:21 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  /sbin/route add -net 127.0.0.0 netmask 255.0.0.0 lo
Jun 17 09:40:22 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  eth0 interface is not configured in /etc/rc.d/rc.inet
1.conf
Jun 17 09:40:22 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  eth1 interface does not exist (yet)
Jun 17 09:40:22 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  eth2 interface does not exist (yet)
Jun 17 09:40:22 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  eth3 interface does not exist (yet)
Jun 17 09:40:22 coyotemobile kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Jun 17 09:40:25 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.M:  /sbin/iwconfig wlan0 nick coyotemobile
Jun 17 09:40:25 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.M:  /sbin/iwconfig wlan0 essid "any"
Jun 17 09:40:25 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.M:  wpa_supplicant -Bw -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -Dwext -iwl
an0
Jun 17 09:40:26 coyotemobile kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Jun 17 09:40:27 coyotemobile kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
Jun 17 09:40:32 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  /sbin/dhcpcd -d -t 30  wlan0
Jun 17 09:40:32 coyotemobile kernel: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Jun 17 09:41:02 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  eth5 interface does not exist (yet)
Jun 17 09:41:02 coyotemobile logger: /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1:  /sbin/route add default gw 192.168.2.1 metric 1
Jun 17 09:41:02 coyotemobile logger: SIOCADDRT: Network is unreachable

So it seems to me that the link is OK but for some reason, dhcp doesn't work. I'm not an expert of DHCP, so I suppose I'm doing something wrong, but I don't see where.
It is possible indeed that the "any" essid is not appreciated, though it works when forcing an IP¨address.