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Unable to connect to WEP or Unsecured Wireless (WPA is fine)

I've just installed a new harddrive into my EeePC 1005HA netbook, and with it a fresh installation of Slackware 13.1. I am able to connect to my WPA-protected network just fine, and others as well, but I am unable to associate with either WEP or unsecured networks. After a number of searches, I've yet been unable to figure out the rationale behind this behavior.

Kernel: 2.6.33.4-smp
Wireless driver: ath9k

I've used both manual iwconfig attempts and wicd, to no avail. Wicd merely states that it cannot obtain an IP address, and the log is relatively unhelpful (detailing the same, that dhcpcd was unable to find a lease). If I attempt to connect manually, iwconfig never reports a successful association.

I appreciate any help that may be provided - it's been a while since I've had wireless difficulties, and this one has me scratching my head.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poetics (Post 4015372)

Hi, perhaps there is no DHCP available on the network? When you want to try manual connects, you will have to shutdown any network managing software (like network manager or wicd). Because they may reconfigure your network at any time. Then try "iwlist scan" to scan for networks and look if your target network is available (Post the output if you like). Then associate to the network using iwconfig. Check the output of dmesg and iwconfig to assure yourself, that the network is associated. If after some seconds the network is not associated and you are sure to be authorized to access the network (some networks have MAC filters ...) post the outputs of iwconfig and dmesg (if you want and they contain some useful messages). Next try to unload the ath9k driver and load it with "debug=-1" module option. And start again. There should be now more error messages in dmesg-output or /var/log/messages. Post them.

Btw: Sometimes it is needed to initiate network scans or to give the associate command again to speed up connecting ... (Works at least at my laptop ...)

If you see in iwconfig that your wireless interface is associated, issue a "dhclient wlan0" command to obtain an IP address.

Thanks for the suggestions, irmin, but sadly even after killing wicd or any other type of autoconfiguration script, iwconfig never shows that I've associated, even after supplying essid, AP, and channel. iwlist does indeed detail that the network is available, and I've verified (via another computer) that DHCP is working on said network(s).

Are there any messages, when you load the driver ath9k with option "debug=-1"? You should be able to manually connect to unencrypted and WEP encrypted networks. I had a similar problem on my Asus Eeepc 900a (ath5k driver). I changed to madwifi driver and the problems are gone. Perhaps you want to try this too? But I cannot say for sure that your device is supported by this driver.

http://madwifi.org/

It turns out that my system has problems connecting to Ad-Hoc networks, it seems. Over the weekend I took it elsewhere to an unsecured Managed network and it hopped on just fine.

I also didn't see an option in modprobe to run 'debug=1', and so my /var/log/messages was quite empty in regard to loading errors.

It looks like I can now associate just fine (I unfortunately forgot what setting I had changed, or methodology), but I cannot get a DHCP address, or connect to any other device on the network. Any thoughts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poetics (Post 4024549)

I also didn't see an option in modprobe to run 'debug=1', and so my /var/log/messages was quite empty in regard to loading errors.

You will have to do

Code:

rmmod ath9k

modprobe ath9k debug=-1

to enable verbose debug messages.

Quote:

It looks like I can now associate just fine (I unfortunately forgot what setting I had changed, or methodology), but I cannot get a DHCP address, or connect to any other device on the network. Any thoughts?

If you assign a static IP address to your laptop, does it work then? Maybe the DHCP server is configured not to give you an IP address or there is some MAC filter active.

Well it looks like I may just not be able to connect to ad-hoc networks with this driver -- other devices work just fine with the attempted network, and the system seems to be alright with regular (managed) networks.

Really frustrating though, when I was hoping to have this netbook be a "connect anywhere" device. I wonder if there are other drivers/firmwares in the pipe, perhaps in a future kernel.

btw, here's the results of the debug=1; no anomalous entries found

Code:

root@slacktop:~# grep ath9k /var/log/messages

Jul  6 00:39:13 slacktop kernel: ath9k 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A disabled

Jul  6 00:39:13 slacktop kernel: ath9k: Driver unloaded

Jul  6 00:39:47 slacktop kernel: ath9k 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17

Jul  6 00:39:47 slacktop kernel: Registered led device: ath9k-phy1::radio

Jul  6 00:39:47 slacktop kernel: Registered led device: ath9k-phy1::assoc

Jul  6 00:39:47 slacktop kernel: Registered led device: ath9k-phy1::tx

Jul  6 00:39:47 slacktop kernel: Registered led device: ath9k-phy1::rx

How do you find out that "just not be able to connect to ad-hoc networks with this driver"?
Do you have access to AP, can you simply turn off (temporary) encryption?
Check on you comp. that wpa_supplicant is not loaded, any network managers is not loaded, and ONLY then do:
1. up your wireless interface.
2. scan air, check that driver "sees" your AP
3. down wireless interface.
4. Bring it up with additional parameters "essid" (man iwconfig may help)