Using WPA2-PSK under Ubuntu Edgy Eft

jfmessier · 02-01-2007, 06:35 AM

I have got a very new laptop, and I wanted to have the Intel Code Duo chip set, to ensure that the built-in wireless adapter would work under Linux. I got it to work, using the wide open configuration. Being a security guy, I want the best I can get in wireless security, without getting in the corporate stuff with radius.

The wireless card is detected, and I can configure it, but nothing more that what seems to be WEP. I heard of wpa_supplicant, and installed it, as well as those GUI-based utilities to configure the card. But I can't get the location where i put this shared key password.

Although I'm technically-inclined, when it comes to wireless stuff, I'm a newbie. Can someone give me some pointers on a step-by-step procedure to get my Ubuntu to work with WPA2-PSK setup ? I know the router is fine, as my Windows XP (ouch !!!) works fine with it. If the procedure assumes that I'm starting from a fresh install, no problem. I'm willing to re-install from scratch to eliminate remains of improper configurations no my system.

Thanks :-)

Jean-Francois Messier
Aylmer, CANADA

Quakeboy02 · 02-02-2007, 12:18 AM

I don't know how to use your GUIs, but the conf file is usually at /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf. If there's already a file there then run this:

Code:

wpa_passphrase  "ssid"  "passphrase" >> /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

If you don't have that file already then run this instead:

Code:

wpa_passphrase  "ssid"  "passphrase" > /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

ssid is the ssid of your router
passphrase is the passphrase of your router.

Here is an example where I do not send the output to a file:

Code:

me@mymachine:~$ wpa_passphrase "werbles"  "six on a frog"
network={
        ssid="werbles"
        #psk="six on a frog"
        psk=15f615e016e4e3d70385286ede85daca047a2619ed344b1153f499718734ea3c
}

Added:
Almost forgot. To make the connection after configuring it, you have to do the following. I can't tell you where to put this in your config files, because I know nothing about Youbun2

Code:

/sbin/wpa_supplicant -Bw -Dwext -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -iath0

You have to change ath0 to whatever your wireless device is.

basileus · 02-02-2007, 05:02 AM

You might want take a look at this:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=523028

jfmessier · 02-02-2007, 09:28 PM

Thanks for the replies. I guess one of my problems ins interpreting where the passphrase is for WEP, WPA, WPA2. In the dialog boxes from apps such as kwifimanager or network-manager do not seem to make any difference between them. Could it be that my card is detected only as a Wireless-B, with no G enabled ? I have no problems getting dirty in the config files manually. I will give it a try soon.

JF