[SOLVED] Not able to get an IP address when connecting to an open wireless network

boomhower182 · 01-25-2015, 02:31 AM

I work at a college on the weekends and we use the open Guest wifi, which I have used multiple times before with the same machine on different distros.

I use NetworkManager and it fails to connect to it. I have tried wicd and even tried iwconfig eth1 essid KCTCS-GUEST followed by dhclient -v eth1 and it fails to grab an IP.

I can connect to a closed/secured network with no issues and my phone connects to the open network with no issues.

Yes I know my wireless card is showing as eth1, I have no idea why, it just works.

Thanks in advance and if you need any more info, please let me know.

business_kid · 01-25-2015, 04:02 AM

You may need something like one of the following in /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

Code:

# Setup for EDUROAM access points
network={
  ssid="eduroam"
  scan_ssid=1
  proto=WPA2
  key_mgmt=WPA-EAP
  eap=TTLS
  identity="<student number>@<subdomain.domain.university.edu>"
  password="<your Student Password>"
  #psk - not working with psk
  phase2="auth=PAP"
}
#
# Plaintext connection (no WPA, no IEEE 802.1X),
# nice for hotel/airport types of WiFi network.
network={
  key_mgmt=NONE
  priority=0
}

and these details in /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf under eth1 (so all the 4s become 1s)

Code:

IFNAME[4]="wlan0"
#IPADDR[4]=""
#NETMASK[4]=""
USE_DHCP[4]="yes"
DHCP_HOSTNAME[4]="<Your Box's hostname>"

DHCP_KEEPNTP[4]="yes"
#DHCP_KEEPGW[4]="yes"
#DHCP_IPADDR[4]=""
WLAN_ESSID[4]=any
WLAN_MODE[4]=Managed

Leave out any <> brackets I inserted

The WPA_supplicant stuff I wouldn't change, on the basis that if it works, don't fix it. Something to watch is that you have to allow rewriting of resolv.conf (DHCP_KEEPRESOLV not set) or else the server cannot impose it's own dns servers, which most institutions do so they can ban certain sites.

If you fail to get an IP, also try

Code:

iwconfig eth1

look at the Access point on the 2nd line. If you are associated, it says "Access point <blah>, otherwise it says "Not associated". If you have an access point, run 'dhcpcd eth1'

jostber · 01-25-2015, 12:19 PM

Try to connect using wicd again and post the output of "tail -40 /var/log/wicd/wicd.log"

boomhower182 · 01-25-2015, 05:23 PM

This is the output of tail -40 /var/log/wicd/wicd.log

Code:

2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Connecting to wireless network KCTCS-GUEST
2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Putting interface down
2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Releasing DHCP leases...
2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Setting false IP...
2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Stopping wpa_supplicant
2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Flushing the routing table...
2015/01/25 18:21:11 :: Putting interface up...
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: Running DHCP with hostname Yoda
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: dhcpcd[2013]: version 6.0.5 starting
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: 
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: dhcpcd[2013]: eth1: soliciting an IPv6 router
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: 
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: dhcpcd[2013]: eth1: soliciting a DHCP lease
2015/01/25 18:21:13 :: 
2015/01/25 18:21:25 :: dhcpcd[2013]: eth1: no IPv6 Routers available
2015/01/25 18:21:25 :: 
2015/01/25 18:21:43 :: dhcpcd[2013]: timed out
2015/01/25 18:21:43 :: 
2015/01/25 18:21:43 :: DHCP connection failed
2015/01/25 18:21:43 :: exiting connection thread
2015/01/25 18:21:43 :: Sending connection attempt result dhcp_failed

j_v · 01-25-2015, 05:29 PM

If your interface is wlan0, I wonder why the log is showing eth1?

EDIT:
Sorry, I should have read ALL the posts more thoroughly before inserting foot in mouth.

boomhower182 · 01-25-2015, 06:47 PM

business_kid I tried your suggestion with no results except the same. I did connect and get an IP address only about 5 times within my 12 hour shift and even got the proper DNS servers but couldn't ping anything or resolve any addresses. I am not sure what is going on.

frankbell · 01-25-2015, 07:46 PM

Try blacklisting ipv6 as described in this thread and test.

boomhower182 · 01-25-2015, 08:11 PM

frankbell just tried and still can't get an IP address

frankbell · 01-25-2015, 08:20 PM

Drat. I suggested that because there have been cases where turning off ipv6 has helped and thought it was worth a try. I don't have any other ideas right now, except maybe to test with a Live CD of something like Mint to verify that the wireless card still works.

boomhower182 · 01-25-2015, 08:24 PM

Anything is worth a try. The wireless card works as I can connect to my secured network at home, and have used this network before with other distros. I really don't want to have to go back to something else because well slackware is my favorite.

jostber · 01-26-2015, 12:35 AM

Can you post the output of these commands?

lspci -vnn | grep -A10 Network

dmesg | grep -i eth1

boomhower182 · 01-26-2015, 12:51 AM

output of lspci -vnn | grep -A10 Network

Code:

0b:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4321 802.11a/b/g/n [1
4e4:4328] (rev 05)                                                              
        Subsystem: Apple Inc. Device [106b:008c]                                
        Physical Slot: 4                                                        
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16                       
        Memory at d7300000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3                           
        Capabilities: [58] Vendor Specific Information: Len=78 <?>              
        Capabilities: [e8] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+              
        Capabilities: [d0] Express Endpoint, MSI 00                             
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting                            
        Capabilities: [13c] Virtual Channel

output of dmesg | grep -i eth1

Code:

[    9.787516] eth1: Broadcom BCM4328 802.11 Hybrid Wireless Controller 6.30.223
.141 (r415941)

jostber · 01-26-2015, 01:12 AM

This might be a problem with the proprietary broadcom driver. Can you try this?

rmmod wl
echo "blacklist wl" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
modprobe brcmsmac

boomhower182 · 01-26-2015, 01:20 AM

Now I have no wireless at all

jostber · 01-26-2015, 01:24 AM

OK, then you need to revert that:

rmmod brcmsmac

Remove "blacklist wl" from the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf file

modprobe wl