wpa_supplicant-Cannot get an ip address

BobNutfield · 04-22-2009, 02:46 PM

Hello everyone

First, I know it has been asked before and it is all over the web, but I have tried everything I can find on setting up wpa-psk in Slack 12.1 and I an running into errors. It seems to set up, but will not get an ip address. iwlist scan finds the router, but the wpa_supplicant and ifconfig command just won't work.

So, I was wondering if some kind sould would be willing to share their wpa_supplicant.conf file that is working for them (without anything confidential, of course) so that I can try using that model. I have been at it for hours with no result.

My Ubuntu and Fedora machines were no issue that they just came up with a gui asking for the passphrase. Slack is where I do a great deal of my work and need to get connected to my home network.

I have no experience with wpa_supplicant as I previously had an unsecured network. But, we've a new house and in this neighborhood I now need wireless security.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance

Bob

Libu · 04-22-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

# This line enables the use of wpa_cli which is used by rc.wireless
# if possible (to check for successful association)
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
# By default, only root (group 0) may use wpa_cli
ctrl_interface_group=0
eapol_version=1
ap_scan=1
fast_reauth=1

# WPA protected network, supply your own ESSID and WPAPSK here:
network={
ssid="myessid"
psk=9b7bd6261c49cf2e190aa8ce2d5de0e703c57f4910bb6489a88261ed6b02b3d2
}

You do know that you can generate the passkey using wpa_passphrase ?

Quote:

wpa_passphrase myessid passphrase

BobNutfield · 04-22-2009, 03:37 PM

Hello, thanks for the response. Yes, I know that, and I have been using that. But, when I run:

Quote:

iwlist encryption

I get:

Quote:

wlan0 2 key sizes : 40, 104bits
4 keys available :
(1) off
(2) off
(3) off
(4) off
Current transmit key: (1)

The keys are "off" and that is where I am having my probelem. My wpa_supplicant file looks just like yours. I had no trouble connecting when I was using an unsecured network. Any suggestions about what I might be doing wrong?

Thanks
Bob

Alien Bob · 04-22-2009, 03:40 PM

Maybe this will help understanding what happens under the hood: http://alien.slackbook.org/dokuwiki/...wpa_encryption

Eric

Libu · 04-22-2009, 03:41 PM

I assume you are connecting using the rc.inet1 script ? If so what do you have in your rc.inet1.conf ?

Plus you are sure that your card supports wpa encryption ?

BobNutfield · 04-22-2009, 03:50 PM

Hi, yes the card support wpa. The laptop dual boots and Ubuntu handles it fine, but I normally use Slack on the laptop and Ubuntu and Fedora on the Desktop. The only thing in /rc.d/inet1 that deals with WPA is the line:

Quote:

WLAN_IWPRIV(4)="set

Quote:

AuthMode=WPAPSK

Which I have uncommented to make it active.

Hi Eric, thanks, and I have been through your wiki a couple times now. I have a script in /etc/rc.d/ called rc.wifi_wpa which I created from a tutorial I found on the web as I wasn't getting anywhere using the Slack docs. This script is call from rc.local at startup, but doesn't seem to do anything except mess with the dcop server in KDE. Not sure what is going on and why the keys remain off.

Bob

Libu · 04-22-2009, 04:58 PM

I have set these two variables in the conf as well

Quote:

WLAN_WPA[4]="wpa_supplicant"
WLAN_WPADRIVER[4]="wext"

BobNutfield · 04-22-2009, 05:22 PM

Thanks, I have those entries as well. When I restart wlan0 with /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 wlan0_restart, I get:

Quote:

Failed to connect to wpa_supplicant - wpa_ctrl_open: No such file or directory

That explains why I keep getting "keys off" when I run iwlist encryption. I guess I have a bad install of wpa_supplicant. I suppose I will have to uninstall and install it again.

Bob

BobNutfield · 04-22-2009, 06:10 PM

Thanks for your replies and help. But it turned out that my wireless was not associated with the hardware address of the access point. As soon as I ran

Code:

iwlist wlan0 00:11:50:91:89:33

The wireless came up. And when I ran

Code:

wpa_cli status

it seemed to solve the wpa problems.

Not sure why, but enough tinkering usually fixes things in Slack. Haven't been defeated yet (with a lot of help here, of course..)

Thanks again

Bob

Libu · 04-23-2009, 03:00 AM

Good going dude. Glad you got it resolved.