Re: Problems connecting to public WiFi with latest 80211 code

Kevin Downey wrote:
> On 7/19/07, Kevin Oberman <oberman_at_es.net> wrote:
>> > Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:22:25 -0700
>> > From: Sam Leffler <sam_at_errno.com>
>> >
>> > Kevin Oberman wrote:
>> > > I had not seen this problem because I do not use the 
>> wpa_supplicant to
>> > > connect to open networks when at home, but I am on travel this 
>> week and
>> > > it has been a real pain.
>> > >
>> > > System is current as of this afternoon and is running on a 
>> ThinkPad T43
>> > > with an Atheros 5212 mini-PCI card.
>> >
>> > mac+phy revs for card are always important; dmesg|grep ath
>> >
>> > >
>> > > When the system comes up, the wpa_supplicant starts, but the system
>> > > never scans except with 'authmode WPA1+WPA2/802.11i privacy ON' and
>> > > never tries to associate with an open AP even though I have an 
>> entry in
>> > > wpa_supplicant.conf for that network. I have to issue a 'ifconfig
>> > > wepmode off' to get it to associate.
>> >
>> > I don't see a log from wpa_supplicant or console debug msgs as obtained
>> > with wlandebug.
>> >
>> > >
>> > > Even then, it still won't always associate until I ifconfig the
>> > > interface down and up. Once I do this, it seems to associate rather
>> > > quickly.
>> > >
>> > > I suspect that the problem reported on mobile by Matthias Apitz 
>> and jhb
>> > > may be a part of the problem, but I think the inability to get to
>> > > authmode OPEN is different.
>> > >
>> > > I use the supplicant at home and it works fine, but that is NOT an 
>> open
>> > > network, so I don't need the interface to run in OPEN mode.
>> > >
>> > > Any idea what is going on and if it can be fixed or worked around?
>> >
>> > I can't help w/o the usual info: what os, card info (mac+phy), and how
>> > to reproduce (e.g. wpa_supplicant.conf and cmd line).
>>
>> Sorry, this was a really bad report.
>>
>> Here is the dmesg part:
>> ath_hal: 0.9.20.3 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, 
>> RF5413)
>> ath0: <Atheros 5212> mem 0xb4000000-0xb400ffff irq 11 at device 2.0 on 
>> pci11
>> ath0: [ITHREAD]
>> ath0: using obsoleted if_watchdog interface
>> ath0: Ethernet address: 00:14:a4:60:f2:e3
>> ath0: mac 5.9 phy 4.3 radio 3.6
>>
>> Do the following:
>> Boot up a current kernel WITHOUT 'device ath'
>> kldload if_ath
>> Interface continues to report 'authmode WPA1+WPA2/802.11i privacy ON'
>> and never associates.
>> /etc/rc.d/wpa_supplicant restart ath0
>>
>> This fixes it all. I didn't realize that restarting wpa_supplicant
>> corrected the problem when I sent the initial message.
>>
>> Because of the way this is working, I failed to get anything from
>> 'wpa_supplicant -d' as any attempt to re-start the supplicant cause
>> things to work.
>>
>> I did run wlandebug and I am attaching the output. The supplicant was
>> restarted at the point where the DHCP client exited.
>>
>> I see the same behavior when I 'boot -s', 'kldload if_ath' and 'exit'.
>>
>> Due to an IRQ issue that I have not had time to try to track down, I
>> can't load it from the loader and I don't want it in my kernel fro a
>> variety of reasons.
>>
>> I might also mention that I am also seeing frequent drops in
>> associations that are working fine, but this has been reported by
>> others and so this is just a "me, too". But is annoying. I lost it
>> twice entering this message.
>> -- 
>> R. Kevin Oberman, Network Engineer
>>
> ath_hal: 0.9.20.3 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
> ath0: <Atheros 5212> mem 0x90000000-0x9000ffff irq 22 at device 1.0 on pci7
> 
> I see similar behavior. I get a "ath0: device timeout" message then I
> lose my connection. If I bounce the interface with '/etc/rc.d/netif
> restart ath0' ifconfig shows ath0 with 'authmode WPA1+WPA2/802.11i
> privacy ON' and it no longer associates with my ap. Sometimes if I
> bounce it a few times it will "unstick" and go back to "authmode OPEN
> privacy ON" other times it requires a reboot. I am using
> wpa_supplicant, but not WPA just WEP. 'ifconfig ath0 authmode open'
> doesn't change anything when its stuck on "authmode WPA1+WPA2/802.11i"
> 
> This happens a few times a week.
> 
I cannot help w/o a log.

	Sam