[Bug 43431] atheros card using the dapper madwifi drivers does not start up automatically when the network essid is hidden

[Jeff Fortin]

Public bug reported:

Affects: linux-meta (Ubuntu)
       Severity: Normal
       Priority: (none set)
         Status: Unconfirmed


Description:
Binary package hint: linux-restricted-modules-2.6-686-smp

Let's say that we have a wireless network that has a name "foobar" but chose, for security reasons, to not broadcast the ESSID. 
/etc/network/interfaces, it looks like this:

# Used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8). See the interfaces(5) manpage or
# /usr/share/doc/ifupdown/examples for more information.
iface lo inet loopback
auto lo

iface ath0 inet dhcp
wireless-essid foobar
auto ath0


The network will not automatically be activated when you boot the
computer. When you go in network-admin, click deactivate then click
activate (or just sudo ifdown ath0 && sudo ifup ath0), the network will
go up fine.

The problem has been identified as the fact that the madwifi driver
tries to connect to the network at first without taking into account the
name (foobar), but instead "scanning" the networks (I think), which ends
up in a situation where the driver tries to connect to the network "".
Of course, this does not work. So when I do my usual ifdown ath0, I see
this little hint:

Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :    
SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.


Now that I went to my router's configuration and enabled ESSID broadcasting, it comes up fine on boot.

-- 
atheros card using the dapper madwifi drivers does not start up automatically when the network essid is hidden
https://launchpad.net/bugs/43431