Wireless laptop configuration problem

[William Chapman]

On 8/1/05, kleeman <ulist at gs1.ubuntuforums.org> wrote:
> 
> OK superficially it looks like the driver is working OK but that you are
> unable for some reason to get an ip address from your router (the
> dhclient command does that). A few followup questions and some
> suggestions:
> 
> 
> 
> If you do
> 
> dmesg | more (check the whole log!)
> 
> do you see anything like 'HAL status 13' If so you need a newer version
> of the madwifi driver
> 
#########################
No.  The only lines with 'hal' in the entire file were those that
included 'ath' and which were so grep'ed:
    ...
    ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.
    ath_hal: 0.9.12.14 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212)
    ...
#########################
> 
> 
> If you move your laptop right next to the router does the
> 
> sudo dhclient ath0
> 
> command give any different results?
> 
#########################
No.  I was already close to the router for all this testing.
#########################
> 
> 
> Is vSystems your routers essid? and is the frequency 2.437Ghz correct?
> Is your router in mode managed?
> 
#########################
Yes, vSystems is my router's essid, and the frequency appears to be
what the router is using.
I don't know about "mode managed."  I don't see any reference to that
term in the router configuration web pages, with which I have become
quite familiar.  I need to Google this.
#########################
> 
> 
> What does
> 
> sudo iwlist ath0 scanning
> 
> give? This command scans for wireless access points near you
> 
#########################
Perhaps because I have WEP configured, I didn't see any other access
points in the scan.  However, there is generally another one nearby
that I have seen (under Windows) before I set up WEP.  That unit's id
is "Linksys"; it belongs to one of my neighbors!  Would you believe
Windows people!?
#########################
> 
> 
> It may be that the wired nic is interfering with the ath0 still. To
> make sure it isn't check in /etc/network/interfaces and comment out
> (temporarily) lines like
> 
> auto eth0
> 
> iface eth0 inet dhcp
> 
> i.e. anything involving eth0
> 
> (do this by putting a # in front of the line)
> 
> Reboot and check the set of commands I gave in the previous post.
> 
#########################
I did this and there was no significant change in the output of the
commands, or the wireless behavior.
#########################
> 
> --
> kleeman
> 

Kleeman,

Note responses in-lined with your message above.

When eth0 is disconnected or deactivated, I noticed in the boot
messages, right after the network is configured (which takes a long
time if eth0 is disconnected), there is a red FAIL indication that
says something about the resolver.  Seeing this is a sure sign there
will be no networking until eth0 is activated.  A lot of clues suggest
a DNS problem, but I suppose this stems from DHCP as well.  Something
is preventing the kernel from using the wireless interface, even
though it is being - I believe - sucessfully configured and activated.
 I swear, nothing ever goes out the wireless port.  Monitoring the
router's log supports this.  (Would bringing up a packet sniffer help?
 I could get Ethereal going.)

Do you think the problem could be related to APCI or PCMCIA?  (ath0 is
a PCMCIA card)  I've seen a lot of threads discussing problems with
these areas.

???

Still, thanks for your help!!

Bill Chapman