Re: Problems connecting using ahteros based wireless card

[Paul Ionescu <i_p_a_u_l yahoo com>]

Hi,

On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 15:46:49 -0500, Dan Williams wrote:

> On Thu, 2005-01-27 at 21:28 +0100, Stefan Zechmeister wrote:
>> NetworkManager: Activation (ath0) started... NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): access point 'ESSID' is encrypted, and a key exists. 
>> No new key needed. NetworkManager: Activation (ath0/wireless): using
>> essid 'ESSID', with Open System authentication. NetworkManager:
>> Activation (ath0/wireless): no hardware link to 'ESSID' in Open System
>> mode, trying Shared Key. NetworkManager: Activation (ath0/wireless):
>> using essid 'ESSID', with Shared Key authentication. NetworkManager:
>> Activation (ath0/wireless): no hardware link to 'ESSID' in Shared Key
>> mode, trying another access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Activation
>> (ath0/wireless): waiting for an access point. NetworkManager: Caught
>> SIGINT/SIGTERM NetworkManager: Caught terminiation signal
>> NetworkManager: nm_device_activation_cancel(ath0): cancelling...
>> NetworkManager: nm_device_activation_worker(ath0): activation canceled.
>> NetworkManager: nm_device_activation_worker(ath0): activation canceled.
>> NetworkManager: Activation (ath0) ended. NetworkManager:
>> nm_device_activation_cancel(ath0): cancelled.
> 
> Hi,
> 
> What you need to do to debug this is the following...  In a separate
> window, run the command "watch -n 1 iwconfig ath0" and let that run while
> NM is trying to associate with the AP.  Look at the MAC address that the
> card reports, and if it changes to FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF too often during the
> link check, then we need to figure out what to do.
> 
> 
> So, if you could do the "watch" thing, that would be great, and report teh
> results, ie do you see the MAC address be FF:FF:FF... for most of the
> period when NetworkManager tries to connect to it?  Dos it usually stay at
> the access points MAC?
> 
> Second, what is the output of "lspci", and what brand/model is your
> Atheros card?  I personally use a Netgear WG511T to test out the madwifi
> drivers and haven't noticed any problems, but that's because the card is
> b/g only most likely, and doesn't do 802.11a.

Mine is a/b/g.
02:02.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)

> 
> Thanks!
> Dan

I also have this problem with an atheros card, FC3, kernel 2.6.10.
Manually configured works OK, and I have a stable
ath0      IEEE 802.11a  ESSID:"home"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:5.17GHz  Access Point: 00:05:4E:45:DC:D5   
          Bit Rate:54Mb/s   Tx-Power:50 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3  
          Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=60/94  Signal level=-35 dBm  Noise level=-95 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

when I run NM, I found out in the "watch -n 1 iwconfig ath0", that it
stays few seconds associated this ap, then it starts to change
frequencies/channels and of course looses the connection (the ap MAC
changes to FF.FF.FF.FF.FF.FF and no essid).
The AP is another linux with the same model atheros card as master, and as
I said before it is working fine.
I tested it in all a/b/g modes (set the ap in mode 1/2/3 manually with
iwpriv)