Re: NetworkManager 0.6.0 + wpa_supplicant 0.4.8 => constant reauthentication

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Sat, 2006-03-25 at 20:01 +0100, Simon B�d wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm running a Fedora Core 5 with default NetworkManager (0.6.0) and
> wpa_supplicant (0.4.8) packages installed.
> My laptop has a ipw2200 wireless card (using driver 1.0.8 and firmware
> 2.4) which I use to connect to a wpa-psk encrypted network.
> Using NetworkManager I'm able to see and connect to my wireless network,
> which is all good :-) My problem, however, is that wpa_supplicant keeps
> reauthenticating to my access point, which happens every five minutes or
> so, sometimes more freequent, sometimes less frequent. It means that I
> lose my connection for a few seconds, which is particular annoying when
> listening to web radio.
> My /var/log/messages is filled up with messages from NetworkManager -
> wpa_supplicant (see pasted output at end of mail).
> 
> If I stop NetworkManager and simply use wpa_supplicant from the console
> followed by the use of dhclient, I have a constant connection with no
> interuptions. Is NetworkManager somehow causing wpa_supplicant to
> reconnect? or what is going on here?

It's likely that whenever NM attempts to scan that wpa_supplicant is
noticing the dropped connection and reauthing.  At least, that's what
happens on many cards.  Most of the time this is harmless; but when
you're in a fringe situation it becomes more of a problem.

wpa_supplicant can be asked to scan, and hopefully that would work
better.  However, it doesn't provide all the necessary information about
networks that NM requires, nor does it return the scan results in an
acceptable format.

I'm working (slowly) on patch to make wpa_supplicant dbus-aware, at
which point we run wpa_supplicant all the time, and most likely turn
scanning responsibility over to it.

Dan