Connecting to hotel wireless networks

[Michael Duvall <michael duvall ccur com>]

Hello All,

On a recent business trip I was unable to connect to two different hotel wireless networks, yet I had no problem with getting an IP from a McDonalds restaurant or at the Fort Worth airport.  As for the hotels, my co-worker that has a Windows laptop had no problem with either hotel.  I tried to troubleshoot the problem, but had no success.  My guess is that the hotel wireless networks were poorly configured, however if a Windows laptop connected I think that there must be a way to get a Linux laptop to work.  Of course, when one tries to get tech support at hotels, the customer service reps eyes glass over when they find out that I'm running Linux....  Go figure.

I am running 2.6.24.7-92.fc8 with the latest updates as of May 16, 2008.  Below is the captured output from the NetworkManager.  Any and all suggestions/recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

NetworkManager: <info>  User request for activation of wlan0.
NetworkManager: <info>  Activating device wlan0
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless): connection 'Auto guestvelocity' requires no security.  No secrets needed.
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'ssid' value 'guestvelocity'
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'NONE'
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
NetworkManager: <info>  Config: set interface ap_scan to 1
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0) Supplicant interface state change: 2 -> 0
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0) Supplicant interface state change: 0 -> 2
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0) Supplicant interface state change: 2 -> 3
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0) Supplicant interface state change: 3 -> 0
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0) Supplicant interface state change: 0 -> 4
NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0) Supplicant interface state change: 4 -> 7
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0/wireless) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful.  Connected to wireless network 'guestvelocity'.
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) scheduled.
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) started...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Beginning DHCP transaction.
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.0.6-Fedora
Copyright 2004-2007 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
NetworkManager: <info>  dhclient started with pid 2718
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) complete.
wmaster0: unknown hardware address type 801
wmaster0: unknown hardware address type 801
NetworkManager: <info>  DHCP: device wlan0 state changed normal exit -> preinit
Listening on LPF/wlan0/00:18:de:8b:5a:31
Sending on   LPF/wlan0/00:18:de:8b:5a:31
Sending on   Socket/fallback
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 8
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 10
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 12
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 8
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 12
NetworkManager: <info>  Device 'wlan0' DHCP transaction took too long (>45s), stopping it.
NetworkManager: <info>  wlan0: canceled DHCP transaction, dhclient pid 2718
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP Configure Timeout) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP Configure Timeout) started...
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) failed for access point (guestvelocity)
NetworkManager: <info>  Marking connection 'Auto guestvelocity' invalid.
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) failed.
NetworkManager: <info>  Deactivating device wlan0.
NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (wlan0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP Configure Timeout) complete.

Thanks,
Michael Duvall