Re: Ad-Hoc network creation not working on Ubuntu 8.10 64bit with Atheros

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Mon, 2009-01-12 at 12:14 -0200, Diego Algorta wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Some info about my notebook: Fujitsu Lifebook A Series Model A6120
> 
> OS: Ubuntu Itrepid Ibex 8.10 64bit
> 
> Kernel:
> $ uname -a
> Linux ponja 2.6.27-9-generic #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 22:15:32 UTC 2008 x86_64 
> GNU/Linux
> 
> Wifi card (related output from lspci -vv):
> 14:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 
> 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
>          Subsystem: Fujitsu Limited. Device 139c
>          Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- 
> ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
>          Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- 
> <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
>          Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
>          Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19
>          Region 0: Memory at fe200000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
>          Capabilities: <access denied>
>          Kernel driver in use: ath_pci
>          Kernel modules: ath_pci
> 
> I'm wanting to share my 3G connection (via HUAWEI E226 USB modem) as an 
> ad-hoc network to other laptops but am unable to do so. I can join to a 
> network created by a macbook, but I can't create a network myself. So 
> Mac people are laughing at my linux... and I don't like it. >:@

Looks like you're using madwifi; since there are in-kernel drivers that
cover the madwifi-supported hardware and are actually accepted upstream
(ie, ath5k and ath9k), I have no idea what the support level of madwifi
is.  I'd suggest you try ath9k out and see if it'll work for you.

I say this because it looks like you're having driver problems.  I fixed
a lot of the driver problems in mac80211 and ipw2200 about 6 or more
months ago in the upstream kernel, but since madwifi isn't in the
upstream kernel it doesn't get fixed.

The driver is for some reason not willing to establish an adhoc
connection with the information you've given it.  Best thing to do to
debug this would be:

1) stop NetworkManager

2) killall -TERM wpa_supplicant

3) put the following in /tmp/adhoc.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ap_scan=2
network={
    ssid="joinme"
    mode=1
    frequency=2412
    key_mgmt=NONE
}

4) run the supplicant with the following:

/usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -dddt -i ath0 -D wext -c /tmp/adhoc.conf

wait about 2 minutes, then Ctl+C the supplicant, and mail the output
back in a reply to this message.

If you never see the message CONNECTED in that log, then the driver has
a bug.

Dan

> I follow Dan William's example in 
> http://www.redhatmagazine.com/2008/10/16/video-fedora-10-connection-sharing/ 
> but after I put a name to the new wireless network and click "Create"... 
> it keeps trying and finally fails.
> 
> Here you have /var/log/daemon.log output while trying to create a 
> "joinme" network with no security:
> 
> ===================
> <info>  Activation (ath0) starting connection 'joinme'
> <info>  (ath0): device state change: 3 -> 4
> <info>  Activation (ath0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
> <info>  Activation (ath0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
> <info>  Activation (ath0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
> <info>  Activation (ath0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
> <info>  Activation (ath0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
> <info>  (ath0): device state change: 4 -> 5
> <info>  Activation (ath0/wireless): connection 'joinme' requires no 
> security.  No secrets needed.
> <info>  Config: added 'ssid' value 'joinme'
> <info>  Config: added 'mode' value '1'
> <info>  Config: added 'frequency' value '2412'
> <info>  Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'NONE'
> <info>  Activation (ath0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
> <info>  Config: set interface ap_scan to 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 0
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 0
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3
> <info>  ath0: link timed out.
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 0
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 0
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3
> <info>  ath0: link timed out.
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 0
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 0
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 2
> <info>  (ath0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 3
> <info>  ath0: link timed out.
> <info>  Activation (ath0/wireless): association took too long, failing 
> activation.
> <info>  (ath0): device state change: 5 -> 9
> <info>  Activation (ath0) failed for access point (joinme)
> <info>  Marking connection 'joinme' invalid.
> <info>  Activation (ath0) failed.
> <info>  (ath0): device state change: 9 -> 3
> <info>  (ath0): deactivating device (reason: 0).
> ===================
> 
> I'd appreciate any help you can give me to workaround this problem.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Diego Algorta
> www.oboxodo.com
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