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Can't access my own wpa-2 wifi w/ eCS2.0 GA

Started by steve b, 2010.08.05, 19:54:59

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steve b

Well, helpful folks, I hope this is easy.
I installed eCS 2.0 GA on my T43 and I used the ethernet connection off the router/modem (actiontec q1000) All seemed well (although I did not get a message asking me to choose device/profiles as I did on RC4) until I tried to access my wifi. When I add the profile, xwlan continually says it is configuring the lan (1) (the correct tcpip for the wifi card). I go to the tcpip configuration notebook and disable lan0 (ethernet) and enable lan1 and dhcp for it and reboot, same result. I have tried all the permutations I can think of.

But, I can access the public library's wifi, friends' wifi with lower security than wpa-2. What am I missing? And, as always, thanks for your help. Steve

RobertM

#1
If the IBM T43 has the standard IBM 802.11b wireless card, then it does not support WPA-2, hence the issues.

The IBM T43/p series came with either no wireless option, or one of four wireless options:

# Intel 802.11b/g Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
# Intel 802.11a/b/g Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
# ThinkPad High Rate 802.11a/b/g Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
# ThinkPad 802.11a/b wireless adapter on selected models
  Source: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-58317.html

# My memory on this is that there is a 5th option (combo card: 802.11b with modem - I own one)
  But, that too, won't work with WPA2, and probably wont work with WPA either

To allow the wireless card (assuming you have the 802.11a/b card, or a 802.11g card that does not support WPA-2), your wireless router would have to support multi-authentication, to allow simultaneous WEP authentication - OR you would have to lower the authentication to WEP or some other authentication scheme supported by the wireless card in the Thinkpad.

Even a variety of the earlier IBM 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g solutions do not support WPA2
, such as this cardbus adapter that, IIRC, is based off the same chipset as one of their internal solutions:
- http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-51855.html  
 # Existing WEP encryption supported
 # Future support for the new Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)* security standard
    * WPA - not WPA2
       - and I'm not sure if that support was even added or made available:
          probably unlikely though possibly via driver/firmware update

Hope that helps,
Rob


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RobertM

While your router does support TKIP, WEP, WPA and WPA2, I cannot find any instructions or references that indicate how to (or if you can) enable multi-mode authentication/security to allow using (for instance) both WPA2 and WEP at the same time.

Rob


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RobertM

According to Actiontec's FAQs for the M1000 (should be the same or very similar to the Q1000, except not branded for Qwest):

ยท When would I use WEP wireless security?
  You would use WEP for wireless security when you have an older wireless adapter that is not WPA capable.
  If your wireless adapter is not WPA capable, check the manufacturer's website for updated firmware. Despite
  the flaws in WEP, it does provide some security, particularly when compared to no security at all.

Inotherwords, it's one or the other (WEP or WPA or WPA2). Guess that leaves you either installing a different wireless card in the Thinkpad or setting your router to WEP.

Rob


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
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steve b

Thanks, Rob, that is almost certainly it. I have the Intell 802.11a/b/g and since 3.10 xwlan supports wpa-2, and shows it in the profile, I 'assumed' that my card had the feature. I would never have figured that out. Thanks for the extra research, I will take it form here and see what I can do. See, that was simple! Steve

RobertM

Hi Steve,

Any time! Glad I could help.  :)

Rob


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
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steve b

I was about to abandon this issue when I accessed the router and found I couldn't disable security, although I could go to wep 64 or 128 bit encryption. Checked with intel for firmware updates and got a pdf that stated the PRO2915abg (what is in my T43) will do all the encryptions inc. wpa2 providing the drivers and computer allow for it. Said it uses AES encryption. Then started the reboots to see what might work. Got wpa to work, not wpa2. Took tkip encryption, not AES. Oh well, I'm satisfied. I have some procedure questions to ask under a new topic.

Andi

I think the T42p I have is older than the T43, right?

Even the T42p works with WPA and WPA2-PSK. Wonder if someone has changed the WiFi adapter in my machine or Roberts research was unclear.

warpcafe

Hi,

well that depends I assume - I can only speak for the official IBM reseller where I have bought my T42 some time ago... they offer it with different components (sometimes as upgrades they plug into at order, sometimes already assembled) and mine had an Intel 802.11BG. But there were also flavors which had "only B, no G"...

I think it also depends on the "age" of the model. Manufacturers change the components of their models over time, so for teh T42, the first series started with 802.11B and then over time went to B/G and so on... and certainly, if it is a used/refurbished model, you never know what the previous owners did. Larger harddisks? Swapped a CD/RW for a DVD-Rom or DVD-RW... more RAM, different MiniPCI adapters... with or without Bluetooth et cetera...

Regards,
Thomas
"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that"
- G.H. Hardy

RobertM

Quote from: Andi on 2010.08.06, 11:04:12
I think the T42p I have is older than the T43, right?

Even the T42p works with WPA and WPA2-PSK. Wonder if someone has changed the WiFi adapter in my machine or Roberts research was unclear.

Thomas is correct. Both the T42 and T43 lines (and the T30 line) were sold during that transitional period, hence the variety of options that came with it, and the variety of supported modes those options had.  For instance, had you bought the T42 series on it's first days off the factory line and chosen the 802.11b option, you would not have WPA or WPA2. If you bought it later into the cycle, the other options (802.11g) would probably have been upgraded to support them. In addition, there are a variety of 802.11g options for both lines. It is quite likely, through luck, careful choosing or some other factor, that the 802.11g option you selected happened to be the one that provided support out of the box for WPA/WPA2.

Best,
Rob


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
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ModZilla

#10
Once a base host is assigned, the key is fixed, not for DHCP but for your router's
hardware config, I believe in conjunction with this the options are few for the base
or private network address which have nothing to do with assigning a public address, a pool
of many IP addresses usually comes with each router for public use, the router does not use a
public address at the edge of the network to find its protected MAC addresses through listening,
rather it uses a broadcast address and multi-cast to all points available on the wide area network
and private addresses are therefore not routable-The IP address 192.168.1.1 is the default for
some routers for home broadband routers for the LAN not WLAN. There is not a signal broadcast
using this IP 192.168.1.1, as the named host is a private IP address not routable on the Internet;
nics actually do not listen for connections they just accept what is given by the router or modem

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/routers/g/192_168_1_1_def....

Such options though based on 256 are not at issue as this base host IP is for intranet and do not/cannot
interfere with "finding" your broadcast through the net shell.

eg. say you have a network which one computer sees another computer on a LAN; the router does not broadcast the IP of each local host as the Public address is shared by all computers on the LAN, not the WLAN; though most of us are fine with unmanaged network addresses using defaults set up by hardware
install programs, if you read alot of logs like I do to see what's up you may want to Manage BOTH
public AND private IP addresses on your network ALA SOLARWINDS.COM

There is alot of stuff written about this on blogs at Networking Channels; D.L. Orion IP Address Manager (IPAM) from SolarWinds to get some "hands on" and perhaps some questions will be answered directly
by 'see dick run watch jane...' experiences and often practice makes perfect if done correctly in the
real as opposed to the theoretical world...more info on IP addresses can be had by visiting the
IP Registy here... http://www.arin.net/ another thing you may want to do is manage your DNS locally
using SimpleDNS+ ::)
someday os2 will be ruled by the young and famous-at least in the open-source world!