ipw2100 wireless can't connect to access point?

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roboknight
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Joined: Sat 26 May 2018, 16:50

ipw2100 wireless can't connect to access point?

#1 Post by roboknight »

Let me get the configuration info out of the way:

IBM Thinkpad T40 (yeah, that old chestnut)
From SysInfo:
Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter [8086:1043] (rev 04)
• Kernel Driver: ipw2100
• Memory Used: 63.61 KB
• Path: /lib/modules/3.14.20/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2x00/ipw2100.ko
• Driver Version: git-1.2.2
• Description: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Driver

Distro: tahrpup 6.0
Window Manager: JWM vgit-976
Desktop Start: xwin jwm


The problem I'm having is that the ipw2100 sees my wireless network just fine after running a scan with the Network Manager. But, when I try to actually connect to the access point with WPA2 (which the access point is using), It attempts to connect, but fails. Every time.

I have a PCMCIA card (yeah, one of those old chestnuts). Its an old Proxim atheros 5K based card. When I use the network manager, I have to load the driver for the card, but it loads flawlessly. Then when I use WPA2 to connect it, it works beautifully. In fact, I'm using it now.

My wonderment is if there are any issues with WPA2 and the ipw2100 that I need to work around? As much as I like the proxim card, I would like the ipw2100 built-in setup to work. In fact, this was pretty much the only sticking point to getting the T-40 working flawlessly with Puppy Linux, albeit a bit slow... but the hardware is nearly 20 years old.

Anyway, maybe someone has some insight? I've looked around fruitlessly in the internet void. There are various references to the ipw2100 driver, but nothing very helpful. Also, it would be terrific if I could enable or locate any logs the driver produces. Maybe there is something there that would clue me in?

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bigpup
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#2 Post by bigpup »


The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
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bigpup
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#3 Post by bigpup »

Distro: tahrpup 6.0
Really should be using Tahrpup 6.0.5

Tahrpup 6.0 was the first release of Tahrpup 6 and it did have some bugs.
Tahrpup 6.0.5 is the final release version.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

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bigpup
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#4 Post by bigpup »

Laptop internal wireless adapters usually have a physical switch that can turn them off/on.
Sure it is turned on.
Puppy may or may not turn it on when booting.
Usually it is the FN +some other key.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

Sailor Enceladus
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Joined: Mon 22 Feb 2016, 19:43

#5 Post by Sailor Enceladus »

Just a small point but member sindi said ipw2100 only works with WPA not WPA2:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 242#987242

I have ipw2200 and use SNS to connect (using WPA option, it only shows WPA and WEP).

roboknight
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat 26 May 2018, 16:50

Good info

#6 Post by roboknight »

Thanks for the replies.

1) As I said, the access point is visible. I would expect if the radio was off, I wouldn't see anything. The fact that the driver loads, doesn't really report any errors that I can see, and attempts to connect (though fails) with WPA2 suggests to me that everything up to the point of trying to connect seems to be ok. I turned on the debug to the ipw2100 driver, but it didn't seem to provide output anywhere I could find it, so I can't be 100% sure. Although I'm not sure what good debug values even are. Debug levels are a great scheme, presuming the debug levels are actually listed somewhere, but they don't appear to be.

2) I vaguely remember somewhere seeing that ipw2100 is WPA only, but I couldn't find anything actually confirming that. I suspected this from the beginning, but I don't have a real choice to choose WPA. It looks like I might be stuck with the add-in card on the home network. I don't know if the ipw tools support WPA2, but it seems that they don't.

At any rate, it appears that things would work if I was in a Starbucks or something like that where I wasn't using WPA2. Don't know what kind of effort it would be to add that support to the ipw tools, but I doubt anyone would be interested in using it besides me.

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rockedge
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#7 Post by rockedge »

I ran into this with a IBM T-42 and a 2wire and ORINOCO PCMCIA wireless cards...Tahr OS sees them scans finds the router but they can not connect using WPA2...so no connect...I set the router WiFi to WEP and it works.

Both those WiFi cards can not use WPA2 it turns out. WPA2 did not exist when they were made.

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bigpup
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#8 Post by bigpup »

Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 LAN MiniPCI Adapter Type 3B - network adapter
From the specs for this adapter:

Encryption Algorithm
128-bit WEP, 64-bit WEP, LEAP, TKIP, TLS, WPA
This indicates it can only do WPA not WPA2

If you are doing this at your home.
Big deal.
WPA should be good enough.
It is you on your network with your equipment.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

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