Wifi Connection Problems <SOLVED>

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi,

I have a generic pcmcia cardbus 802.11b card. There's absolutely no manufacturer markings. The author in the documentation has Kingmax as the company, and the sofware on the windows side is by Wiireless Technology inc. circa 1995. So, I have no idea what the chip is in this thing. It supports up to 128bit WEP.

The card works fine in win98se, and I have no problems connecting to our router, which is a USR8054.

Now, here's where things get a little frustrating. Initially in Puppy 3.01 I had no trouble finding the router, but one day, the connection simply quit working. Hence, I'm writing from windows right now... Anyway, I could not get it to work again. I can load the windows driver with the ndiswrapper, scan for the router connection, I can scan and see it, but nothing, I keep getting the error report in the wizard when it comes to configuring the wireless, its simply not connected.

(edits - deleted irrelevant information)

I'm obviously not getting this right. So, at this point I'm open to suggestions.

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

I edited the rc.local0 file to include a script I found here in an attempt to get the wireless settings to load automatically.

Code: Select all

#this file called from rc.local0
#you can edit this file
#When firewall is installed, will append lines to this file...
#I added this script
modprobe ndiswrapper 
iwconfig wlan0 essid midnightklim channel 7 key 2354016789 
if [ -e /etc/dhcpc/*.pid ]; then 
rm /etc/dhcpc/*.pid 
fi 
dhcpcd -t 5 -d wlan0

Unfortunately, the wireless does not automatically start.

The wireless wizard reports:

REPORT ON TEST OF wlan0 CONNECTION
"Unable to connect to a wireless network"

If I click on the button and perform a scan I can see the router I'm trying to connect to. 02: midnightklim (Managed; Encryption: On)

So I click on OK.

ESSID midnightklim
Network ID empty
Frequency 2.442G
Channel 7
ACCESS MAC POINT 00:C0:49:EC:3F:D8

I click on WEP, It says provide a key, which I enter 2354016789

I click on save, reloade the new profile, click on use this profile, and I'm right back to the message:

REPORT ON TEST OF wlan0 CONNECTION
"Unable to connect to a wireless network"

So I type ifconfig and iwconfig

Code: Select all

# ifconfig
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

# 
# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11b  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Auto  Frequency:2.442 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Bit Rate:11 Mb/s   Tx-Power:20 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3  
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key: 9235-4016-78   Security mode:open
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

# 

And so I'm not sure what to do next...

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi, its me again,

I'll be the first to admit I don't understand exactly what is going on and how exactly Linux works. I'm just an ol' geezer in amongst you young bucks. This is all pretty new. In an effort to find out some things about rc.local, which many people here refer to I found the following (below), which was quite illuminating. Basically what I'm trying to do is get my wireless connection up and running without having to redo it over and over with the wizard or rutilt. My style is basically to keep poking at the problem, reading, and to come back an post here how I'm getting along. It may seem a bit verbose, and I take a few steps in the wrong direction every now and then however I do get to a conclusion eventually, hopefully the right one.

Unfortunately, the wizard doesn't seem to be taking me where I want to go. None of the drivers in the default list seem to work so I've loaded the windows inf file in the ndiswrapper using the wizard. All is well and good there, as the wifi cardbus card is going, and I have wlan0. I don't seem to be able to configure wlan0 though, at least not in a way that will allow the settings to stick, and I can't get an active connection although I can scan for and see the router.

I've noticed that if I scan for the network I can see the mac address, however after I put in the key, the mac address disappears, so I type it back in and save the profile. If I re-load the profile the mac address is missing again, if I click on "use the profile", I don't get connected.

Rutilt basically acts similarly, although I can scan and save the profile, and even enter the key, when I try to connect nothing happens.

I did put a command script into rc.local but it doesn't really seem to do much of anything, although, the wep key seems to be displayed in the iwconfig data in rxvt. So something is making that stick.

Anyway here's my rc.local info I found:

http://www.linux.com/articles/114107 - rc.local information

An exerpt:

If this all still sounds a bit too complicated, you can instead simply make use of the /etc/rc.d/rc.local file. This script file is run once, before all other scripts have run but before the logon prompt appears. By default it looks something like:

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#!/bin/bash
#
# /etc/rc.local - run once at boot time
# Put any local setup commands in here:

You can append your instructions onto the end of the file by defining another script to be run:

Code: Select all

/root/bin/start_bb

Or you can modify rc.local by adding the commands themselves:

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modprobe -r uhci
modprobe usb-uhci
eciadsl-start
iptable -F
iptables -A INPUT -i ppp0 -p tcp --syb -j DROP
netdate time.nist.gov

Here a USB modem is initialized, a connection set up to a broadband network, some basic security is set up, and then the local time is synchronized with a time server. You can also start Apache or MySQL:

Code: Select all

apachectl start
echo "/usr/bin/mysqld_safe &" | su mysql

Note that some distros, such as Debian, do not use rc.local for startup scripts. See the Debian FAQ if you'd like to add startup scripts for Debian or Debian-derived distros.

One final thought -- in addition to startup scripts (for rc.local), try to remember to write close-down scripts to be added to rc.0 and rc.6. This ensures that your services are shut down neatly and not left in strange states when the system halts.

http://www.aerospacesoftware.com/notebook-howto.html - a search on rc.local and wifi turned this up

An exerpt:

WiFi Adaptor
Getting any WiFi adaptor to work on Linux is basically a game of chance. The adaptors that work are documented, but the probability that you will find one of those in your local electronics stores is quite remote. Fortunately, help is at hand with two utilities that make MS Windows drivers work on Linux, by putting a compatibility layer around them. The ndiswrapper utility is supplied with Mandriva 2006 and is worth trying out. It is even integrated into the drakconnect wizard. It worked out of the box with the Dell 1350 adaptor.

If you have a special configuration, then you could make little scripts for each funny system and run them as desired:

Code: Select all

#! /bin/bash
killall dhclient
ifconfig eth0 down
ifconfig wlan0 down
modprobe -r ndiswrapper
sleep 10
ndiswrapper -i yourdriver.inf
modprobe ndiswrapper
ndiswrapper -m
iwconfig wlan0 key yourkey
iwconfig wlan0 mode managed essid yourssid key yourkey
ifconfig wlan0 up
sleep 1
dhclient wlan0

The above does a few important things. It unloads the ndiswrapper module, which ensures that the card is powered down, forcing a WiFi card reboot when the module is loaded again. It sets the encryption key twice, since it tends to fail the first time. It also has a couple of delays in there, to give the card a chance to compose itself. With these changes, the WiFi card should start up reliably every time you run this script.

Note - I have yet to try the above script. It looks promising but until I try it I can't confirm it works. I believe at least part of some people's issues with the command line are that while they can follow the scripts, at least to type them, and follow where to put them, the fundamentals of understanding what each line does requires some explanation. I can relate to most of the above from my wifi readings thus far. What I've noticed is that a lot of the scripts for automatically connecting vary quite a bit. Some of that no doubt depends on which "wireless card" you are using. This explains the "why it doesn't work for me" syndrome. No two pcs are quite alike!

Don't get me wrong by the way, I'm finding the command line quite interesting. I quite appreciate the information of those who have gone before us! I think too many people are looking for the "magic answer" though, which kind of spoils the point of learning the command line. Example, I got curious about what the difference was between ifconfig and iwconfig but I had to do some netbrowsing to learn that iwconfig is wireless specific.

By the way the sensitive information in my previous iwconfig/ifconfig posts is "faked" but I'm sure you get the idea. I wanted as close to a real example of what I see as possible. I'm trying to give you a sense of the issue I'm faced with. Some of what I see when I type iwconfig looks quite mysterious although I'm quite sure it all makes perfect sense.

Until later,

Yorkiesnorkie

[Béèm]

You said:

Now, here's where things get a little frustrating. Initially in Puppy 3.01 I had no trouble finding the router, but one day, the connection simply quit working.

Maybe if you could remember what happened that one day it would give a clue.
You installed some new program?
You installed some other hw?
Just a thought.

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi Beem,

Thanks for the reply. I've been doing some thinking about what might have changed, or what I might have done. Its pretty clear now that of the versions of Puppy I've tried (2.16, 2.17, and 3.01) none will connect now via wireless, whereas initially I did have a working connection in 3.01 via using the wizard.

In one sense you are correct, I did add some new programs just before I ran into difficulties, Wink, Dia, Sodipodi. However I had been using them with dialup, so I don't think they are to blame. I have no new hardware. I was trying to sort out a problem with Seamonkey and SMTP and had changed a few mail settings in Seamonkey. However, I'm currently working from a fresh clean HD install of 3.01 because I suspected I might have done something I shouldn't have. Unfortunately the new version still wouldn't connect even though the wireless router was not encrypted, and I had not changed its settings. That did cast a shadow of doubt on the router, a USR8054.

Although its not entirely wise to start changing things in the middle of a problem I had some good reasons to then change the router settings:

1. To fall in line with some things I read here about wireless connections I decided to change some of the basic settings of the router. We were using Channel 11, and not broadcasting the SSID, and had no encryption.

2. I can see 3 other encrypted neighbourhood wireless signals generated by the various routers within range. I changed our channel to 7 because someone else in our locale was also using 11 close to our house. I changed the SSID, and added a 64 bit WEP encryption key. Since several houses are close by, it made some sense to provide something of a minimal deterrent to casual use of our wireless broadcast. I also changed to broadcasting the SSID to make the router easier for us to find.

3. Even though I have some suspicions about the router, even though the settings were changed, they are only the common settings. Win98se had no trouble with finding the router using the previous settings. Win98se will now also connect every time to this same router using the new settings. Once I entered them in Win98se I had no trouble getting a connection. So it is possible to get a valid connection to the router, that does indicate it is working.

However, Win98se just isn't in my plans. I want to connect using Puppy Linux. Since I've found Puppy, I'm a complete convert. So, its just a matter of stubbornly sorting out exactly what the problem is.

At this point it probably wouln't hurt to take another look at the router settings. However, it would be useful to know exactly what is being set, and what is responding properly when I set the wireless up in Puppy. i.e. to determine if I'm halfway there, or just missing some minor but vital setting.

I've added the last ndiswrapper script (previous post) I found to rc.local, and iwconfig and ifconfig are now reporting wlan0 settings, more on that later. However, I still don't have a working wlan0 connection.

Yorkiesnorkie

[Béèm]

Before trying with WEP (which is a good idea anyway) try unprotected first.
If unprotected works, then the problem is in the WEP part and it could be that a security module is missing or not loaded as should.

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi Beem,

I think that's a very good idea. It will definitely take one hurdle out of the problem. When I first set up the router for my daughter we had it set without WEP so it had no security. Also, we were not broadcasting the SSID.

At that time (prior to my current problem) I thought that if you weren't broadcasting the SSID it couldn't be seen by anyone else and that you would have to know what the SSID was to get connected. It was my first thought to establishing some simple security. However, when we did a scan for active networks we both instantly found the router and its supposedly hidden SSID, she in Vista, and I running Puppy 3.01 or Win98se. So I don't know what good trying to hide the SSID does.

Turning off the WEP is a very good idea and we can certainly go back to not using the encryption and see what happens. I'll give that a try again and let you know the result.

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi Beem,

Well there's a sign on this highway. It says LOST. I've dumped the WEP and tried the wizard and Rutilt again to no avail. I've discovered a few commands:

What card is it? For a cardbus 32 bit card type "cardctl ident" to display the card identification strings. In my case:

Code: Select all

 # cardctl ident
Socket 0:
  no product info available
Socket 1:
  product info: "Realtek", "Rtl8139"
  manfid: 0x0000, 0x024c
  function: 6 (network)

Progress! Interesting...

OK the card is there scan so I scan for the network

Code: Select all

  
  # iwlist scan
lo        Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0     Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:C0:49:EC:3F:D8
                    ESSID:"filijonk"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11b
                    Mode:Managed
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Quality:50/100  Signal level:-64 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 22 Mb/s
                    Extra:bcn_int=100
                    Extra:atim=0

ok, I can almost taste it... However this command doesn't always turn up Wlan0.

I've added this to the rc.local file, some of them commented out as they don't seem to work:

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#this file called from rc.local0
#you can edit this file
#When firewall is installed, will append lines to this file...
#I added this script but it didn't work
#modprobe ndiswrapper 
#iwconfig wlan0 essid filijonk channel 6 key off
#if [ -e /etc/dhcpc/*.pid ]; then 
#rm /etc/dhcpc/*.pid 
#fi 
#dhcpcd -t 5 -d wlan0
#another script I found on the net that didn't work
#! /bin/bash
#killall dhclient
#ifconfig eth0 down
#ifconfig wlan0 down
#modprobe -r ndiswrapper
#sleep 10
#ndiswrapper -i ~/wireless_card/WLPCNDS.INF
#modprobe ndiswrapper
#ndiswrapper -m
#iwconfig wlan0 key 1678923540
#iwconfig wlan0 mode managed essid filijonk channel 6
#I added the channel 6 setting
#ifconfig wlan0 up
#sleep 1
#dhclient wlan0
#Yet Another try
#!/bin/sh
modprobe rt18139 # This is a guess
sleep 5s
ifconfig wlan0 up
sleep 10s
iwconfig wlan0 essid filijonk
iwconfig wlan0 key off
iwconfig wlan0 mode managed
rm /etc/dhcpc/*.pid
dhcpcd -t 30 -h puppypc -d wlan0
ifconfig
iwconfig

But the last doesn't work... after a reboot...

Code: Select all

# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11b  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Auto  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Bit Rate:11 Mb/s   Tx-Power:20 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3  
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

# 
# ifconfig
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

# 
# iwlist scan
lo        Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0     No scan results

At least I now know the chip is a "Realtek", "Rtl8139". Something might turn up there.

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

I keep trying to use the wizard occasionally. Anyway, after last nights attempt to connect via the rc.local script I edited it down somewhat to the use the script I found but added the "card" and my essid:

Code: Select all

modprobe "rt18139"
sleep 5s
ifconfig wlan0 up
sleep 10s
iwconfig wlan0 essid filijonk
iwconfig wlan0 key off
iwconfig wlan0 mode managedrm /etc/dhcpc/*.pid
dhcpcd -t 30 -h puppypc -d wlan0
ifconfig
iwconfig
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall ]; then
  /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall start
fi

When Puppy boots up and load the kernel, the power light on the card comes on, but I don't get connected automatically as I should. Anyway that's where I left off last night. This morning, the link light still didn't come on.

I decided to give the wizard a run. Last night I had begun a profile for the network connection. I couldn't scan for the network so I just entered the information manually. I loaded the profile this morning and bingo, I got the following message in the wizard:

Code: Select all

Report on Test of Wlan0 Connection
Puppy was able to find a live network
You can proceed to acquire an IP Address

So, I clicked on Auto DHCP and bingo:

Code: Select all

Network Configuration of wlan0 successful
The configuration has been saved to file /etc/wlan0mode
This file is read at bootup by /etc/rc.d/rc.network

But is it? Not sure what it does yet. I saved it for the next boot...

Time for some rxvt command line investigation...

Code: Select all

# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11b  ESSID:"filijonk"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: 00:C0:49:EC:3F:D8   
          Bit Rate=11 Mb/s   Tx-Power:20 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3  
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:48/100  Signal level:-65 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:-2019614944  Invalid misc:-1055522802   Missed beacon:0

# 
# ifconfig
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:01:36:0F:C4:E9  
          inet addr:192.168.123.101  Bcast:192.168.123.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST NOTRAILERS RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:3218 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:1020 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:1266786 (1.2 MiB)  TX bytes:148626 (145.1 KiB)
          Interrupt:11 Memory:1c000000-1c000025 

# 

wlan0mode contains:

Code: Select all

echo "Trying to get IP address from DHCP server (60sec timeout)..."
echo "Trying to get IP address from DHCP server (60sec timeout)..." > /dev/console
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-wlan0.pid 2>/dev/null #if left over from last session, causes trouble.
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-wlan0.cache 2>/dev/null #ditto
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-wlan0.info 2>/dev/null #ditto
dhcpcd wlan0

So, I'm writing from a live session of Seamonkey right now but I don't know if I'll have a network connection next time. Its very possible that removing WEP encryption has aided the connection. I wouldn't call this solved just yet. I also learned by the way that channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only ones that don't overlap. 6 is a default used by many wireless devices in the USA so they recommend avoiding it. I'm using it because I don't have any other wireless devices.

I wonder if I can set this puppy for "infrastructure mode", which is what its called on the windows side of things, also known as "AP-Client"?

Regardless, I'd like to have the network connect automatically at boot.

Until later,

Yorkiesnorkie


[/code]

[tempestuous]

Code: Select all

# cardctl ident
...
Socket 1:
  product info: "Realtek", "Rtl8139"
  manfid: 0x0000, 0x024c
  function: 6 (network)

According to this -
http://linux-wless.passys.nl/query_part ... anyon+Tech
Your device (man:0000 dev:024c) is by Canyon Tech and contains a Realtek RTL8180 chipset.
cardctl incorrectly identifies your card. RTL8139 is definitely wrong. That's a LAN chipset.

Regarding your problems with WEP, please read the "PART 4: Troubleshooting, encryption problems" section of my wifi HOWTO -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 339#159339

And now we know exactly what chipset you have, I recommend uninstalling ndiswrapper and try the correct Linux driver for your chipset - "r8180".
Puppy 3.01 definitely contains this driver.

[yorkiesnorkie]

According to this -
http://linux-wless.passys.nl/query_part ... anyon+Tech
Your device (man:0000 dev:024c) is by Canyon Tech and contains a Realtek RTL8180 chipset.
cardctl incorrectly identifies your card. RTL8139 is definitely wrong. That's a LAN chipset.

Regarding your problems with WEP, please read the "PART 4: Troubleshooting, encryption problems" section of my wifi HOWTO -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 339#159339

And now we know exactly what chipset you have, I recommend uninstalling ndiswrapper and try the correct Linux driver for your chipset - "r8180".
Puppy 3.01 definitely contains this driver.

Hi Tempestuous,

Thanks for the reply and that's very interesting! I trusted what cardctl reported and I didn't dig into it too closely since it "found a card". I didn't realize there was a conflict in its statement. I should have explored that a little further I guess. I'll ditch ndiswrapper and try the right driver. I'm sure that would help a lot. After I get a reliable working connection wiithout WEP I'll add that, (after reading the wifi HOW TO again) I printed it out actually.

I've also learned this weekend that the router is causing some grief as well and its dropping out completely on my daughter as well. She's using the LAN. She just told me Sunday that the friend she got it from had said they were having problems with it. Wish I'd known that! So, I think we'll get a new router before I try this again. I should be able to pick one up fairly easily.

I've also noticed an annoying tendency for the wireless connection to quit whenever our cordless phone rings. Its on the same frequency 2.4 ghz. Annoying...Who dreamed that up?

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

Ok, following Tempestuous advice I removed the ndiswrapper module. I used the following command in console rxvt:

Code: Select all

ndiswrapper -r wlpcnds

"wlpcnds" was the name of the inf file I used to try to get it running.

So, back to the wizard, well why not, and the wlan0 connection was gone so I loaded "r8180" from the list, and have a new wlan0. Configuration, well puppy found a live network right away, and no scanning was required, so I just loaded my existing profile for the network, selected use this profile, and bingo! Proceed to acquire an IP address. I ran Auto DHCP and was connected, and saved for next time. Well, we'll see about that tomorrow when I try to connect again.

Its well worth using the right module since the contact was immediate. After this is sorted out satisfactorily I'll try to get an automatic connection script running.

The router, well I learned that the ISP was having problems and the service was dropping at their end and so it was not our USR8054 routers problem. I'm going to upgrade its firmware.

I've read as well that with a router that has two antennas one should be horizontal and the other vertical to improve the chances of connection. Don't know if that's true but I'm trying it now.

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi,

I'd commented out all the stuff I added to rc.local
#

As you know I ran the internet wizard again and managed to get an active connection going...

Well its day 2 and when I booted up Puppy Linux found the router all by itself. When it was booting the message "Trying to get IP address from DHCP server" appeared and then the link light came on. This is the first time this has ever happened. Its awsome!

wlan0mode contains the same information, no changes:

Code: Select all

echo "Trying to get IP address from DHCP server (60sec timeout)..."
echo "Trying to get IP address from DHCP server (60sec timeout)..." > 
/dev/console
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-wlan0.pid 2>/dev/null #if left over from last session, causes trouble.
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-wlan0.cache 2>/dev/null #ditto
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-wlan0.info 2>/dev/null #ditto
dhcpcd wlan0

I have a new file in /etc called wlan0wireless which contains:

Code: Select all

#Configure the wireless interface
echo "Configuring wireless interface wlan0"
ifconfig wlan0 up

 iwconfig wlan0 essid "filijonk"
 iwconfig wlan0 freq 2.437G
 iwconfig wlan0 channel 6
 iwconfig wlan0 mode managed
 

So, the whole problem appears to have been solved by using the correct driver for this card which Tempestuous identified to be "r8180" (a big thank you!). At the moment there's nothing left to fix, unless I get the same issue tomorrow. Lets hope its resolved for good!

Thanks to all!

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

Hi,

...so one day the link light didn't come on and I was puzzled (imaginative unprintable response).

Everything was going fine until...well weirdly, I found that the USR8054 router had inexplicably reset itself to its defaults, resetting the SSID and channel. Of course it did this without my knowing about it. I had to re-run the wizard, scan for the network (which is how I noticed this odd change in the router settings) and basically save a new profile with the proper SSID and channel. I'm still not using WEP or any other encryption.

After the settings were saved for next time, bingo, on the next reboot the link light came on automatically. So, its still a success.

Yorkiesnorkie

[yorkiesnorkie]

Update:

Just tidying up some posts. Puppy 4 Dingo automatically finds the correct chipset for my pcmcia wireless card which was previously a problem as I had to pick it manually. The wireless configuration goes smoothly via the wizard. It takes a couple of tries to find the network, but after that, I never have to reconfigure the wireless.

Yorkiesnorkie