Pls help: Linksys WPC11 V3 Setup

I'm trying to setup wireless networking on my laptop using a Linksys WPC11
v3. I've installed wlan-ng using Yast2 (SuSE's installation program), and
the system seems to recognise that the card is there. It doesn't come up,
however, and I have no idea which way to go. I don't mind doing manual
configuration, although I'll probably need a little hand holding (for which
I thank those who will help in advance). When I boot the system, I see the
following in the system log:

Feb 22 12:43:13 vagabond cardmgr[1184]: executing: './network stop wlan0'
Feb 22 12:43:14 vagabond cardmgr[1184]: executing: 'rmmod prism2_cs'
Feb 22 12:43:14 vagabond /sbin/hotplug[3937]: no runnable
/etc/hotplug/wlan.agen
t is installed
Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond kernel: prism2_cs.o: 0.2.1-pre9 Unloaded
Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond cardmgr[1184]: executing: 'rmmod p80211'
Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond kernel: p80211.o: 0.2.1-pre9 Unloaded
Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond /sbin/hotplug[3964]: no runnable
/etc/hotplug/wlan.agen
t is installed
Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond /etc/hotplug/net.agent[3953]: Interface wlan0 is
handle
d by service PCMCIA ... exiting
Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond kdm[2006]: pam_unix2: session finished for user
michael
, service xdm


I openly admit to ignorance on wireless networking. Can anyone offer any
help?

Thanks in advance
---Michael

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 19:21:13 -0600, Michael Satterwhite wrote:

> I'm trying to setup wireless networking on my laptop using a Linksys
> WPC11 v3. I've installed wlan-ng using Yast2 (SuSE's installation
> program), and the system seems to recognise that the card is there.

> Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond kernel: prism2_cs.o: 0.2.1-pre9 Unloaded

Try booting without your card. Insert the card and post relevant output
from /var/log/messages and "lsmod | grep _cs"

--
mvh
Joachim Mæland

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
-Mario Andretti

Joachim Mæland" wrote:

> On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 19:21:13 -0600, Michael Satterwhite wrote:
>
>> I'm trying to setup wireless networking on my laptop using a Linksys
>> WPC11 v3. I've installed wlan-ng using Yast2 (SuSE's installation
>> program), and the system seems to recognise that the card is there.
>
>> Feb 22 12:43:15 vagabond kernel: prism2_cs.o: 0.2.1-pre9 Unloaded
>
> Try booting without your card. Insert the card and post relevant output
> from /var/log/messages and "lsmod | grep _cs"

Sorry for the delay, I had a family emergency. Here is the lsmod:

==================================================
prism2_cs 61808 2
p80211 18404 0 [prism2_cs]
ds 6668 2 [prism2_cs]
pcmcia_core 43232 0 [prism2_cs ds yenta_socket]

=================================================
Here are the log messages:

=================================================
Feb 26 19:37:34 vagabond su: FAILED SU (to root) michael on /dev/pts/1
Feb 26 19:38:17 vagabond su: (to root) michael on /dev/pts/1
Feb 26 19:38:17 vagabond su: pam_unix2: session started for user root,
service su
Feb 26 19:38:31 vagabond kernel: cs: memory probe 0xa0000000-0xa0ffffff:
clean.
Feb 26 19:38:31 vagabond cardmgr[957]: socket 1: Bromax OEM 11Mbps 802.11b
WLAN Card (Prism 3)
Feb 26 19:38:31 vagabond cardmgr[957]: module
/lib/modules/2.4.21-192-default//pcmcia/p80211.o not avail
able
Feb 26 19:38:31 vagabond cardmgr[957]: executing: 'modprobe -v p80211'
Feb 26 19:38:31 vagabond cardmgr[957]: + /sbin/insmod
/lib/modules/2.4.21-192-default/kernel/drivers/net
/wireless/p80211.o
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond cardmgr[957]: + Using
/lib/modules/2.4.21-192-default/kernel/drivers/net/wirele
ss/p80211.o
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond cardmgr[957]: + Symbol version prefix ''
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond cardmgr[957]: executing: 'insmod -v
/lib/modules/2.4.21-192-default//pcmcia/prism2_cs.o'
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond /sbin/hotplug[1999]: no runnable
/etc/hotplug/wlan.agent is installed
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond cardmgr[957]: + Using
/lib/modules/2.4.21-192-default//pcmcia/prism2_cs.o
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond cardmgr[957]: + Symbol version prefix ''
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: prism2_init: prism2_cs.o: 0.2.1-pre9 Loaded
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: prism2_init: dev_info is: prism2_cs
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: prism2_cs: index 0x01: Vcc 5.0, irq 3, io
0x0100-0x013f
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond cardmgr[957]: executing: './network start wlan0'
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond /sbin/hotplug[2009]: no runnable
/etc/hotplug/wlan.agent is installed
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: ident: nic h/w: id=0x801b 1.0.0
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: ident: pri f/w: id=0x15 1.1.0
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: ident: sta f/w: id=0x1f 1.4.2
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: MFI:SUP:role=0x00:id=0x01:var=0x01:b/t=1/1
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: CFI:SUP:role=0x00:id=0x02:var=0x02:b/t=1/1
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: PRI:SUP:role=0x00:id=0x03:var=0x01:b/t=4/4
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: STA:SUP:role=0x00:id=0x04:var=0x01:b/t=1/9
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel:
PRI-CFI:ACT:role=0x01:id=0x02:var=0x02:b/t=1/1
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel:
STA-CFI:ACT:role=0x01:id=0x02:var=0x02:b/t=1/1
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel:
STA-MFI:ACT:role=0x01:id=0x01:var=0x01:b/t=1/1
Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: Prism2 card SN: 99SA01000000
Feb 26 19:38:33 vagabond kernel: dot11req_reset: the macaddress and
setdefaultmib arguments are currently unsupported.
Feb 26 19:38:33 vagabond /etc/hotplug/net.agent[2018]: Interface wlan0 is
handled by service PCMCIA ... exiting
Feb 26 19:38:33 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 26 19:38:45 vagabond last message repeated 6 times
Feb 26 19:38:47 vagabond kernel: wlan0: no IPv6 routers present
Feb 26 19:39:01 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 26 19:39:33 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
================================================== ==================

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 19:46:55 -0600, Michael Satterwhite wrote:

> prism2_cs 61808 2
> p80211 18404 0 [prism2_cs]
> ds 6668 2 [prism2_cs]
> pcmcia_core 43232 0 [prism2_cs ds yenta_socket]

Looks perfect...

> Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: prism2_init: prism2_cs.o: 0.2.1-pre9
> Loaded

> Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: Prism2 card SN: 99SA01000000

Not sure if 0.2.1-pre9 is the best choice and some of your log seems a bit
strange according to my logs, (0.2.1-pre17).

No indication of serious problems, but no "linkstatus=CONNECTED"

Do you have this file?
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-wlan0
DEVICE=wlan0
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
ONBOOT=yes

Have you tried "ifup wlan0" as root? (watch /var/log/messages)

How about output from ifconfig and iwconfig, (from the wireless-tools
package)?

If you are up to it; compile newer drivers, my suggestion is pre16 or
pre17.

If everything else fails; http://linux.oldcrank.com/tips/wpc11/ explains
how to use the orinoco driver instead.

--
mvh/regards
Joachim Mæland

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
-Mario Andretti

Joachim Mæland" wrote:

>> Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: prism2_init: prism2_cs.o: 0.2.1-pre9
>> Loaded
>
>> Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond kernel: Prism2 card SN: 99SA01000000
>
> Not sure if 0.2.1-pre9 is the best choice and some of your log seems a bit
> strange according to my logs, (0.2.1-pre17).
>
> No indication of serious problems, but no "linkstatus=CONNECTED"

(Keeping in mind that networking isn't my strong suit) the line that worried
me the most was

Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond /sbin/hotplug[1999]: no runnable
/etc/hotplug/wlan.agent is installed

I thought I had everything installed. I'm sure this is telling me something
important, but I'm not sure what.


> Do you have this file?
> /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-wlan0
> DEVICE=wlan0
> BOOTPROTO=dhcp
> ONBOOT=yes

I don't have a /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts directory. There is an
/etc/sysconfig/network.scripts, but there is no ifcfg-wlan0 in it.

> Have you tried "ifup wlan0" as root? (watch /var/log/messages)

Here's the output in /var/log/messages:


Feb 27 15:56:22 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 27 15:57:26 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 27 15:58:31 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 27 15:59:00 vagabond /USR/SBIN/CRON[4318]: (root) CMD ( rm -f
/var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly)
Feb 27 15:59:35 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 27 16:00:39 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 27 16:01:43 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.
Feb 27 16:02:10 vagabond kernel: dot11req_reset: the macaddress and
setdefaultmib arguments are currently unsupported.
Feb 27 16:02:47 vagabond kernel: p80211knetdev_hard_start_xmit: Tx attempt
prior to association, frame dropped.


> How about output from ifconfig and iwconfig, (from the wireless-tools
> package)?

From ifconfig:

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:06:25:AC:45:85
inet6 addr: fe80::206:25ff:feac:4585/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST NOTRAILERS RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:1157 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:3 Base address:0x100


From iwconfig:

lo no wireless extensions

sit0 no wireless extensions

lan0 IEEE 802.11-b ESSID:""
Mode:Auto Channel:0 Access Point: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Bit Rate:2Mb/s Tx-Power:2346 dBm
Retry min limit:8 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Link Quality:0/92 Signal level:-69 dBm Noise level:-90 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

>
> If you are up to it; compile newer drivers, my suggestion is pre16 or
> pre17.

I'll try that. Compiles don't frighten me at all

> If everything else fails; http://linux.oldcrank.com/tips/wpc11/ explains
> how to use the orinoco driver instead.

I'll take a look at that as well

Any and all help given is greatly appreciated. As I said, networking is
*NOT* my strong suit, I'm a MSWindows developer porting himself to Linux.
I'm certainly willing to learn and appreciate very much the help I've been
getting from the entire Linux community. Thanks in advance for any other
suggestions or help you offer.

---Michael

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 16:12:38 -0600, Michael Satterwhite wrote:

> Feb 26 19:38:32 vagabond /sbin/hotplug[1999]: no runnable
> /etc/hotplug/wlan.agent is installed

No
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1630 Feb 18 22:11 /etc/hotplug/wlan.agent* ?
(note the execute flag)

> I don't have a /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts directory. There is an
> /etc/sysconfig/network.scripts, but there is no ifcfg-wlan0 in it.

Hmmm... SuSE is not my cup of tea, but browsing some docs, I saw it
mentioned.

/etc/sysconfig/network.scripts directory or file? Does it contain a
ifcgf-<LAN device> file? If yes; crate an entry for ifcfg-wlan0.

>> Have you tried "ifup wlan0" as root? (watch /var/log/messages)
>
> Here's the output in /var/log/messages:

Familiar from running pre16, but I have disregarded those messages, as my
card worked as expected.

What happened in the console when you tried "ifup wlan0"?

> From iwconfig:

> lan0 IEEE 802.11-b ESSID:""

Strange device name... Or just SuSE...?

> I'll try that. Compiles don't frighten me at all

http://www.linux-wlan.org/

Both 0.2.1-pre16 and 0.2.1-pre17 works with my WPC11. pre17 needs a manual
"ifup wlan0" after inserting the card and a /etc/init.d/pcmcia stop
_before_ ejecting the card. (and of course a /etc/init.d/pcmcia start
after reinstering)

I'm not surprised if SuSE have f***** up the driver. Wlan-ng worked out of
the box on mdk91, but neither mdk92, Fedora or Debian had packages that
worked with my WPC11 card. (Not to mention problems with my DWL-122, even
after compiling the drivers) *g*

> I'll take a look at that as well

Status...?

--
mvh/regards
Joachim Mæland

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
-Mario Andretti

Joachim Mæland" wrote:

> What happened in the console when you tried "ifup wlan0"?

On the console I get:

warning: using NO encryption
DHCP client is already running on wlan0


The first message doesn't bother me (yet). I thought it would be better to
try to get it working in a vanilla fashion (IOW at least get it to talk)
and then lock it down.


>> I'll take a look at that as well
>
> Status...?

I'm compiling now. Question: If I need to switch to the orinoco driver, what
do I need to take out first? I'd expect what I put in to this point to be
in the way of switching to the new driver.

Joachim Mæland" wrote:

> I'm not surprised if SuSE have f***** up the driver. Wlan-ng worked out of
> the box on mdk91, but neither mdk92, Fedora or Debian had packages that
> worked with my WPC11 card. (Not to mention problems with my DWL-122, even
> after compiling the drivers) *g*

Question: What distro are you running? I'm *NOT* married to SuSE on it, I
just happened to have SuSE 9.0 here. I need the wlan capabilities more than
SuSE, and I'm trying to use the laptop as a learning tool as well. Would't
bother me to switch to Gentoo or whatever - as long as I could get the wlan
up.

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:51:25 -0600, Michael Satterwhite wrote:

> Question: What distro are you running? I'm *NOT* married to SuSE on it,
> I just happened to have SuSE 9.0 here. I need the wlan capabilities more
> than SuSE, and I'm trying to use the laptop as a learning tool as well.
> Would't bother me to switch to Gentoo or whatever - as long as I could
> get the wlan up.

SuSE is pretty mainstream, and because of Novell, even more in the
future... My weird preferences regarding distro is _not_ important. Dig
into whatever distro you like and expand according to needs or curiosity.
There are no reasons why WPC11 will force you to make a change from SuSE.

My setup requiers both prims2_cs, prism_usb and the right pl2303 driver,
(picky HW). I'm wardriving and have special needs... :-)

Ok, then...:

mdk91 on some workstations, (and my main laptop)
Debian on some servers
RHE on some other servers

My only real experience with SuSE is hacking into what made my HP
NetServer work, so could get it working with RH62... :-)

--
mvh/regards
Joachim Mæland

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
-Mario Andretti

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:06:00 -0600, Michael Satterwhite wrote:

>> What happened in the console when you tried "ifup wlan0"?
<cut..>
> warning: using NO encryption
> DHCP client is already running on wlan0

This is because your card is busy trying to acquire an IP running a DHCP
client. This is IMHO a _good_ sign...

Are you sure you have the right entries in /etc/wlan/wlan.conf ?

Are you sure you have the right setup in your AP?

Older drivers, pre16 does not report the correct messages from your card.
Maybe our search for a driver setup solution, is in vain...?

> I'm compiling now. Question: If I need to switch to the orinoco driver, what
> do I need to take out first? I'd expect what I put in to this point to be
> in the way of switching to the new driver.

Dunno, but if you need to know... Create a new thread in this group with
an accurate subject. (I'll sure try to help, but this way you'll attract
attention)

--
mvh/regards
Joachim Mæland

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
-Mario Andretti