2009-12-24 10:02:22

by J.A. Magallón

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Problems with ath5k and WPA2 keys

Hi all...

With last 2.6.32.2 kernel, I can't connect to my home WiFi router.
I use WPA2+PSK mode.

I have discovered it's related to key length:

one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:password
Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:passwor
Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:passwo
Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:passw

(this last works...)

So network scripts can not set my key...

I don't know if this is a problem in iwconfig or in the driver...

Any idea ? Any way to debug this ?

pd: hardware is Acer Aspire One 150:

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
Subsystem: Foxconn International, Inc. Device e008
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
Memory at 35200000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Count=1 Masked-
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
Kernel driver in use: ath5k
Kernel modules: ath5k

TIA

(plz, CC me, I'm not subscribed...)

--
J.A. Magallon <jamagallon()ono!com> \ Software is like sex:
\ It's better when it's free
Mandriva Linux release 2010.0 (Cooker) for x86_64
Linux 2.6.29.3-desktop-1mnb (gcc 4.3.2 (GCC) #1 Wed May


2009-12-25 22:12:32

by Dan Williams

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Problems with ath5k and WPA2 keys

On Thu, 2009-12-24 at 10:56 +0100, J.A. Magallón wrote:
> Hi all...
>
> With last 2.6.32.2 kernel, I can't connect to my home WiFi router.
> I use WPA2+PSK mode.
>
> I have discovered it's related to key length:
>
> one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:password
> Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
> SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
> one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:passwor
> Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
> SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
> one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:passwo
> Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
> SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.
> one:~# iwconfig wlan0 key s:passw
>
> (this last works...)
>
> So network scripts can not set my key...

iwconfig does not do WPA. You want wpa_supplicant if you want to make
WPA connections, because a daemon is required to handle the rekeying and
other WPA operations. WPA is a lot more complex and thus you cannot
just use command-line tools.

The reason iwconfig only accepts certain key lengths is because it can
only accept WEP keys, and WEP keys have specific key lengths. WEP Hex
keys can be either 10 or 26 hex characters, and WEP ASCII keys can
either be 5 or 13 characters. Which is why the last example above
works; because the key is 5 ASCII characters.

But in the end, if you're using WPA, you want to use wpa_supplicant to
set up and manage the connection, or a connection manager like
NetworkManager. Plain iwconfig simply does not work with WPA and never
will.

Dan

> I don't know if this is a problem in iwconfig or in the driver...
>
> Any idea ? Any way to debug this ?
>
> pd: hardware is Acer Aspire One 150:
>
> 03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
> Subsystem: Foxconn International, Inc. Device e008
> Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
> Memory at 35200000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
> Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
> Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
> Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
> Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Count=1 Masked-
> Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
> Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
> Kernel driver in use: ath5k
> Kernel modules: ath5k
>
> TIA
>
> (plz, CC me, I'm not subscribed...)
>