# Wireless not working: invalid access point

## windz

Hi!

I have a problem connecting to the wireless network provided at the hostel that I'm currently staying in. I  have a network card determined by lspci to be: Broadcom Corporation BCM94311MCG WLAN Mini-PCI (rev 01) It is an 802.11 b/g WLAN.What I did as root:

modprobe bcm43xx

ifconfig eth1 up

iwlist eth1 scan

"iwlist eth1 scan" gives this entry: No scan results

"iwconfig eth1 essid any"  gives this entry:

eth1 IEEE 802.11b/g ESSID:off/any Nickname:"Broadcom 4311"

Mode:Managed Frequency=2.484 GHz Access Point: Invalid

Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=(I can't remember the value-not using my laptop now) dBm

RTS thr:off Fragment thr: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

Can anyone please help troubleshoot? There doesn't seem to be any errors in dmesg. It is just stated that the Radio is turned on. 

In /var/log/messages, I get something like:

Configuring wireless network for eth1

 *   Scanning for access points

 *     no access points found

 * Couldn't find any access points on eth1

 * Failed to configure wireless for eth1

Before this, I have compiled the kernel to include the bcm43xx driver and then install bcm43xx-fwcutter to install the firmware wl_apsta.o. I loaded the bcm43xx module and everything seems ok according to dmesg. I ran the command: iwconfig eth1 essid any, and a network connection (I think it's my neighbour's  :Wink:  was detected. I myself don't have wireless connection. So I thought everything was working.

Can someone please help? Thanks.

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## bugg_tb

Depending on how the network is set up will affect how you connect.

For example they may have the essid switched off so the network is 'invisible'?

Also why don't you ask someone else on the network for the essid details,

The fact the scan doesn't detect anything doesn't help but I've used the broadcom drivers fine.

If you find the details try something along the lines of...

```
iwconfig eth1 essid WirelessAccessName enc s:encyptionkey

dhcpcd eth1

```

obviously swap eth1 for the relavant card, s: indicates a asci key input iirc, so that may need changing depending on the set up.

Also the biggest problem I had was I noticed wpa_supplicant running in the backgroup, this refused to allow iwconfig to detect anything so try,

```

kill wpa_supplicant

```

Hope some of that helps and have fun back packing

Tom

[/code]

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## windz

Thanks, Tom, for the reply. I forgot to mention that the hostel provided me with a WEP key. 

So I tried:

iwconfig eth1 key 161d19a184

But I still got the same result: Access Point invalid. The guy who was staying in the same dorm as I am was using a Mac and he had no problems accessing the network. It was automatically detected and all he needed to do was to key in the WEP key.

EDIT: I don't have wpa_supplicant running in the background

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## bugg_tb

Dont you want to add

```
essid APName
```

I always add it when associating with my AP just because a scan doesn't reveal any doesn't mean they're not there, although its a little ominous, they may just have turned the beacon off.

When you try and associate you could take look in /var/log/messages to see if its spitting out any useful information.

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## windz

 *bugg_tb wrote:*   

> Dont you want to add
> 
> ```
> essid APName
> ```
> ...

 

I don't think the personnel at the hostel knew what I was talking about when I said essid / access point. They just gave me the WEP key and said that I only needed that. Anyway, I tried to add the AP Name using the one that came up on the guy's Mac but that didn't work. 

/var/log/messages showed:

username rc-scripts: Failed to configure wireless for eth1

username rc-scripts: Couldn't associate with any access points on eth1

username rc-scripts: Failed to configure wireless for eth1

username rc-scripts: Couldn't associate with any access points on eth1

username rc-scripts: Failed to configure wireless for eth1

username rc-scripts: Couldn't associate with any access points on eth1

and so on...

I'll be getting a wireless router soon. Will try to see if that works.

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## bugg_tb

Hmm very strange indeed.

One last question from me....

When the module loaded what does messages have to say about it.

Or try modprobe bcm43xx and see what it logs

Cheers

Tom

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## windz

After modprobe bmc43xx

1. dmesg:

```
bcm43xx driver

ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LK2E] enabled at IRQ 19

ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:00.0[A] -> Link [LK2E] -> GSI 19 (level, high) -> IRQ 19

PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:01:00.0 to 64

bcm43xx: Chip ID 0x4311, rev 0x1

bcm43xx: Number of cores: 4

bcm43xx: Core 0: ID 0x800, rev 0x11, vendor 0x4243

bcm43xx: Core 1: ID 0x812, rev 0xa, vendor 0x4243

bcm43xx: Core 2: ID 0x817, rev 0x3, vendor 0x4243

bcm43xx: Core 3: ID 0x820, rev 0x1, vendor 0x4243

bcm43xx: PHY connected

bcm43xx: Detected PHY: Version: 4, Type 2, Revision 8

bcm43xx: Detected Radio: ID: 2205017f (Manuf: 17f Ver: 2050 Rev: 2)

bcm43xx: Radio turned off

bcm43xx: Radio turned off

bcm43xx: PHY connected

bcm43xx: Microcode rev 0x127, pl 0xe (2005-04-18  02:36:27)

bcm43xx: Radio turned on

bcm43xx: Chip initialized

bcm43xx: 32-bit DMA initialized

bcm43xx: Keys cleared

bcm43xx: Selected 802.11 core (phytype 2)

bcm43xx: Radio turned off

bcm43xx: Radio turned off

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0200 (RX) max used slots: 0/64

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x02A0 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0280 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0260 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0240 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0220 (TX) max used slots: 2/512

bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0200 (TX) max used slots: 0/512
```

2. /var/log/messages :

```
Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx driver

Aug  9 01:47:23 username ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LK2E] enabled at IRQ 19

Aug  9 01:47:23 username ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:00.0[A] -> Link [LK2E] -> GSI 19 (level, high) -> IRQ 19

Aug  9 01:47:23 username PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:01:00.0 to 64

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Chip ID 0x4311, rev 0x1

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Number of cores: 4

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Core 0: ID 0x800, rev 0x11, vendor 0x4243

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Core 1: ID 0x812, rev 0xa, vendor 0x4243

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Core 2: ID 0x817, rev 0x3, vendor 0x4243

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Core 3: ID 0x820, rev 0x1, vendor 0x4243

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: PHY connected

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Detected PHY: Version: 4, Type 2, Revision 8

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Detected Radio: ID: 2205017f (Manuf: 17f Ver: 2050 Rev: 2)

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Radio turned off

Aug  9 01:47:23 username bcm43xx: Radio turned off

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: PHY connected

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: Microcode rev 0x127, pl 0xe (2005-04-18  02:36:27)

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: Radio turned on

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: Chip initialized

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: 32-bit DMA initialized

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: Keys cleared

Aug  9 01:47:25 username bcm43xx: Selected 802.11 core (phytype 2)

Aug  9 01:47:28 username rc-scripts:   no access points found

Aug  9 01:47:28 username rc-scripts: Couldn't find any access points on eth1

Aug  9 01:47:28 username rc-scripts: Failed to configure wireless for eth1

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: Radio turned off

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: Radio turned off

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0200 (RX) max used slots: 0/64

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x02A0 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0280 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0260 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0240 (TX) max used slots: 0/512

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0220 (TX) max used slots: 2/512

Aug  9 01:47:28 username bcm43xx: DMA-32 0x0200 (TX) max used slots: 0/512
```

3. After I issue the command ifconfig eth1 up

dmesg shows:

```
bcm43xx: Microcode rev 0x127, pl 0xe (2005-04-18  02:36:27)

bcm43xx: Radio turned on

bcm43xx: Chip initialized

bcm43xx: 32-bit DMA initialized

bcm43xx: Keys cleared

bcm43xx: Selected 802.11 core (phytype 2)
```

----------

