# wpa_supplicant gui - not connecting [Solved]

## HungGarTiger

Hi guys,

Having some trouble with wpa_gui. I've got it to scan and entered the password but it just doesn't actually connect, hopefully I've just missed one small step! I've been through the wiki, handbook and networking guide. 

I have to 

```
/etc/init.d/wpa_supplicant start
```

 before I can scan for networks

/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

```
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=wheel

update_config=1

network={

        ssid="vodafoneHJGC"

        psk="**************"

        proto=RSN

        key_mgmt=WPA-PSK

        pairwise=CCMP

        auth_alg=OPEN

}

```

etc/conf.d/net

```
config_enp1s0="dhcp"

modules_wlp2s0="wpa_supplicant"

config_wlp2s0="dhcp"

```

User is in the "wheel" group, so it 'works' without needing to run as su.

Any advice in the right direction would be greatly appreciatedLast edited by HungGarTiger on Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:14 am; edited 1 time in total

----------

## charles17

 *HungGarTiger wrote:*   

> Hi guys,
> 
> Having some trouble with wpa_gui. I've got it to scan and entered the password but it just doesn't actually connect, hopefully I've just missed one small step! I've been through the wiki, handbook and networking guide. 
> 
> I have to 
> ...

 Did you log out - log in after adding the user to wheel?

And what happens if you try scanning without running that service?  What does the wpa_gui Event History (menu File, first item) show?

----------

## HungGarTiger

 *charles17 wrote:*   

>  *HungGarTiger wrote:*   Hi guys,
> 
> Having some trouble with wpa_gui. I've got it to scan and entered the password but it just doesn't actually connect, hopefully I've just missed one small step! I've been through the wiki, handbook and networking guide. 
> 
> I have to 
> ...

 

Yes, user was added to wheel group on creation

Event History shows

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> CTRL-EVENT-SSID-REENABLED id=0 ssid="vodafoneHJGC"
> 
> SME: Trying to authenticate with 00:0e:8f:c5:94:34 (SSID='vodafoneHJGC' freq=2462 MHz)
> ...

 

----------

## charles17

Remove all but the first two lines from /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf and try again.

And, unless you really have demand for netifrc, try the dhcpcd method. It's much easier.

In case it doesn't work, running wpa_supplicant in debug mode might give you more information about your problem.

BTW: Your output of ifconfig -a would be helpful.

----------

## toralf

 *HungGarTiger wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
>         psk="FTDLERR8ULFVHS"
> ```
> ...

 BTW choose a new psk before your neighbor read this thread ...

----------

## khayyam

 *HungGarTiger wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> CTRL-EVENT-SSID-TEMP-DISABLED id=0 ssid="vodafoneHJGC" auth_failures=4 duration=60 reason=CONN_FAILED
> ```
> ...

 

HungGarTiger ... that is an authentication failure, the reason is probably one of following: the password provided is incorrect, or the AP doesn't support the cipher (CCMP) you're requesting. If the later, you can do as Charles17 suggests and omit these parameters from the config, or you can scan the AP, see what it supports, and adjust the config to reflect that fact. 

```
# awk '{RS="Cell"}/vodafoneHJGC/' <(iwlist wlp2s0 scan)
```

You will see something like:

WPA:  Version: 1

  Group cipher: TKIP

  Pairwise ciphers: TKIP

  Authentication suites: PSK

or Group cipher: CCMP, etc ...

This would then be translated into the following:

/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

```
network={

    ssid="vodafoneHJGC"

    proto=RSN

    auth_alg=OPEN

    key_mgmt=WPA-PSK

    group=TKIP

    pairwise=TKIP

    psk="password"

}
```

Note that by starting wpa_supplicant as a service its not controlled by netifrc ... and so any configuration in /etc/conf.d/net is superfluous. I'd generally use net.* to start wireless, but you could do as Charles17 suggests and use dhcpcd to manage such things.

 *Charles17 wrote:*   

> And, unless you really have demand for netifrc, try the dhcpcd method. It's much easier.

 

You should say, "much less powerful" ;) Yes, it can do as advertised, but it quickly becomes tiresome when something more flexible is needed.

best ... khay

----------

## charles17

 *khayyam wrote:*   

>  *Charles17 wrote:*   And, unless you really have demand for netifrc, try the dhcpcd method. It's much easier. 
> 
> You should say, "much less powerful"  Yes, it can do as advertised, but it quickly becomes tiresome when something more flexible is needed.

 ACK. For advanced requirements of course, netifrc along with netplug/ifplug has its merits.  But I'd never recommend it on a simple end user client computer.

----------

## HungGarTiger

When I try to start dhcpcd I just get the error

 *Quote:*   

>  * start-stop-daemon: failed to start `/usr/sbin/dhcpd'                   [ !! ]
> 
>  * ERROR: dhcpd failed to start

 

same when running this command

 *Quote:*   

> awk '{RS="Cell"}/vodafoneHJGC/' <(iwlist wlp2s0 scan)

 

it complains about not finding "`/dev/fd/63'" this file.

I also have NetworkManager starting in run-level 3, I don't know if this is affecting anything but I think this is running my wired connection at this stage.

----------

## szatox

 *Quote:*   

>  start-stop-daemon: failed to start `/usr/sbin/dhcpd' [ !! ] 

  are you sure you're trying to run dhcpcd?

----------

## genoobish

I think you should stop the network-manager process

```
 rc-service NetworkManager stop
```

 ( or is it lowercase? I can't remember...), and remove it from that runlevel 

```
rc-update del NetworkManager
```

so it wont start at boot.

You're trying to use wpa_supplicant to handle your networks, so no need for NetworkManager. nm is probably running wpa_supplicant for you and conflicting with whatever you're trying to do directly with wpa_supplicant.

----------

## HungGarTiger

 *genoobish wrote:*   

> You're trying to use wpa_supplicant to handle your networks, so no need for NetworkManager. nm is probably running wpa_supplicant for you and conflicting with whatever you're trying to do directly with wpa_supplicant.

 

Ok, I've done this and added dhpcd to runlevel 3 so that seems to handling my wired network. It does through up and error after this and I assume that is the wireless connection. 

 *Quote:*   

>  * start-stop-daemon: failed to start `/usr/sbin/dhcpd'                   [ !! ]
> 
>  * ERROR: dhcpd failed to start
> 
> 

 

No more progress with wpa_gui, still the same situation...

----------

## genoobish

I think it's dhcpcd as  stazox pointed out. 

and you should start it with the init script,  

```
rc-service dhcpcd start
```

or

```
/etc/init.d/dhcpcd start
```

----------

## HungGarTiger

 *genoobish wrote:*   

> I think it's dhcpcd as  stazox pointed out. 
> 
> and you should start it with the init script,  
> 
> ```
> ...

 

I did this and magically it works!

I'll make sure to be using dhcpcd in future.

Thanks everybody for all the help!   :Laughing: 

----------

## szatox

I'd say that was a "very near" miss. Dhcpd is a dhcp server that allows other machines in LAN obtain segment's configuration.

Dhcpcd is dhcp client, which allows your machine obtain network's segment configutation from a dhcp server - pretty often dhcpd (but not necessarily)

So, they both have their uses, and they both work in the area you needed, but you tried to use one of those at the wrong end of your link. Well, yes, those names are similar and it is confusing.

Glad you got it sorted

----------

