# wireless: "iwlist scan" problem! [SOLVED]

## BloodyNewbie

Hi all

iwlist scan says for my wireless interface ath0: 

```

interface doesn't support scanning : invalid argument

```

and

/etc/init.d/net.ath0 start:

```

# /etc/init.d/net.ath0 restart

 * Running preup function

 *   Configuring wireless network for ath0

 *   Connecting to "any" (WEP Disabled)...                                [ !! ]

 *   Scanning for access points

 * ath0 does not support scanning!

 * You need to configure an ESSID in /etc/conf.d/wireless

 *     essid_ath0="ESSID"

 *     (set to "any" to pick the strongest available access point)

 * or configure preferred_aps to force a list of access points

 * or configure defaulting to Ad-Hoc when Managed fails

 * Failed to configure wireless for ath0

 * preup ath0 failed

```

so, I emerged kismet (an AP sniffer), but there I get another problem: chose the type of the device(and a second problem is: can't connect to localhost:2501(permission denied).. I got a IBM T40p with the standard-devices, that means atheros chipset

so madwifi, wireless-tools, everything done, I have the modules wlan, ath_hal, ath_pci modprobed and with ifconfig ath0 up, the interface shows up in iwlist.

Well, I just want to scan for Acess Points, why doesn't this work? My Card does support scanning, there I am pretty sure, so why doesn't this work?

kismet output with

suiduser=my_user

source=madwifi_b,ath0,madwifi_a/b/g :

```

# kismet

Server options:  none

Client options:  none

Starting server...

Waiting for server to finish starting before startuing UI...

Will drop privs to fehrp (1000)

No enable sources specified, all sources will be enabled.

FATAL:  Source 0 (madwifi_a/b/g):  Unknown card type 'madwifi_b'

Starting UI...

FATAL:  Could not connect to localhost:2501.

Client exited, terminating...

Done.  Run kismet_unmonitor or eject and re-insert your card (or restart your

 pcmcia services) to return your card to normal operation.

```

thanks for any help

----------

## BloodyNewbie

dmesg output:

```

e1000: eth0: e1000_watchdog: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex

atkbd.c: Spurious ACK on isa0060/serio0. Some program, like XFree86, might be trying access hardware directly.

atkbd.c: Spurious ACK on isa0060/serio0. Some program, like XFree86, might be trying access hardware directly.

wlan: 0.8.2.4-WPA (EXPERIMENTAL)

ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.

ath_hal: 0.9.9.13

ath_pci: 0.9.2.2-WPA (EXPERIMENTAL)

PCI: Found IRQ 11 for device 0000:02:02.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 0000:00:1d.2

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 0000:00:1f.1

ath0: 11a rates: 6Mbps 9Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps

ath0: 11b rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps

ath0: mac 4.2 phy 3.0 5ghz radio 1.7 2ghz radio 2.3

ath0: 802.11 address: 00:05:4e:41:f1:35

ath0: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_BE traffic

ath0: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_BK traffic

ath0: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_VI traffic

ath0: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_VO traffic

ath0: Atheros 5211: mem=0xc0210000, irq=11

device eth0 entered promiscuous mode

kismet_server uses obsolete (PF_INET,SOCK_PACKET)

atkbd.c: Keyboard on isa0060/serio0 reports too many keys pressed.

```

kismeg with source=generic,ath0,..

```

# kismet

Server options:  none

Client options:  none

Starting server...

Waiting for server to finish starting before startuing UI...

Will drop privs to fehrp (1000)

No enable sources specified, all sources will be enabled.

Source 0 (madwifi_a/b/g): Using pcap to capture packets from ath0

Source 0 (madwifi_a/b/g):  Attempting to enter monitor mode.

Generic card specified, so we do nothing.

Source madwifi_a/b/g: Created child capture process 17444

Dropped privs to fehrp (1000)

Enabling channel hopping.

Disabling channel splitting.

Allowing clients to fetch WEP keys.

Logging networks to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.network

Logging networks in CSV format to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.csv

Logging networks in XML format to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.xml

Logging cryptographically weak packets to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.weak

Logging cisco product information to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.cisco

Logging gps coordinates to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.gps

Logging data to Kismet-Aug-30-2004-4.dump

Writing data files to disk every 300 seconds.

Mangling encrypted and fuzzy data packets.

Reading AP manufacturer data and defaults from /etc/kismet/ap_manuf

FATAL:  capture child 17444 packet buffer empty and flagged as diseased, exiting

Reading client manufacturer data and defaults from /etc/kismet/client_manuf

Dump file format: wiretap (local code) dump

Crypt file format: airsnort (weak packet) dump

Kismet 3.0.1 (Kismet)

Logging data networks CSV XML weak cisco gps

GPSD cannot connect: Connection refused

Listening on port 2501.

Allowing connections from 127.0.0.1/255.255.255.255

Registering builtin client/server protocols...

Registering requested alerts...

Registering builtin timer events...

Enabling packet source 0 (madwifi_a/b/g)...

Gathering packets...

Shutting down source 0 (madwifi_a/b/g)...

Didn't detect any networks, unlinking network list.

Didn't detect any networks, unlinking CSV network list.

Didn't detect any networks, unlinking XML network list.

Didn't detect any Cisco Discovery Packets, unlinking cisco dump

Didn't capture any packets, unlinking dump file

Didn't see any weak encryption packets, unlinking weak file

Waiting for capture child 17444 to terminate...

Kismet exiting.

Starting UI...

FATAL:  Could not connect to localhost:2501.

Client exited, terminating...

Done.  Run kismet_unmonitor or eject and re-insert your card (or restart your

 pcmcia services) to return your card to normal operation.

```

----------

## BloodyNewbie

*bump

please help  :Smile: 

----------

## drspewfy

im having the same problem, but if im not wrong the kernel 2.6.8.1 comes with the patch of the wireless card..

well to me im using 2.6.3 and i need the patch of my wireless card (orinoco) to make it work...

but with the new kernel suppose to work,, try the newest kernel...

Later i will recompile my kernel with the newest kernel..

cheers

----------

## BloodyNewbie

I am using gentoo-kernel 2.6.8-r1

Ok, I'll try to bake the 2.6.8.1 thx for the hint

----------

## BloodyNewbie

Now I tried it all with the kernel-3.6.8.1 but as foreseen, there is no change, still ath0 f$#@ around, saying that it was not supporting scanning

any more ideas? anyone?  :Smile: 

----------

## BloodyNewbie

once again, I solved the problem on my own  :Smile: 

it's as simple as it could be:

in the kernel menuconfig, just chose any wireless card-driver (thus there is no atheros), but for having the whole wirelessSupport.

now I got everything running, and even can connect to my AP

hope this helps others, too  :Smile: 

have a nice day 2 all

remember one thing:

```

ifconfig ath0 up

```

must be at the beginning of all! unfortunately this pops away here every minutes, so I always have to put it up again..maybe this is a common issue? anyway, I can live with it(it's only as long as I'm not connecting to a AP)

----------

## drspewfy

Mmm..

did you do just... ifconfig eth0 up ???

i didnt get what you said.. im using orinoco wireless card..

what do i have tu enable in teh kernel ?? to make work...

scan wi-fi's... ???

cheers

----------

## TiE10

hi all,

drspewfy, I also have a hermes/orinoco wireless card. I KNOW it supports scanning cuz it works in windows, but just not in Linux... I'm not sure how to support it in linux, if you find a way please tell. thx.

----------

## TiE10

if it helps anything.. I'm using gentoo 2.6.8-r1 and this is my iwconfig eth1 (my wireless) :

```

root@phoenix4188 / # iwconfig eth1

eth1      IEEE 802.11-DS  ESSID:"DLINK-HOME"  Nickname:"HERMES I"

          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437GHz  Access Point: 00:0D:88:9F:E9:55  

          Bit Rate:5.5Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   Sensitivity:1/3  

          Retry limit:4   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off

          Encryption key:XXXX-XXXX-XX

          Power Management:off

          Link Quality:31/92  Signal level:-63 dBm  Noise level:-94 dBm

          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:29

          Tx excessive retries:1  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

```

----------

