# WPA Supplicant broke, stuck SCANNING but can see net[SOLVED]

## Gilbo

I recently noticed that my wireless stopped working.  I haven't needed it in a couple weeks, but I know wpa_supplicant was recently upgraded.

I never associate with my home access point.  It does not attempt to associate.  In wpa_cli status returns "SCANNING"; this continues indefinitely (hours).  However, in wpa_cli scan_results I see the SSID & MAC address of my home network.  It is definitely detected, but wpa_supplicant chooses not to connect.

wpa_supplicant.conf (used to work):

```

# cat /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf 

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

ctrl_interface_group=0

ap_scan=1

fast_reauth=1

network={

        ssid="HarmolodiaUnplugged"

        psk="secretpasskey"

        priority=5

}

network={

        ssid="VermetteRocks"

        psk="secretpasskey"

        priority=4

}

network={

        ssid=""

        key_mgmt=NONE

        priority=0

}

```

/etc/conf.d/net (also used to work):

```

config_eth0=( "192.168.1.98 broadcast 192.168.1.255 netmask 255.255.255.0" )

routes_eth0=( "default gw 192.168.1.1" )

modules=( "wpa_supplicant" )

wpa_supplicant_ath0="-Dmadwifi"

wpa_timeout_ath0=60

#config_ath0=( "192.168.1.98 brd 192.168.1.255 netmask 255.255.255.0" )

#routes_ath0=( "default gw 192.168.1.1" )

config_HarmolodiaUnplugged=( "192.168.1.98 brd 192.168.1.255 netmask 255.255.255.0" )

routes_HarmolodiaUnplugged=( "default gw 192.168.1.1" )

config_VermetteRocks=( "192.168.1.98 brd 192.168.1.255 netmask 255.255.255.0" )

routes_VermetteRocks=( "default gw 192.168.1.1" )

config_ath0=( "dhcpcd" )

```

I have an Atheros chipset.  The madwifi use flag is still enabled and wpa_supplicant is compiled with it:

```
# equery u wpa_supplicant

[ Searching for packages matching wpa_supplicant... ]

[ Colour Code : set unset ]

[ Legend        : Left column  (U) - USE flags from make.conf                    ]

[                  : Right column (I) - USE flags packages was installed with ]

[ Found these USE variables for net-wireless/wpa_supplicant-0.5.7 ]

 U I

 + + dbus           : Enable dbus support for anything that needs it (gpsd, gnomemeeting, etc)

 - - gnutls         : Adds support for net-libs/gnutls

 - - gsm            : Add support for EAP-SIM authentication algorithm

 - - kernel_FreeBSD : <unknown>

 + + kernel_linux   : <unknown>

 + + madwifi        : Add support for madwifi (Atheros chipset)

 + + qt3            : Adds support for the Qt GUI/Application Toolkit version 3.x

 + + qt4            : Adds support for the Qt GUI/Application Toolkit version 4.x

 + + readline       : Enables support for libreadline, a GNU line-editing library that almost everyone wants

 + + ssl            : Adds support for Secure Socket Layer connections

```

Last edited by Gilbo on Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## serial_penguin

 *Gilbo wrote:*   

> 
> 
> wpa_supplicant.conf (used to work):
> 
> ```
> ...

 

supplicant-0.5.7, by default, looks for  wpa_supplicant.conf in /etc/wpa_supplicant instead of in /etc. It looks like yours is in /etc. This can be overridden with the -c option, in your case,

wpa_supplicant_ath0="-Dmadwifi -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf". I believe I have the syntax correct.

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## Gilbo

Thanks, that would certainly be the problem.  It doesn't try to connect because it doesn't know the PSK.

I can't try it till I get home, but I'm going to mark it solved.

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