Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 18:20:27 -0800 From: "Crist J. Clark" <cristjc@comcast.net> To: net@freebsd.org Subject: wi(4) Problems with FreeBSD AP to WinXP Message-ID: <20060307022027.GA8872@goku.cjclark.org>
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I am having some really weird problems with home WLAN setup. The AP is a FreeBSD 4.11 system with a Netgear MA311. It has been a functioning AP for more than a year. It has worked fine with various FreeBSD flavors using a Netgear MA401 (I'm writing this over connection with this card now). It has worked fine with Windows 2000 using a Linksys WPC11. It has, well, had[0], worked fine with Windows XP on a ThinkPad with its builtin Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG. Now enter a new Compaq notebook with Windows XP and a Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN integrated NIC. It doesn't want to work with the existing AP. It "sees" the WLAN, but will not associate. The problem looks like what I would expect if the WEP keys were bad. However, I've added the keys a few dozen times, and one other thing makes me sure the keys are good. If I do, # ifconfig wi0 -mediaopt hostap On the MA311 AP, and switch the AP to this PC with the MA401, # ifconfig wi0 mediaopt hostap Suddenly the Windows XP machine will associate. Since I didn't touch any keys, I think they are all correct. Also, the signal is strong; I don't think that plays any role. Any ideas? Here's more info on the MA311 AP, wi0: <Intersil Prism2.5> mem 0xfffbf000-0xfffbffff irq 10 at device 19.0 on pci0 wi0: 802.11 address: 00:09:5b:69:95:74 wi0: using RF:PRISM2.5 MAC:ISL3874A(Mini-PCI) wi0: Intersil Firmware: Primary 1.00.07, Station 1.03.06 [0] Now, as for the ThinkPad that used to work. All of a sudden, it won't pick up an IP address via DHCP. If I snoop the WLAN on other hosts, I see the DHCP DISCOVER messages go out and the DHCP server respond, but it's like it doesn't see the responses. The little AP switch trick outlined above doesn't help. I thought it might be firewall software on the XP machine or it doesn't understand the DHCP responses, but if I plug it into the wired network, where the same machine that is the AP is also the DHCP server, it works fine. So, it can understand the DHCP server, and a firewall would have to treat the two interfaces or networks (both RFC1918 ranges) differently. Anyone have suggestions there too? Oh yeah. What happens when I turn WEP off? The ThinkPad problem goes away, but the Compaq problem stays. -- Crist J. Clark | cjclark@alum.mit.edu
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