Wireless 802.1x with Fedora Core 5?
July 25, 2006 2:37 PM Subscribe

Trying to get a wireless 802.1x connection working in a more-or-less vanilla Fedora Core 5 installation and not making much progress...

The Dell Latitude D600 in question has a IPW2100 wireless chip in it.

In trying to get working wireless, I have installed the driver and firmware for it via Intel's IPW2100 site.

I have also installed a Windows driver from Dell's support site via ndiswrapper.

In the case of using the IPW2100 driver, I get a eth1 device via dmesg:

ieee80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'

ieee80211: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.7

ieee80211: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation 

ipw2100: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Driver, git-1.2.2

ipw2100: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation

ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:03.0[A] -> Link [LNKB] -> GSI 5 (level, low) -> IRQ 5

ipw2100: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection

Likewise, with ndiswrapper I have no problems loading the Windows IPW2100 driver set.

In both cases I can see eth1 as a device in ifconfig.

I am trying to use wpa_supplicant to connect to a 802.1x wireless network. My conf file is as follows:

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

ctrl_interface_group=0

eapol_version=2

ap_scan=1



network={

        priority=2

        ssid="network_ssid"

        key_mgmt=IEEE8021X

        eap=TTLS

        anonymous_identity="anonymous@no.org"

        phase2="auth=PAP"

        identity="username"

        password="---"

        ca_cert="/etc/wpa_supplicant/ThawteServerCA.cer"

}

When I connect with the Linux IPW2100 driver, I get the following errors:

[root@localhost ~]# wpa_supplicant -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -i eth1 -D ipw -B -ddt

Jul 25 17:30:14.923797: Initializing interface 'eth1' conf '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf' driver 'ipw' ctrl_interface 'N/A'

Jul 25 17:30:14.924184: Configuration file '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf' -> '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf'

Jul 25 17:30:14.924324: Reading configuration file '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf'

Jul 25 17:30:14.924506: ctrl_interface='/var/run/wpa_supplicant'

Jul 25 17:30:14.925311: ctrl_interface_group=0

Jul 25 17:30:14.925432: eapol_version=2

Jul 25 17:30:14.925536: ap_scan=1

Jul 25 17:30:14.925636: Line: 6 - start of a new network block

Jul 25 17:30:14.925933: priority=2 (0x2)

Jul 25 17:30:14.926251: key_mgmt: 0x8

Jul 25 17:30:14.926369: eap methods - hexdump(len=2): 15 00

Jul 25 17:30:14.926478: anonymous_identity - hexdump_ascii(len=16):

     61 6e 6f 6e 79 6d 6f 75 73 40 6e 6f 2e 6f 72 67   anonymous@no.org

Jul 25 17:30:14.926670: phase2 - hexdump_ascii(len=8):

     61 75 74 68 3d 50 41 50                           auth=PAP

Jul 25 17:30:14.927151: ca_cert - hexdump_ascii(len=38):

     2f 65 74 63 2f 77 70 61 5f 73 75 70 70 6c 69 63   /etc/wpa_supplic

     61 6e 74 2f 54 68 61 77 74 65 53 65 72 76 65 72   ant/ThawteServer

     43 41 2e 63 65 72                                 CA.cer

Jul 25 17:30:14.927538: Priority group 2

Jul 25 17:30:14.927649:    id=0 ssid='network_ssid'

Jul 25 17:30:14.927756: Initializing interface (2) 'eth1'

Jul 25 17:30:14.938952: EAPOL: SUPP_PAE entering state DISCONNECTED

Jul 25 17:30:14.939080: EAPOL: KEY_RX entering state NO_KEY_RECEIVE

Jul 25 17:30:14.939182: EAPOL: SUPP_BE entering state INITIALIZE

Jul 25 17:30:14.939287: EAP: EAP entering state DISABLED

Jul 25 17:30:14.939456: EAPOL: External notification - portEnabled=0

Jul 25 17:30:14.939589: EAPOL: External notification - portValid=0

Jul 25 17:30:14.939725: wpa_driver_ipw_init is called

Jul 25 17:30:14.940080: SIOCGIWRANGE: WE(compiled)=20 WE(source)=18 enc_capa=0xf

Jul 25 17:30:14.940192:   capabilities: key_mgmt 0xf enc 0xf

Jul 25 17:30:14.965997: Own MAC address: 00:04:23:54:40:23

Jul 25 17:30:14.966147: wpa_driver_ipw_set_wpa: enabled=1

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.966469: wpa_driver_ipw_set_key: alg=none key_idx=0 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.966706: Failed to set encryption.

Jul 25 17:30:14.966808: wpa_driver_ipw_set_key: alg=none key_idx=1 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.967036: Failed to set encryption.

Jul 25 17:30:14.967138: wpa_driver_ipw_set_key: alg=none key_idx=2 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.967364: Failed to set encryption.

Jul 25 17:30:14.967466: wpa_driver_ipw_set_key: alg=none key_idx=3 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.967692: Failed to set encryption.

Jul 25 17:30:14.967794: wpa_driver_ipw_set_countermeasures: enabled=0

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.968016: wpa_driver_ipw_set_drop_unencrypted: enabled=1

ioctl[IPW_IOCTL_WPA_SUPPLICANT]: Operation not supported

Jul 25 17:30:14.968261: Setting scan request: 0 sec 100000 usec

Jul 25 17:30:14.969026: Added interface eth1

Jul 25 17:30:14.969140: Daemonize..

I get a lot of ioctl errors with the Linux IPW2100 driver.

If I use ndiswrapper, I don't get the ioctl errors but I still cannot connect the supplicant to the AP:

[root@localhost ~]# wpa_supplicant -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -i eth1 -D ndiswrapper -B -ddt

Jul 25 17:33:31.524361: Initializing interface 'eth1' conf '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf' driver 'ndiswrapper' ctrl_interface 'N/A'

Jul 25 17:33:31.524900: Configuration file '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf' -> '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf'

Jul 25 17:33:31.525016: Reading configuration file '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf'

Jul 25 17:33:31.525197: ctrl_interface='/var/run/wpa_supplicant'

Jul 25 17:33:31.525991: ctrl_interface_group=0

Jul 25 17:33:31.526278: eapol_version=2

Jul 25 17:33:31.526383: ap_scan=1

Jul 25 17:33:31.526482: Line: 6 - start of a new network block

Jul 25 17:33:31.526635: priority=2 (0x2)

Jul 25 17:33:31.526948: key_mgmt: 0x8

Jul 25 17:33:31.527066: eap methods - hexdump(len=2): 15 00

Jul 25 17:33:31.527175: anonymous_identity - hexdump_ascii(len=16):

     61 6e 6f 6e 79 6d 6f 75 73 40 6e 6f 2e 6f 72 67   anonymous@no.org

Jul 25 17:33:31.527368: phase2 - hexdump_ascii(len=8):

     61 75 74 68 3d 50 41 50                           auth=PAP

Jul 25 17:33:31.527745: password - hexdump_ascii(len=9): [REMOVED]

Jul 25 17:33:31.532610: ca_cert - hexdump_ascii(len=38):

     2f 65 74 63 2f 77 70 61 5f 73 75 70 70 6c 69 63   /etc/wpa_supplic

     61 6e 74 2f 54 68 61 77 74 65 53 65 72 76 65 72   ant/ThawteServer

     43 41 2e 63 65 72                                 CA.cer

Jul 25 17:33:31.533023: Priority group 2

Jul 25 17:33:31.533246: Initializing interface (2) 'eth1'

Jul 25 17:33:31.540375: EAPOL: SUPP_PAE entering state DISCONNECTED

Jul 25 17:33:31.561371: EAPOL: KEY_RX entering state NO_KEY_RECEIVE

Jul 25 17:33:31.561520: EAPOL: SUPP_BE entering state INITIALIZE

Jul 25 17:33:31.561635: EAP: EAP entering state DISABLED

Jul 25 17:33:31.561806: EAPOL: External notification - portEnabled=0

Jul 25 17:33:31.561942: EAPOL: External notification - portValid=0

Jul 25 17:33:31.562456: SIOCGIWRANGE: WE(compiled)=20 WE(source)=18 enc_capa=0xf

Jul 25 17:33:31.562570:   capabilities: key_mgmt 0xf enc 0xf

Jul 25 17:33:31.585628: Own MAC address: 00:04:23:54:40:23

Jul 25 17:33:31.870054: wpa_driver_wext_set_key: alg=0 key_idx=0 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

Jul 25 17:33:31.934202: wpa_driver_wext_set_key: alg=0 key_idx=1 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

Jul 25 17:33:31.998080: wpa_driver_wext_set_key: alg=0 key_idx=2 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

Jul 25 17:33:32.062158: wpa_driver_wext_set_key: alg=0 key_idx=3 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0

Jul 25 17:33:32.122252: Setting scan request: 0 sec 100000 usec

Jul 25 17:33:32.122418: Using existing control interface directory.

Jul 25 17:33:32.122780: Added interface eth1

Jul 25 17:33:32.122887: Daemonize..

[root@localhost ~]#

Still, no love.

Status information from wpa_cli is not very helpful:

wpa_state=SCANNING

The same APs (Cisco Aironet 1100s) work with Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.4 clients, as well as Windows XP SP 2 clients with an installed 802.1x supplicant.

Any thoughts why this might not be working? Thanks!

posted by Blazecock Pileon to computers & internet (2 comments total)

If you have *not* successfully gotten a valid working link with no encryption, do that first...
posted by baylink at 8:18 PM on July 25, 2006

Well, if it were me, I'd just install the firmware from rpm.livna.org, and then try installing NetworkManager and try that. It shouldn't really be any different than what you mentioned already doing, but kernel/drivers/firmware interactions can get weird in weird ways.

That setup seems to work for most people, myself included (dell 700m in my case).

That said, I don't see any obvious reason why what you tried to do shouldn't work.

Also, check the listings at the Linux on Laptops pages if you haven't already.

Make sure the wireless is switched on in hardware as well. From the errors above, I'd assume it is, but it wouldn't hurt to check.
posted by alikins at 10:51 PM on July 25, 2006

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Wireless 802.1x with Fedora Core 5? July 25, 2006 2:37 PM Subscribe

Wireless 802.1x with Fedora Core 5?
July 25, 2006 2:37 PM Subscribe