HOWTO: Wireless Security - WPA1, WPA2, LEAP, etc.

[wieman01]

I got "ndiswrapper" installed, but cannot find the windows driver....

Followed directions at "ndiswrapper", and install seems successfule; but I hit a wall with trying to find the drivers. Per this site, I have tried a all the things it suggests...

On my XP box where a similar card is installed: i cannot find the .inf file.

This site has window drivers that can be installed, but when you unpack it, it is a setup.exe file (no .sys or .inf files).

This site says it has linux drivers but when you unpack it there are 3 bin files. Again, no .sys or .inf files.

This really should not be this hard....it is very frustrating.

The .exe file could be a ZIP archive. Try to open it with any ZIP tool that you have got. It is possible that it contains all the files you need.

[gatoruss]

The .exe file could be a ZIP archive. Try to open it with any ZIP tool that you have got. It is possible that it contains all the files you need.

When you unzip the windows file, it is a .exe fiel that is an install application. When you run it on XP, it allempts to install on the machine (which alraedy had functioning wifi). When you try to run it on Ubuntu, you get a message that there is no app that can run it.

I am about to the point of giving up, on this ubuntu experiment and going back to XP. I was really enjoying playing around on ubuntu, but w/out wifi there is not much point. And the search for wifi has become too consuming without results.

Very frustrated....

On the plus side, I do appreciate your help.

[wieman01]

When you unzip the windows file, it is a .exe fiel that is an install application. When you run it on XP, it allempts to install on the machine (which alraedy had functioning wifi). When you try to run it on Ubuntu, you get a message that there is no app that can run it.

I am about to the point of giving up, on this ubuntu experiment and going back to XP. I was really enjoying playing around on ubuntu, but w/out wifi there is not much point. And the search for wifi has become too consuming without results.

Very frustrated....

On the plus side, I do appreciate your help.

Try to unzip the executable (= install application) then. It should contain more files.

[gerdt]

Hello,
I've been looking, but I can't find the answer, so I thought this might be the correct place to place my question:

I have a (lspci):
05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-PCI Card (rev 01)

I use Feisty on my laptop (Dell Inspiron 1501)

Thanks to your HOWTO, I have wireless internet at my university, but...
Every some minutes, the connections goes down, and I have to restart the network. Most often it's less than 10 minutes, but my max has not been more than 30 minutes.
I was wondering what I could do about this?

Another thing which annoys me is that with my newly adapted /etc/network/interfaces, I can't use my NetworkManager (see image below). Therefore, each time I leave university and go home, I have to restore the original interfaces file in order to get my NetworkManager up and running properly, so that I can use my home-wlan-connection.

/etc/network/interfaces :

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp
        wpa-driver wext
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-eap TTLS
        wpa-key-mgmt IEEE8021X
        wpa-anonymous-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-password ZZZZZZZZZZ
        wpa-phase2 auth=PAP

This is how my Network-Manager looks like when using the above interfaces-file. As you can see, it doesn't show anything concerning WLAN. Just to be clear, this is the image of my network-manager when I am at university using WLAN.



Conclusion:
I would like to fix:
1) stop the network from going down every few minutes.
2) use my network-manager whithout having the restore the "normal" interfaces every time I leave university.

Note: These two problems I have described, I only encounter when using the above interfaces, i.e. only when I want to use the WLAN at my university. When I restore the original interfaces file, I can use any other "simple" WLAN and i can use my network manager without any problems.

Original /etc/network/interfaces :

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp

Image of my Network-Manager when using the "simple" interfaces-file:


I hope that some of you can help me out!
Thanx in advace,
Gerdt

[wieman01]

@gerdt:

1) Unless you have admin access to your university's network, I can't help you there, mate.
2) I would think that the latest version of NetworkManager supports TTLS? Unless that isn't possible, there is no way you can avoid it at this stage.

Question: Are you using DHCP both at home and on the campus? I have got something in mind...

EDIT:
If you are willing to help me test a few things, we could try to work it out together. What kind of network are you using back home? WPA, WEP, DHCP, etc.?

[gerdt]

@wieman:

At home I use a WLAN with:
DHCP & WPA Personal & TKIP & MAC address filter
But for that to work I don't adjust the interfaces file, it can be done graphically through Network Manager. I haven't tried Wifi-Radar yet, though I would prefer to try everything first with NetworkManager.

About my university problem:
Isn't there someway to detect that the network has gone down, so that it can automatically restart the network?

About the tests, yes, I am willing to help you. If it can resolve my (and/or other) problems, I would be glad to help you.

EDIT:

Question: Are you using DHCP both at home and on the campus? I have got something in mind...

Yes, at university I also use DHCP.

Thanx,
Gerdt

[wieman01]

@wieman:

At home I use a WLAN with:
DHCP & WPA Personal & TKIP & MAC address filter
But for that to work I don't adjust the interfaces file, it can be done graphically through Network Manager. I haven't tried Wifi-Radar yet, though I would prefer to try everything first with NetworkManager.

About my university problem:
Isn't there someway to detect that the network has gone down, so that it can automatically restart the network?

About the tests, yes, I am willing to help you. If it can resolve my (and/or other) problems, I would be glad to help you.

EDIT:

Yes, at university I also use DHCP.

Thanx,
Gerdt

What I was thinking of is putting both configurations in one single file which - I believe - should work. Would you mind give it a try? You have to configure your interfaces file once, that's it. Your PC would connect to either network as soon as one of them is in range.

Here we go...

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp
wpa-driver wext
# Home network
wpa-ssid <home_essid>
wpa-ap-scan 1
wpa-proto WPA
wpa-pairwise TKIP
wpa-group TKIP
wpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
wpa-psk <your_hex_key>
# University network
wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
wpa-ap-scan 1
wpa-eap TTLS
wpa-key-mgmt IEEE8021X
wpa-anonymous-identity YYYYYYYYYY
wpa-identity YYYYYYYYYY
wpa-password ZZZZZZZZZZ
wpa-phase2 auth=PAP

Please take a look at the "key generation" section in the HOWTO for your home network. I also assume that ESSID broadcast is enabled ("wpa-ap-scan 1").

This should get you hooked up. No matter where you start your computer from now on, it should connect to the right network immediately. So that's the theory... can you test it for me please?

[gerdt]

@wieman:
Yes, at home the ESSID is also being broadcasted

This the interfaces-file I just tested (without succes ):

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp
        wpa-driver wext
        # Home network
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-proto WPA
        wpa-pairwise TKIP
        wpa-group TKIP
        wpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
        wpa-psk ZZZZZZZZZZ
        # University network
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-eap TTLS
        wpa-key-mgmt IEEE8021X
        wpa-anonymous-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-password ZZZZZZZZZZ
        wpa-phase2 auth=PAP

This is the error when I try to restart the network after having modified the settings:

> sudo ./wireless-network.sh 
 * Reconfiguring network interfaces...                                                                                                                                              /etc/network/interfaces:19: duplicate option
ifdown: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"
/etc/network/interfaces:19: duplicate option
ifup: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"

Just out of curiosity, what does the lo in interfaces means? Is it some kind of virtual network card?

Another question:
Is it possible to include a certain IF clause into /etc/network/interfaces?
Something like:
IF ("iwlist scan" includes HOME_SSID) THEN intefaces-configuration-home
ELSEIF ("iwlist scan" includes UNIVERSITY_SSID) THEN interfaces-configuration-university
ELSE standard-interfaces-configuration

[wieman01]

@wieman:
Yes, at home the ESSID is also being broadcasted

This the interfaces-file I just tested (without succes ):

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp
        wpa-driver wext
        # Home network
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-proto WPA
        wpa-pairwise TKIP
        wpa-group TKIP
        wpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
        wpa-psk ZZZZZZZZZZ
        # University network
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-eap TTLS
        wpa-key-mgmt IEEE8021X
        wpa-anonymous-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-password ZZZZZZZZZZ
        wpa-phase2 auth=PAP

This is the error when I try to restart the network after having modified the settings:

> sudo ./wireless-network.sh 
 * Reconfiguring network interfaces...                                                                                                                                              /etc/network/interfaces:19: duplicate option
ifdown: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"
/etc/network/interfaces:19: duplicate option
ifup: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"

Just out of curiosity, what does the lo in interfaces means? Is it some kind of virtual network card?

Another question:
Is it possible to include a certain IF clause into /etc/network/interfaces?
Something like:
IF ("iwlist scan" includes HOME_SSID) THEN intefaces-configuration-home
ELSEIF ("iwlist scan" includes UNIVERSITY_SSID) THEN interfaces-configuration-university
ELSE standard-interfaces-configuration

The first two lines refer to the loopback interface which enables your computer to recognize (e.g. ping) itself.

I don't think you can include any sort of scripting in the file.

What about this then:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp
        wpa-driver wext
        # Home network
        wpa-priority 1
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-proto WPA
        wpa-pairwise TKIP
        wpa-group TKIP
        wpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
        wpa-psk ZZZZZZZZZZ
        # University network
        wpa-priority 2
        wpa-ssid XXXXXXXXXX
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-eap TTLS
        wpa-key-mgmt IEEE8021X
        wpa-anonymous-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-identity YYYYYYYYYY
        wpa-password ZZZZZZZZZZ
        wpa-phase2 auth=PAP

EDIT:
Added "wpa-priority"...

[gerdt]

I'm sorry, I get the same error:

ifdown: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"
/etc/network/interfaces:17: duplicate option
ifup: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"
                                                                                                                                                                             [fail]