Re: Passphase/passkey config.

On Sun, 2 Sep 2007 22:36:48 -0400, plantiful
<plantiful.2wbdeq@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote:

>I have a laptop running Ubuntu Fiesty, and has been working well, but
>with some only intermittent issues. I have a Linksys WRT54g wireless
>router that I have not configured for security (living in a sparse
>area). I can connect to the router, but it disconnects on occasion, and
>then I receive requests for a Passphrase, and then a passkey, neither of
>which I have configured. Are there default settings for these values
>that I can change later?

Let me guess... Is the SSID of your unconfigured WRT54G "linksys"?
If so, then you're probably connecting to some other wireless router
also with the name of "linksys". It's also possible that you have
Ubuntu setup to connect to any available network, so the actually SSID
doesn't matter.

The way it works is that your router determines the type of
encryption. Your Ubuntu client determines what type of encryption is
being offered, and supplies the matching dialog box. If your Ubuntu
client is asking for a pass phrase, then some wireless router is
advertising that it needs one. Since that's not yours, it must be
someone elses.

>I am new to wireless, and it works great. Would love to have it
>running all of the time, though!

Set the SSID to something you can recognize. Do *NOT* hide the SSID
by disabling the SSID broadcast. Since your disconnects may be due to
interference, change your router channel number from the default ch6,
to either ch1 or ch11. Set your WRT54G to WPA or WPA2 encryption and
setup a suitably cryptic pass phrase. Check your Ubuntu client to go
to your SSID first.

>Thanks, and I can supply any information that may be needed to get this
>configured properly!

That reminds me. You might want to check the Linksys web pile to see
if there are any firmware updates to your router. If you're familiar
with Linux, you might wanna run Linux on your WRT54G (only if it's a
v1thru v4 hardware version).
<http://www.dd-wrt.com>
<http://openwrt.org>
--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
# http://802.11junk.com jeffl@cruzio.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

"Jeff Liebermann" <jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote in message
news:ad0nd3pg2plrf2bs2medj2o9a2neooehpn@4ax.com...
If your Ubuntu
> client is asking for a pass phrase, then some wireless router is
> advertising that it needs one. Since that's not yours, it must be
> someone elses.
>

Nice catch. I have a Ubuntu box doing exactly the same thing. It's a bug in
Network Manager, me thinks. It keeps connecting me to my neighbors signal
(open), and I have to keep manually disconnecting it and having it connect
to mine. Even though mine is stronger, it takes the first one it sees,
apparently. Otherwise, it's the only Linux applet that works with my USB
adapterss (Zydas, and Ralink <Asus>)

On 2007-09-03, Mountain Mike^^ intrigued me by typing:
>
> "Jeff Liebermann" <jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote in message
> news:ad0nd3pg2plrf2bs2medj2o9a2neooehpn@4ax.com...
> If your Ubuntu
>> client is asking for a pass phrase, then some wireless router is
>> advertising that it needs one. Since that's not yours, it must be
>> someone elses.
>>
>
> Nice catch. I have a Ubuntu box doing exactly the same thing. It's a bug in
> Network Manager, me thinks. It keeps connecting me to my neighbors signal
> (open), and I have to keep manually disconnecting it and having it connect
> to mine. Even though mine is stronger, it takes the first one it sees,
> apparently. Otherwise, it's the only Linux applet that works with my USB
> adapterss (Zydas, and Ralink <Asus>)
>
>
My Ubuntu machine does not and have not done any of those things. Lucky me,
huh? I have approximately 6 or 7 detectable WAPs in my neighborhood and that
excludes my own. Ubuntu detected them all then waited for me to manually
connect to one of them. Yes, that was the case right after install. After I
connected to my own AP (Ubuntu automatically detected my WPA2 status), Ubuntu
displayed a keyring for me to password protect my settings. Not once has
Ubuntu attempted to connect to any other AP except my own and I had performed
no profile type configuration. I'm using Feisty Fawn (7.04), of course. In
the meantime, my assessment of your situation is the same as Mr.
Liebermann's. By the way, what version of Ubuntu are you using?

--
Just me, D
(Ubuntu User# 16887)