[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-bugs-dist
Subject:    [Bug 120844] Problem connecting to configured AP,
From:       Stefan Winter <swinter () kde ! org>
Date:       2006-01-27 6:51:14
Message-ID: 20060127065114.12137.qmail () ktown ! kde ! org
[Download RAW message or body]

------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are on the CC list for the bug, or are watching someone who is.
         
http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=120844         




------- Additional Comments From swinter kde org  2006-01-27 07:51 -------
Hi,

> I'm using kwifimanager with wireless-tools-28-0.pre10.4 and
> ndiswrapper-1.8. Client-side, I'm using Netgear's MA111 USB stick halfway
> successful (wlan-ng didn't work out, but the win drivers and ndiswrapper
> does), which connects to a Fritz!Box WLAN SL running in shared-key mode,
> using 128bit WEP encryption.
>
> I configured kcmwifi with my shared key, entered my network name correctly,
> set the mode to "managed" and told it to load "profile 1" on KDE start.


Actually, this is a misformulation of the checkbox. It won't load on KDE 
startup, but on the Control Center module startup, so you have to start the 
configure dialog, and then you are connected.

> Now when KDE starts and I fire up KWifiManager the signal strength is 100,
> but in the "Connected network" field is displayed "Any" instead of my
> network's name. If I run a search for networks, it finds my network, 


Now, enter the configuration dialog and you will be connected. It's the same 
as clicking on the Connect button in the configuration dialog.

> but if I select it and tell it "switch to network", there pops up a message
> about (sorry, this is displayed in German) "switching to the network was
> cancelled because of an invalid wep key".


You can enter the WEP key in the results window, i.e. the column where it says 
"WEP: on" is read-write. Put your password in there and then connecting via 
the dialog box works. The reason is that this scanning dialog is meant to be 
used on places where you haven't configured things properly, and just want a 
quick-n-dirty connection without entering the configuration dialog.

> $ /sbin/iwconfig wlan0 essid '<my_network>'
> $ /sbin/iwconfig wlan0 key restricted <my_key>
> $ /sbin/dhclient wlan0


Using "restricted" requires going through the configuration dialog anyway. It 
is not possible for a network scan to determine if authentication happens 
open or restricted on a network (to my knowing - eternal gratitude as a 
reward for you if you know a way). And you are one of the _very_ few persons 
using this old, insecure, and in many ways broken way of authentication. It 
doesn't give you *any* additional security.

> In the "any" mode I get no connection to my AP and dhclient can't get a
> network address.


I suppose that is because you don't broadcast your SSID. Good boy, improves 
security (arguably - but it's better than nothing). But it breaks "any" (and 
it breaks it conceptually - this is no limitation of KWiFiManager).

> Now I thought I could enter these three things in a script which is
> executed when a connection is established (since there is an option
> for that in kcmwifi), but if I click on this checkbox the file open
> buttons keep grayed and I can't select a file.


Now _this_ is a clear bug. I'll take a look.

> As a sidenote: The german translation is very weird in kcmwifi and
> irritates in a couple of places because some strings are translated
> "as-is" into German. One example is the Encryption dialog where the
> mode "Open" is translated into "Öffnen", but if this should be
> translated at all, a much better translation would be "Offen".
> Strange i18n strings are also entered in the main kcmwifi dialog in
> network mode area, where "Managed" is translated with "Verwalter"
> where "Verwaltet" would fit much better.


Hm. The person I have to blame for that is ... damn, localhost. :-) I did the 
translation myself, but haven't checked it in a *long* while. Unfortunately, 
KDE 3.5 is in a i18n freeze currently, and there is nothing I can do to fix 
things right now.
You know, the kcmwifi stuff is going to be discontinued for KDE 4 (replaced by 
something shiny new and beautiful). And since almost every distribution I 
know of has its own wireless network configuration, you're probably better 
off using their tools.

Sorry for creating a confusing UI in the kcmwifi - it dates back to the year 
2000. I was young and needed the code :-)
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]