BCM4312/Ubuntu 8.10/Dell Inspiron 1525 wireless not working if SSID hidden

Bug #307637 reported by Retief de Villiers
38
This bug affects 4 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Expired
Undecided
Unassigned
Nominated for Karmic by André Gondim

Bug Description

I have a new laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a Broadcom BCM4312 wireless card, which is fully supported in Ubuntu 8.10. On my previous laptop (also running Ubuntu 8.10) I never had problems with wireless connections. On my new Dell, I have had problems when connecting to wireless networks with hidden SSID's.

I have confirmed this fact in tests here at my home: I reset my wireless router and set it up with a hidden SSID. After numerous attempts I could not connect with my Dell to the network. I then reconfigured my wireless router with an open SSID and immediately it was possible to connect to the router.

When attempting to connect to a network with a hidden SSID, the following happens: a connection is attempted (icon in panel "spins") and after a while the login screen appears, but the correct password that was initially entered, appears in a completely changed manner, almost as though it was encrypted. Attempts at retyping the password (or leaving it jumbled, as-is) and retrying the connection does not work. In all these cases the security protocol was "WPA and WPA2 personal".

I have thought of marking this as a security vulnerability as it has forced me to make the SSID of my wireless network visible, but I suppose that is not the correct designation.

See also http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1009404

Please note that I, as originator of this bug, did not add this "PS" note below. I do not consider this to be a viable workaround.

P.S. I was able to connect hidden AP in this way: I made SSID vissible, then connected to WIFI an hided it. Connection was working until reconnecting (about 6 hours). So it's is impossible to connect to hidden network, but hidden network is working fine.

Tags: kj-expired
Revision history for this message
Retief de Villiers (retief-devilliers) wrote :
description: updated
description: updated
Revision history for this message
wisd0m (wisd0m) wrote :

I had this exact issue. I was able to leave my SSID hidden and connect, but had to switch from WPA2 to WEP. So I lost my security to fix the issue.

Revision history for this message
Knuffel (knuffelbund) wrote :

Same wificard same problem on lenovo S10 netbook. Wicd and switching from WPA to WEP doesn`t solve.

Revision history for this message
Michael (michael-kellonjohnson) wrote :

Also had the same issue. Could see my 'non-broadcasting' network, however connections would time out. I verified I could connect to another AP with no security. As soon as I added broadcasting on the AP's configuration, it connected immediately.

Revision history for this message
Stuart (stuartneilson) wrote :

I have been connecting without problems to a router with hidden SSID, until I upgraded to Ubuntu 8.10. Now the connection is occasional, often requesting the passphrase again and still not connecting. Nothing at the router end has changed and other computers (running Ubuntu 8.04) are still connecting fine.

Revision history for this message
JW (arch0njw) wrote :

I must have spent a good two hours beating my head against the wall until I "un-hid" my SSID. As soon as I did that, this worked.

Kubuntu 9.04, 32bit, Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g (rev 02).

Please see if this can get fixed soon. This is, in my opinion, pretty bad. I shouldn't have to reveal my SSID just to get this to work.

Revision history for this message
André Gondim (andregondim) wrote :

I have the same problem, but I am using Ubuntu 9.10 alpha 2 Karmic Koala.

0b:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 01)

Revision history for this message
... (0...) wrote :

I found a patch:

arky (arky)
affects: ubuntu → linux (Ubuntu)
Revision history for this message
nendo (clayjackson) wrote :

I took delivery of a brand-new Inspiron 1545 on August 28, 2009. It came installed with Ubuntu 8.10. From the get-go I have not been able to connect to my WPA-enabled wireless network. I'm able to connect with my Macbooks and with my Toshiba tablet PCs but not with Ubuntu 8.10.

Making my SSID visible did not work. I encounter the same problem that others have described: after submitting the password and clicking "Connect", it tries for a while and then pops back up with the connect dialog.

I AM able to connect to the WEP router at the local coffee-shop so wireless is working; everything points to WPA. Also, when I run wpa_passphrase using my SSID and passphrase, it returns the same hash value that I see in the connection dialog when I click the "Show password" checkbox.

The previous post mentions a patch but it was too cryptic for me to understand. Can somebody shed more light on this patch (i.e. is it a patch to my Dell Inspiron or to my wireless router, and what do I do with it?).

Thanks
-nendo

Revision history for this message
^_Pepe_^ (jose-angel-fernandez-freire) wrote :

This bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in
it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? Can you try
with the latest Karmic 9.10 release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are
available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If the issue remains, could you run the following command from a
Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal) while running Karmic. It
will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this
report.

apport-collect -p linux 307637

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
nendo (clayjackson) wrote : Re: [Bug 307637] Re: BCM4312/Ubuntu 8.10/Dell Inspiron 1525 wireless not working if SSID hidden

I'm in Tasmania right now and that particular laptop is back in the U.S.
I would have brought it with me if I could have gotten WPA working but
instead I brought my Mac.
I'll upgrade to 9.10 when I get back in two weeks and I'll let you know.
-clay

On Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 4:16 PM, ^_Pepe_^ <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> This bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in
> it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? Can you try
> with the latest Karmic 9.10 release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are
> available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .
>
> If the issue remains, could you run the following command from a
> Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal) while running Karmic. It
> will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this
> report.
>
> apport-collect -p linux 307637
>
> ** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> BCM4312/Ubuntu 8.10/Dell Inspiron 1525 wireless not working if SSID hidden
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/307637
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> I have a new laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a Broadcom BCM4312 wireless
> card, which is fully supported in Ubuntu 8.10. On my previous laptop (also
> running Ubuntu 8.10) I never had problems with wireless connections. On my
> new Dell, I have had problems when connecting to wireless networks with
> hidden SSID's.
>
> I have confirmed this fact in tests here at my home: I reset my wireless
> router and set it up with a hidden SSID. After numerous attempts I could not
> connect with my Dell to the network. I then reconfigured my wireless router
> with an open SSID and immediately it was possible to connect to the router.
>
> When attempting to connect to a network with a hidden SSID, the following
> happens: a connection is attempted (icon in panel "spins") and after a while
> the login screen appears, but the correct password that was initially
> entered, appears in a completely changed manner, almost as though it was
> encrypted. Attempts at retyping the password (or leaving it jumbled, as-is)
> and retrying the connection does not work. In all these cases the security
> protocol was "WPA and WPA2 personal".
>
> I have thought of marking this as a security vulnerability as it has forced
> me to make the SSID of my wireless network visible, but I suppose that is
> not the correct designation.
>
> See also http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1009404
>
> Please note that I, as originator of this bug, did not add this "PS" note
> below. I do not consider this to be a viable workaround.
>
> P.S. I was able to connect hidden AP in this way: I made SSID vissible,
> then connected to WIFI an hided it. Connection was working until
> reconnecting (about 6 hours). So it's is impossible to connect to hidden
> network, but hidden network is working fine.
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/307637/+subscribe
>

Revision history for this message
^_Pepe_^ (jose-angel-fernandez-freire) wrote :

Thanks for your comments.

Revision history for this message
JW (arch0njw) wrote :

I can confirm this is still an issue on 9.10 for me, and it is an issue with the new knetwork manager not limited to Broadcom devices.

Acer AspireOne AOD250
Kubuntu 9.10
KDE 4.3.4 (from PPA)
Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

I was recently in an environment where I know there was a hidden SSID that I had access to (name and pwd) and was unable to get a connection whereas my work laptop (Windows) was able to access the wireless.

Is this an upstream bug that has been fixed?

Revision history for this message
Gotit (sca957) wrote :

Having the same problem with Ubuntu 9.10. on a new Acer 1410. If I set my router to broadcast my SSID I can get access. Then I go back to hidden SSID and I can still connect for a while, but eventually NM will no longer connect.

Acer Aspire 1410
Ubuntu 9.10
Network Controller: Intel WiFi Link 100 Series
Network Adapter: Intel WiFi Link 1000 BGN
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 1305
Kernel driver in use: iwlagn

When I boot into Windowz 7 it seems to work fine with my router set to hidden SSID.

Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

This bug report was marked as Incomplete and has not had any updated comments for quite some time. As a result this bug is being closed. Please reopen if this is still an issue in the current Ubuntu release http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . Also, please be sure to provide any requested information that may have been missing. To reopen the bug, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

tags: added: kj-expired
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
Revision history for this message
JW (arch0njw) wrote :

Wait. This is expired without being fixed and tested? I personally wasn't saying anything because I was presuming that no word from the developers meant that this has not been fixed yet.

I will recheck this on Lucid later today. But since I haven't seen a fix explicitly stated, I object to this "Expired" status. "Expired" != "Fixed".

Revision history for this message
Gotit (sca957) wrote :

I find Lucid works better but not 100%. About 10% of the time when I boot Lucid it will not find my hidden SSID. After waiting for about 2 min I click the wireless icon and select connect to hidden network and select my hidden SSID out of the dropdown on the pop-up.

Revision history for this message
JW (arch0njw) wrote :

Okay. While I still think that "Expired" != "Fixed", the issue does not recur with Lucid for me. Now I can again return to not broadcasting my SSID! Nice.

Revision history for this message
nendo (clayjackson) wrote :

Really. If you have to broadcast your SSID you might as well be running
Windows ;0)

I'm a little apprehensive about updating my Laptop *yet again *only to find
that WPA still doesn't work, but if you're saying it works now on an
Inspiron 1525 I guess I'll give it a try. Lately I've just been using my Mac
or plugging in a Cat5.

-Clay

On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 3:11 PM, JW <email address hidden> wrote:

> Okay. While I still think that "Expired" != "Fixed", the issue does not
> recur with Lucid for me. Now I can again return to not broadcasting my
> SSID! Nice.
>
> --
> BCM4312/Ubuntu 8.10/Dell Inspiron 1525 wireless not working if SSID hidden
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/307637
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu: Expired
>
> Bug description:
> I have a new laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a Broadcom BCM4312 wireless
> card, which is fully supported in Ubuntu 8.10. On my previous laptop (also
> running Ubuntu 8.10) I never had problems with wireless connections. On my
> new Dell, I have had problems when connecting to wireless networks with
> hidden SSID's.
>
> I have confirmed this fact in tests here at my home: I reset my wireless
> router and set it up with a hidden SSID. After numerous attempts I could not
> connect with my Dell to the network. I then reconfigured my wireless router
> with an open SSID and immediately it was possible to connect to the router.
>
> When attempting to connect to a network with a hidden SSID, the following
> happens: a connection is attempted (icon in panel "spins") and after a while
> the login screen appears, but the correct password that was initially
> entered, appears in a completely changed manner, almost as though it was
> encrypted. Attempts at retyping the password (or leaving it jumbled, as-is)
> and retrying the connection does not work. In all these cases the security
> protocol was "WPA and WPA2 personal".
>
> I have thought of marking this as a security vulnerability as it has forced
> me to make the SSID of my wireless network visible, but I suppose that is
> not the correct designation.
>
> See also http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1009404
>
> Please note that I, as originator of this bug, did not add this "PS" note
> below. I do not consider this to be a viable workaround.
>
> P.S. I was able to connect hidden AP in this way: I made SSID vissible,
> then connected to WIFI an hided it. Connection was working until
> reconnecting (about 6 hours). So it's is impossible to connect to hidden
> network, but hidden network is working fine.
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/307637/+subscribe
>

Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

JW,
    The very nature of the Linux Kernel and the ubuntu kernel team is such that we pull a great many patches in from the Linux kernel upstream. This, of necessity, means that there will be a large number of bugs resolved with no real input coming from the ubuntu kernel team other than to ask if the latest updates have resolved an issue. I am sorry if this breaks your perception of the way bugs should be fixed, but, while I would agree for normal software, the Linux kernel itself is a completely different animal. :)

Hope that clears up some confusion.

~JFo

Revision history for this message
JW (arch0njw) wrote :

Jeremy,

You rock! Thank you for the explanation. I really appreciate that, and I hope others will benefit from it as well. Thank you for taking the time to explain that.

Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

JW,
  My pleasure. You can also contact me in the FreeNode IRC channel #ubuntu-kernel if you have questions. I, or any one of the kernel team are there and can give more information. :)

~JFo

Daniel (webmove-org)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Expired → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

This bug report was marked as Incomplete and has not had any updated comments for quite some time. As a result this bug is being closed. Please reopen if this is still an issue in the current Ubuntu development release http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . Also, please be sure to provide any requested information that may have been missing. To reopen the bug, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Expired → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
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