Ubuntu
wpasupplicant package

Wlan only connects if I'm in the same room with the AP / Regression / 4 way handshake

Bug #474692 reported by Helmuth Gronewold
6
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
wpasupplicant (Ubuntu)
New
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: wpasupplicant

Hello folks,

I can't connect to my WLAN if I'm a little too far away from the AP. And this is the curious thing about it:
If I have a connection, I can move around and go to any other room in my house but I can only connect if I'm directly in the same room with the AP. The following snippet is an example for the messages that occur. What I did:

Go to a room with some distance to the AP, start wicd and trying to connect and then move to the room where the AP is located.

tail -f /var/log/kern.log:
Nov 4 19:11:43 mia kernel: [ 1030.334991] sky2 eth0: enabling interface
Nov 4 19:11:43 mia kernel: [ 1030.336077] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Nov 4 19:11:44 mia kernel: [ 1030.826831] Registered led device: iwl-phy0::radio
Nov 4 19:11:44 mia kernel: [ 1030.826877] Registered led device: iwl-phy0::assoc
Nov 4 19:11:44 mia kernel: [ 1030.826916] Registered led device: iwl-phy0::RX
Nov 4 19:11:44 mia kernel: [ 1030.826957] Registered led device: iwl-phy0::TX
Nov 4 19:11:44 mia kernel: [ 1030.900806] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Nov 4 19:11:46 mia kernel: [ 1033.243516] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:11:46 mia kernel: [ 1033.245440] wlan0: authenticated
Nov 4 19:11:46 mia kernel: [ 1033.245446] wlan0: associate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:11:46 mia kernel: [ 1033.248175] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
Nov 4 19:11:46 mia kernel: [ 1033.248181] wlan0: associated
Nov 4 19:11:46 mia kernel: [ 1033.273046] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
Nov 4 19:11:57 mia kernel: [ 1043.832638] wlan0: no IPv6 routers present
Nov 4 19:11:57 mia kernel: [ 1044.248259] wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason=3)
Nov 4 19:12:02 mia kernel: [ 1048.572077] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:02 mia kernel: [ 1048.574048] wlan0: authenticated
Nov 4 19:12:02 mia kernel: [ 1048.574056] wlan0: associate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:02 mia kernel: [ 1048.576850] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
Nov 4 19:12:02 mia kernel: [ 1048.576857] wlan0: associated
Nov 4 19:12:13 mia kernel: [ 1059.568171] wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason=3)
Nov 4 19:12:17 mia kernel: [ 1063.871145] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:17 mia kernel: [ 1063.873112] wlan0: authenticated
Nov 4 19:12:17 mia kernel: [ 1063.873120] wlan0: associate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:17 mia kernel: [ 1063.875952] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
Nov 4 19:12:17 mia kernel: [ 1063.875960] wlan0: associated
Nov 4 19:12:28 mia kernel: [ 1074.868116] wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason=3)
Nov 4 19:12:32 mia kernel: [ 1079.220922] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:32 mia kernel: [ 1079.222892] wlan0: authenticated
Nov 4 19:12:32 mia kernel: [ 1079.222900] wlan0: associate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:32 mia kernel: [ 1079.225718] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
Nov 4 19:12:32 mia kernel: [ 1079.225725] wlan0: associated
Nov 4 19:12:43 mia kernel: [ 1090.218101] wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason=3)
Nov 4 19:12:48 mia kernel: [ 1094.586209] wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:48 mia kernel: [ 1094.588191] wlan0: authenticated
Nov 4 19:12:48 mia kernel: [ 1094.588201] wlan0: associate with AP 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX
Nov 4 19:12:48 mia kernel: [ 1094.590895] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:17:31:bf:XX:XX (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=1)
Nov 4 19:12:48 mia kernel: [ 1094.590903] wlan0: associated

And this is what wicd says:
2009/11/04 19:11:43 :: Connecting to wireless network MarkenLabel
2009/11/04 19:11:43 :: Putting interface down
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Releasing DHCP leases...
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Setting false IP...
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Stopping wpa_supplicant
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Flushing the routing table...
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Putting interface up...
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Generating psk...
2009/11/04 19:11:44 :: Attempting to authenticate...
2009/11/04 19:12:19 :: wpa_supplicant authentication may have failed.
2009/11/04 19:12:19 :: Running DHCP
2009/11/04 19:12:19 :: Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.1.2
2009/11/04 19:12:19 :: Copyright 2004-2008 Internet Systems Consortium.
2009/11/04 19:12:19 :: All rights reserved.
2009/11/04 19:12:19 :: For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
[...] connected and got IP. Now everything works fine.

Here is debugging output from wicd (mostly wpasupplicant):
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: Putting interface up...
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: ifconfig wlan0 up
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: enctype is wpa
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: Generating psk...
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: ['/usr/bin/wpa_passphrase', 'MarkenLabel', 'XXXXXXXX']
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: Attempting to authenticate...
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: ['wpa_supplicant', '-B', '-i', 'wlan0', '-c', '/var/lib/wicd/configurations/001731bfXXXX', '-D', 'wext']
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: ['iwconfig', 'wlan0', 'essid', 'MarkenLabel']
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: iwconfig wlan0 channel 1
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: iwconfig wlan0 ap 00:17:31:BF:XX:XX
2009/11/04 20:43:42 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS DISCONNECTED
2009/11/04 20:43:43 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATING
2009/11/04 20:43:44 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATED
2009/11/04 20:43:45 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:46 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:47 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:48 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:49 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:50 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:51 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:52 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:53 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:54 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:43:55 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS DISCONNECTED
2009/11/04 20:43:56 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS DISCONNECTED
2009/11/04 20:43:57 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATING
2009/11/04 20:43:58 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATING
2009/11/04 20:43:59 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATING
2009/11/04 20:44:00 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATED
2009/11/04 20:44:01 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:02 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:03 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:04 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:05 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:06 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:07 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:08 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:09 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:10 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:11 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS DISCONNECTED
2009/11/04 20:44:12 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS DISCONNECTED
2009/11/04 20:44:13 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATING
2009/11/04 20:44:14 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATING
2009/11/04 20:44:15 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS ASSOCIATED
2009/11/04 20:44:16 :: WPA_CLI RESULT IS 4WAY_HANDSHAKE
2009/11/04 20:44:17 :: wpa_supplicant authentication may have failed.
2009/11/04 20:44:17 :: Running DHCP
2009/11/04 20:44:17 :: /sbin/dhclient wlan0
And this fails.

I would say that this is a timing problem (I thing distance and timing goes together on wireless connections) and because it occurs with various drivers (saw it on the net) and with network-manager and wicd it is either a wpa_supplicant-thing or the wlan-stack at the kernel level. I don't know it for sure but I think I have this problem since I moved from 2.6.27 to 2.6.28 (jaunty) and the problem is still there on karmic with 2.6.31.

This is my Setup:
Ubuntu 9.10
uname -a
Linux mia 2.6.31-14-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 16 14:05:01 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux
lspci | grep Wireless
0b:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN [Kedron] Network Connection (rev 61)
wpasupplicant is 0.6.9-3ubuntu1

Revision history for this message
Helmuth Gronewold (cisa) wrote :

This problem seems to be solved in 10.04.

To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.
Subscribing...

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

Bug watches keep track of this bug in other bug trackers.