Just a few quick comments (as it has just gone 0315 hours local time, for me) --
Is wireless enabled in the BIOS?
Is there a physical switch, button or special key combination required to enable the hardware?
As you are using a [i]Gnome[/i] desktop, you may find it easier to take [b]System[/b] --> [b]Preferences[/b] --> [b]Network Connections[/b] to edit the configuration.
[SOLVED] Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
-
AlanBartlett
- Forum Moderator
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- Joined: 2007/10/22 11:30:09
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Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
[quote]
AlanBartlett wrote:
Just a few quick comments (as it has just gone 0315 hours local time, for me) --
Is wireless enabled in the BIOS?[/quote]
I appreciate your taking the time to offer suggestions.
My apologies for my newbieness, but how specifically would I determine if wireless is enabled in the BIOS (and how would I turn it on if it isn't)?
[quote]Is there a physical switch, button or special key combination required to enable the hardware?[/quote]
I don't think so. If I boot Ubuntu from a CD (plain-vanilla configuration off the install disk, no saved parameters), it reports the presence of a number of local wifi networks; if I enter the name and password of our home network, I can get on quickly with no config.
[quote]As you are using a [i]Gnome[/i] desktop, you may find it easier to take [b]System[/b] --> [b]Preferences[/b] --> [b]Network Connections[/b] to edit the configuration.[/quote]
Thanks. It does appear to get me to the same set of menus as are available via the NetworkManager applet. At this point I don't know if the information I'm filling in (network name, password and encryption type) is sufficient.
Is there any information I could glean by comparing the network setups under Ubuntu and CentOS? If so, what commands would I want to issue, and what would I be looking for?
AlanBartlett wrote:
Just a few quick comments (as it has just gone 0315 hours local time, for me) --
Is wireless enabled in the BIOS?[/quote]
I appreciate your taking the time to offer suggestions.
My apologies for my newbieness, but how specifically would I determine if wireless is enabled in the BIOS (and how would I turn it on if it isn't)?
[quote]Is there a physical switch, button or special key combination required to enable the hardware?[/quote]
I don't think so. If I boot Ubuntu from a CD (plain-vanilla configuration off the install disk, no saved parameters), it reports the presence of a number of local wifi networks; if I enter the name and password of our home network, I can get on quickly with no config.
[quote]As you are using a [i]Gnome[/i] desktop, you may find it easier to take [b]System[/b] --> [b]Preferences[/b] --> [b]Network Connections[/b] to edit the configuration.[/quote]
Thanks. It does appear to get me to the same set of menus as are available via the NetworkManager applet. At this point I don't know if the information I'm filling in (network name, password and encryption type) is sufficient.
Is there any information I could glean by comparing the network setups under Ubuntu and CentOS? If so, what commands would I want to issue, and what would I be looking for?
Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
[quote]
FrankO wrote:
[quote]
AlanBartlett wrote:
Is wireless enabled in the BIOS?[/quote]
My apologies for my newbieness, but how specifically would I determine if wireless is enabled in the BIOS (and how would I turn it on if it isn't)?
... If I boot Ubuntu from a CD (plain-vanilla configuration off the install disk, no saved parameters), it reports the presence of a number of local wifi networks; if I enter the name and password of our home network, I can get on quickly with no config.[/quote]
Rereading the above, I realize that the BIOS would be specific to the laptop, not the OS. Wouldn't the fact that the wireless network starts easily under Ubuntu argue that there are no BIOS or hardware issues preventing it from starting?
FrankO wrote:
[quote]
AlanBartlett wrote:
Is wireless enabled in the BIOS?[/quote]
My apologies for my newbieness, but how specifically would I determine if wireless is enabled in the BIOS (and how would I turn it on if it isn't)?
... If I boot Ubuntu from a CD (plain-vanilla configuration off the install disk, no saved parameters), it reports the presence of a number of local wifi networks; if I enter the name and password of our home network, I can get on quickly with no config.[/quote]
Rereading the above, I realize that the BIOS would be specific to the laptop, not the OS. Wouldn't the fact that the wireless network starts easily under Ubuntu argue that there are no BIOS or hardware issues preventing it from starting?
-
AlanBartlett
- Forum Moderator
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Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
Another quick posting by me (as I have an appointment coming up elsewhere, this afternoon -- perhaps someone else may be able to step in and help out, please? Where is [b]toracat[/b], I wonder?).
As you have quite rightly realised, the BIOS configuration is specific to the laptop and your testing with [i]Ubuntu[/i] shows that the WiFi device is accessible by that OS.
At the most basic of levels:
(1) under the [b]Wireless[/b] tab, just setting the [b]SSID[/b] to your WAP's name, the [b]Mode[/b] to [b]Infrastructure[/b], ticking both boxes [b]Connected automatically[/b] and [b]Available to all users[/b]
(2) under the [b]IPv4 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(3) under the [b]IPv6 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(4) under the [b]Wireless Security[/b] tab, selecting [b]WPA & WPA2 Personal[/b] and adding the WAP's [b]Password[/b]
should be enough to allow you wireless access.
With the laptop newly booted up and before any attempts are made to obtain wireless access, I wonder what the following command line returns?
[code]
[b]lsmod | grep -iE 'ath|wifi'[/b]
[/code]
As you have quite rightly realised, the BIOS configuration is specific to the laptop and your testing with [i]Ubuntu[/i] shows that the WiFi device is accessible by that OS.
At the most basic of levels:
(1) under the [b]Wireless[/b] tab, just setting the [b]SSID[/b] to your WAP's name, the [b]Mode[/b] to [b]Infrastructure[/b], ticking both boxes [b]Connected automatically[/b] and [b]Available to all users[/b]
(2) under the [b]IPv4 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(3) under the [b]IPv6 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(4) under the [b]Wireless Security[/b] tab, selecting [b]WPA & WPA2 Personal[/b] and adding the WAP's [b]Password[/b]
should be enough to allow you wireless access.
With the laptop newly booted up and before any attempts are made to obtain wireless access, I wonder what the following command line returns?
[code]
[b]lsmod | grep -iE 'ath|wifi'[/b]
[/code]
Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
[quote]
AlanBartlett wrote:
With the laptop newly booted up and before any attempts are made to obtain wireless access, I wonder what the following command line returns?
[code]
[b]lsmod | grep -iE 'ath|wifi'[/b]
[/code][/quote]
That would be:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ lsmod | grep -iE 'ath|wifi'
ath9k 88199 0
mac80211 213575 1 ath9k
ath9k_common 3419 1 ath9k
ath9k_hw 382694 2 ath9k,ath9k_common
ath 17270 3 ath9k,ath9k_common,ath9k_hw
cfg80211 188431 3 ath9k,mac80211,ath
[/code]
AlanBartlett wrote:
With the laptop newly booted up and before any attempts are made to obtain wireless access, I wonder what the following command line returns?
[code]
[b]lsmod | grep -iE 'ath|wifi'[/b]
[/code][/quote]
That would be:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ lsmod | grep -iE 'ath|wifi'
ath9k 88199 0
mac80211 213575 1 ath9k
ath9k_common 3419 1 ath9k
ath9k_hw 382694 2 ath9k,ath9k_common
ath 17270 3 ath9k,ath9k_common,ath9k_hw
cfg80211 188431 3 ath9k,mac80211,ath
[/code]
[SOLVED] Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
I don't have anything more than what [b]Alan[/b] has offered. Have you looked at (4) in his last post? It seems to me that the issue has to do with access setup (password etc).
Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
[quote]
AlanBartlett wrote:
At the most basic of levels:
(1) under the [b]Wireless[/b] tab, just setting the [b]SSID[/b] to your WAP's name, the [b]Mode[/b] to [b]Infrastructure[/b], ticking both boxes [b]Connected automatically[/b] and [b]Available to all users[/b]
(2) under the [b]IPv4 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(3) under the [b]IPv6 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(4) under the [b]Wireless Security[/b] tab, selecting [b]WPA & WPA2 Personal[/b] and adding the WAP's [b]Password[/b]
should be enough to allow you wireless access.
[/quote]
[quote]
toracat wrote:
I don't have anything more than what [b]Alan[/b] has offered. Have you looked at (4) in his last post? It seems to me that the issue has to do with access setup (password etc).[/quote]
Yes, the settings in NetworkManager are as described above. I've verified with other laptops that the network's security is WPA2 Personal.
I'll keep tinkering, but would like to ask the following at this point:
-- The NetworkManager applet still states that wireless is "Disabled" -- not just disconnected. I'm unable to check the box to enable Wireless. Is this normal behavior when the wireless adapter is working, but the laptop is not connected to any wireless network? Without knowing CentOS, my natural expectation would be that if the OS was talking to the wireless adapter but I wasn't connected to any network, the applet would show wireless as enabled but disconnected. Not the case?
-- Are there any utilities I can run, or commands I can execute, that would verify if the OS is talking to the wireless adapter properly (distinct from the question of whether it is connected to a local wireless network)? For example, is there a utility I could run that would, say, display available wireless networks?
-- Are there any USB wireless network adapters that are known to work easily and well with CentOS that I might try using while I continue to try to debug the Atheros adapter?
-- Do you think there's any point in starting over with the CentOS installation and using CentOS 5 rather than 6? In other words, has rolling back to an earlier major OS version ever solved a networking problem like this for anyone?
Thanks again,
AlanBartlett wrote:
At the most basic of levels:
(1) under the [b]Wireless[/b] tab, just setting the [b]SSID[/b] to your WAP's name, the [b]Mode[/b] to [b]Infrastructure[/b], ticking both boxes [b]Connected automatically[/b] and [b]Available to all users[/b]
(2) under the [b]IPv4 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(3) under the [b]IPv6 Settings[/b] tab, leave everything at the default
(4) under the [b]Wireless Security[/b] tab, selecting [b]WPA & WPA2 Personal[/b] and adding the WAP's [b]Password[/b]
should be enough to allow you wireless access.
[/quote]
[quote]
toracat wrote:
I don't have anything more than what [b]Alan[/b] has offered. Have you looked at (4) in his last post? It seems to me that the issue has to do with access setup (password etc).[/quote]
Yes, the settings in NetworkManager are as described above. I've verified with other laptops that the network's security is WPA2 Personal.
I'll keep tinkering, but would like to ask the following at this point:
-- The NetworkManager applet still states that wireless is "Disabled" -- not just disconnected. I'm unable to check the box to enable Wireless. Is this normal behavior when the wireless adapter is working, but the laptop is not connected to any wireless network? Without knowing CentOS, my natural expectation would be that if the OS was talking to the wireless adapter but I wasn't connected to any network, the applet would show wireless as enabled but disconnected. Not the case?
-- Are there any utilities I can run, or commands I can execute, that would verify if the OS is talking to the wireless adapter properly (distinct from the question of whether it is connected to a local wireless network)? For example, is there a utility I could run that would, say, display available wireless networks?
-- Are there any USB wireless network adapters that are known to work easily and well with CentOS that I might try using while I continue to try to debug the Atheros adapter?
-- Do you think there's any point in starting over with the CentOS installation and using CentOS 5 rather than 6? In other words, has rolling back to an earlier major OS version ever solved a networking problem like this for anyone?
Thanks again,
-
AlanBartlett
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 9345
- Joined: 2007/10/22 11:30:09
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- Contact:
Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
[quote]
I'll keep tinkering, but would like to ask the following at this point:
-- The NetworkManager applet still states that wireless is "Disabled" -- not just disconnected. I'm unable to check the box to enable Wireless. Is this normal behavior when the wireless adapter is working, but the laptop is not connected to any wireless network? Without knowing CentOS, my natural expectation would be that if the OS was talking to the wireless adapter but I wasn't connected to any network, the applet would show wireless as enabled but disconnected. Not the case?
-- Are there any utilities I can run, or commands I can execute, that would verify if the OS is talking to the wireless adapter properly (distinct from the question of whether it is connected to a local wireless network)? For example, is there a utility I could run that would, say, display available wireless networks?
-- Are there any USB wireless network adapters that are known to work easily and well with CentOS that I might try using while I continue to try to debug the Atheros adapter?
-- Do you think there's any point in starting over with the CentOS installation and using CentOS 5 rather than 6? In other words, has rolling back to an earlier major OS version ever solved a networking problem like this for anyone?
[/quote]
Ah, "[i]Disabled[/i]".
My laptop, a [i]Dell Latitude E5500[/i] has a physical switch the enable/disable the WiFi sub-system. When the switch is set to the "off" position, I see "Wireless Networks, wireless is disabled" (spread over two lines). When the switch is set to the "on" position, I see "Wireless Networks, disconnected" (over two lines) followed by a list of available networks (i.e. WAPs that have been detected).
When the switch is set to "off", the [b]nm-tool[/b] returns --
[code]
[ajb@Duo2 ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: connected
- Device: wlan0 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: iwlwifi
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: A1:B1:C1:D1:E1:F1
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
- Device: eth0 [Static 192.168.1.2 Via 254] -----------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: tg3
State: connected
Default: yes
HW Address: A2:B2:C2:D2:E2:F2
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Speed: 100 Mb/s
Wired Properties
Carrier: on
IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.1.2
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.1.254
DNS: 6x.x4.3x.x
DNS: 6y.y4.3y.y
[/code]
When the switch is set to "on", the [b]nm-tool[/b] returns --
[code]
[ajb@Duo2 ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: connected
- Device: wlan0 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: iwlwifi
State: disconnected
Default: no
HW Address: A1:B1:C1:D1:E1:F1
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
wireless137: Infra, 00:18:4D:FC:81:D4, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 16 WEP
MCKNET: Infra, 00:1C:F0:F1:AE:86, Freq 2412 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 13 WPA WPA2
BTFON: Infra, 0A:8B:5D:B0:7F:22, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 36
BTOpenzone: Infra, 06:8B:5D:B0:7F:22, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 36
BTOpenzone: Infra, 06:8B:5D:BA:0A:CA, Freq 2422 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 48
BTFON: Infra, 0A:8B:5D:BA:0A:CA, Freq 2422 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 49
BTWiFi-with-FON: Infra, 0A:25:69:FC:DA:BA, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 62
BTWiFi: Infra, 06:25:69:FC:DA:BA, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 62
SKYE6D82: Infra, 90:01:3B:0E:6D:83, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 18 WPA WPA2
BTHomeHub2-PG7N: Infra, 00:8B:5D:B0:7F:22, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 36 WPA WPA2
BTHomeHub2-FWZP: Infra, 00:8B:5D:BA:0A:CA, Freq 2422 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 48 WPA WPA2
BTHomeHub2-ZTCQ: Infra, 00:25:69:FC:DA:BA, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 62 WPA WPA2
BTHub3-QKW9: Infra, 00:CD:72:CB:2D:9A, Freq 2412 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 54 WPA WPA2
- Device: eth0 [Static 192.168.1.2 Via 254] -----------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: tg3
State: connected
Default: yes
HW Address: A2:B2:C2:D2:E2:F2
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Speed: 100 Mb/s
Wired Properties
Carrier: on
IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.1.2
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.1.254
DNS: 6x.x4.3x.x
DNS: 6y.y4.3y.y
[/code]
There are three [b]NetworkManager[/b] CLI tools --
[code]
[ajb@Duo2 ~]$ rpm -ql NetworkManager | grep bin
/usr/bin/nm-online
/usr/bin/nm-tool
/usr/bin/nmcli
[/code]
We have just seen the second of the three in action, above.
Never having had a need to use a USB wireless adaptor, I am unable to suggest a device of that class which is know to work "out of the box". (The [url=http://elrepo.org]ELRepo Project[/url] has a selection of device drivers available . . . )
As for trying [i]CentOS 5[/i] in place of [i]CentOS 6[/i], no that will not be a good idea. The is less native support for wireless adaptors within [i]CentOS 5[/i] than there is in [i]CentOS 6[/i]!
I'll keep tinkering, but would like to ask the following at this point:
-- The NetworkManager applet still states that wireless is "Disabled" -- not just disconnected. I'm unable to check the box to enable Wireless. Is this normal behavior when the wireless adapter is working, but the laptop is not connected to any wireless network? Without knowing CentOS, my natural expectation would be that if the OS was talking to the wireless adapter but I wasn't connected to any network, the applet would show wireless as enabled but disconnected. Not the case?
-- Are there any utilities I can run, or commands I can execute, that would verify if the OS is talking to the wireless adapter properly (distinct from the question of whether it is connected to a local wireless network)? For example, is there a utility I could run that would, say, display available wireless networks?
-- Are there any USB wireless network adapters that are known to work easily and well with CentOS that I might try using while I continue to try to debug the Atheros adapter?
-- Do you think there's any point in starting over with the CentOS installation and using CentOS 5 rather than 6? In other words, has rolling back to an earlier major OS version ever solved a networking problem like this for anyone?
[/quote]
Ah, "[i]Disabled[/i]".
My laptop, a [i]Dell Latitude E5500[/i] has a physical switch the enable/disable the WiFi sub-system. When the switch is set to the "off" position, I see "Wireless Networks, wireless is disabled" (spread over two lines). When the switch is set to the "on" position, I see "Wireless Networks, disconnected" (over two lines) followed by a list of available networks (i.e. WAPs that have been detected).
When the switch is set to "off", the [b]nm-tool[/b] returns --
[code]
[ajb@Duo2 ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: connected
- Device: wlan0 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: iwlwifi
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: A1:B1:C1:D1:E1:F1
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
- Device: eth0 [Static 192.168.1.2 Via 254] -----------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: tg3
State: connected
Default: yes
HW Address: A2:B2:C2:D2:E2:F2
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Speed: 100 Mb/s
Wired Properties
Carrier: on
IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.1.2
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.1.254
DNS: 6x.x4.3x.x
DNS: 6y.y4.3y.y
[/code]
When the switch is set to "on", the [b]nm-tool[/b] returns --
[code]
[ajb@Duo2 ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: connected
- Device: wlan0 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: iwlwifi
State: disconnected
Default: no
HW Address: A1:B1:C1:D1:E1:F1
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
wireless137: Infra, 00:18:4D:FC:81:D4, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 16 WEP
MCKNET: Infra, 00:1C:F0:F1:AE:86, Freq 2412 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 13 WPA WPA2
BTFON: Infra, 0A:8B:5D:B0:7F:22, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 36
BTOpenzone: Infra, 06:8B:5D:B0:7F:22, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 36
BTOpenzone: Infra, 06:8B:5D:BA:0A:CA, Freq 2422 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 48
BTFON: Infra, 0A:8B:5D:BA:0A:CA, Freq 2422 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 49
BTWiFi-with-FON: Infra, 0A:25:69:FC:DA:BA, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 62
BTWiFi: Infra, 06:25:69:FC:DA:BA, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 62
SKYE6D82: Infra, 90:01:3B:0E:6D:83, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 18 WPA WPA2
BTHomeHub2-PG7N: Infra, 00:8B:5D:B0:7F:22, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 36 WPA WPA2
BTHomeHub2-FWZP: Infra, 00:8B:5D:BA:0A:CA, Freq 2422 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 48 WPA WPA2
BTHomeHub2-ZTCQ: Infra, 00:25:69:FC:DA:BA, Freq 2437 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 62 WPA WPA2
BTHub3-QKW9: Infra, 00:CD:72:CB:2D:9A, Freq 2412 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 54 WPA WPA2
- Device: eth0 [Static 192.168.1.2 Via 254] -----------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: tg3
State: connected
Default: yes
HW Address: A2:B2:C2:D2:E2:F2
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Speed: 100 Mb/s
Wired Properties
Carrier: on
IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.1.2
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.1.254
DNS: 6x.x4.3x.x
DNS: 6y.y4.3y.y
[/code]
There are three [b]NetworkManager[/b] CLI tools --
[code]
[ajb@Duo2 ~]$ rpm -ql NetworkManager | grep bin
/usr/bin/nm-online
/usr/bin/nm-tool
/usr/bin/nmcli
[/code]
We have just seen the second of the three in action, above.
Never having had a need to use a USB wireless adaptor, I am unable to suggest a device of that class which is know to work "out of the box". (The [url=http://elrepo.org]ELRepo Project[/url] has a selection of device drivers available . . . )
As for trying [i]CentOS 5[/i] in place of [i]CentOS 6[/i], no that will not be a good idea. The is less native support for wireless adaptors within [i]CentOS 5[/i] than there is in [i]CentOS 6[/i]!
Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
Thanks, very interesting.
When the hardwire Ethernet cable is [i]unplugged,[/i] [b]nm-tool[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: disconnected
- Device: eth0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: atl1c
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: C8:0A:A9:55:0F:8A
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Wired Properties
Carrier: off
- Device: wlan0
----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: ath9k
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: 78:E4:00:15:40:FA
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
[/code]
When the hardwire Ethernet cable is [i]plugged in,[/i] [b]nm-tool[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: connected
- Device: eth0 [Auto eth0]
----------------------------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: atl1c
State: connected
Default: yes
HW Address: C8:0A:A9:55:0F:8A
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Speed: 1000 Mb/s
Wired Properties
Carrier: on
IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.0.11
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.0.1
DNS: 192.168.0.1
- Device: wlan0
----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: ath9k
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: 78:E4:00:15:40:FA
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
[/code]
In both cases, the state of the wireless adapter is shown as "Unavailable."
If the hardwire Ethernet cable is unplugged, [b]nmcli[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nmcli nm
RUNNING STATE WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE
WWAN
running disconnected enabled disabled enabled
enabled
[/code]
If the hardwire Ethernet cable is plugged in, [b]nmcli[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nmcli nm
RUNNING STATE WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE
WWAN
running connected enabled disabled enabled
enabled
[/code]
These indicate that "wifi-hardware" is enabled, but "wifi" is disabled.
When I execute [b]nm-online[/b], I just get a new command prompt with no output.
Finally, I confirmed that there is no hardware switch to enable or disable the wireless adapter. There is a hotkey combination (Fn-F3) that is supposed to turn the wireless adapter on and off. In addition, there is a hardware lamp that illuminates when wireless is enabled.
When I boot Ubuntu from CD, the wireless lamp begins illuminating as the OS boots. When the OS is loaded, wireless is on. Pressing Fn-F3 toggles it on and off.
When I run CentOS, the wireless lamp stays off at all times. Pressing Fn-F3 has no effect on the lamp, and makes no change in the wireless state as reported by nmcli etc.
Does any of the above suggest any other ideas?
When the hardwire Ethernet cable is [i]unplugged,[/i] [b]nm-tool[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: disconnected
- Device: eth0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: atl1c
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: C8:0A:A9:55:0F:8A
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Wired Properties
Carrier: off
- Device: wlan0
----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: ath9k
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: 78:E4:00:15:40:FA
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
[/code]
When the hardwire Ethernet cable is [i]plugged in,[/i] [b]nm-tool[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nm-tool
NetworkManager Tool
State: connected
- Device: eth0 [Auto eth0]
----------------------------------------------------
Type: Wired
Driver: atl1c
State: connected
Default: yes
HW Address: C8:0A:A9:55:0F:8A
Capabilities:
Carrier Detect: yes
Speed: 1000 Mb/s
Wired Properties
Carrier: on
IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.0.11
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.0.1
DNS: 192.168.0.1
- Device: wlan0
----------------------------------------------------------------
Type: 802.11 WiFi
Driver: ath9k
State: unavailable
Default: no
HW Address: 78:E4:00:15:40:FA
Capabilities:
Wireless Properties
WEP Encryption: yes
WPA Encryption: yes
WPA2 Encryption: yes
Wireless Access Points
[/code]
In both cases, the state of the wireless adapter is shown as "Unavailable."
If the hardwire Ethernet cable is unplugged, [b]nmcli[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nmcli nm
RUNNING STATE WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE
WWAN
running disconnected enabled disabled enabled
enabled
[/code]
If the hardwire Ethernet cable is plugged in, [b]nmcli[/b] returns:
[code][frank@localhost ~]$ nmcli nm
RUNNING STATE WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE
WWAN
running connected enabled disabled enabled
enabled
[/code]
These indicate that "wifi-hardware" is enabled, but "wifi" is disabled.
When I execute [b]nm-online[/b], I just get a new command prompt with no output.
Finally, I confirmed that there is no hardware switch to enable or disable the wireless adapter. There is a hotkey combination (Fn-F3) that is supposed to turn the wireless adapter on and off. In addition, there is a hardware lamp that illuminates when wireless is enabled.
When I boot Ubuntu from CD, the wireless lamp begins illuminating as the OS boots. When the OS is loaded, wireless is on. Pressing Fn-F3 toggles it on and off.
When I run CentOS, the wireless lamp stays off at all times. Pressing Fn-F3 has no effect on the lamp, and makes no change in the wireless state as reported by nmcli etc.
Does any of the above suggest any other ideas?
-
AlanBartlett
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 9345
- Joined: 2007/10/22 11:30:09
- Location: ~/Earth/UK/England/Suffolk
- Contact:
Re: Setting up wireless on a new install on a laptop
First of all a quick comment on post #15, as I failed to acknowledge the information provided. The modules loaded into the kernel look to be correct, so there does not appear to be any problem in that area.
Now your latest investigations have answered the question that I was going to ask. Your laptop has a hot-key combination to toggle the wireless state and that key combination works under [i]Ubuntu[/i]. It is now beginning to appear that the key combination ([b][/b]) is not being interpreted -- or is being ignored -- when using [i]CentOS[/i].
I have two other suggestions that may help to identify where the problem resides:
(1) At the GUI login screen, issue a [b][/b] key-press to obtain a CLI login screen. Now login as an ordinary user and see if the [b][/b] key-press is recognised. (Either [b][/b] or [b][/b] will take you back to the GUI.)
(2) Obtain wired (Ethernet) access to the Internet and configure your system so that it is capable of accessing the [url=http://elrepo.org]ELRepo Project[/url] repositories. Now install the the [url=http://elrepo.org/tiki/kernel-ml]kernel-ml[/url] package and re-boot, selecting the [b]kernel-ml[/b] from the [i]Grub[/i] splash screen. Check to see if the [b][/b] key-press is recognised.
##############
Does anyone else have any thoughts or suggestions, please?
Now your latest investigations have answered the question that I was going to ask. Your laptop has a hot-key combination to toggle the wireless state and that key combination works under [i]Ubuntu[/i]. It is now beginning to appear that the key combination ([b][/b]) is not being interpreted -- or is being ignored -- when using [i]CentOS[/i].
I have two other suggestions that may help to identify where the problem resides:
(1) At the GUI login screen, issue a [b][/b] key-press to obtain a CLI login screen. Now login as an ordinary user and see if the [b][/b] key-press is recognised. (Either [b][/b] or [b][/b] will take you back to the GUI.)
(2) Obtain wired (Ethernet) access to the Internet and configure your system so that it is capable of accessing the [url=http://elrepo.org]ELRepo Project[/url] repositories. Now install the the [url=http://elrepo.org/tiki/kernel-ml]kernel-ml[/url] package and re-boot, selecting the [b]kernel-ml[/b] from the [i]Grub[/i] splash screen. Check to see if the [b][/b] key-press is recognised.
##############
Does anyone else have any thoughts or suggestions, please?