Arch Linux

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

NetworkManager and RT2500

I cannot get NetworkManager or wicd to recognize my RT2500 wireless chip.  Ifconfig shows that ra0 is not there.  And the driver is loaded.

I can get on line if I do ifconfig ra0 up; iwconfig ra0 ...; dhcpcd ra0.

Does someone know how to get NetworkManager to work with this chip?

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

Did you tell wicd that your wireless interface is ra0 ?

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R00KIE
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djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

Yes.  It appears that NetworkManager and wicd don't know how to handle the RT2500.

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

Check this thread http://wicd.net/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=287

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R00KIE
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iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

The rt2500 module uses a custom interface and does not work with wpa_supplicant, thus it does not work with networkmanager.

Please use rt2500pci as this does work with wpa_supplicant. It's a reasonably mature driver too.

Last edited by iphitus (2009-02-17 13:13:47)

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

Rc.conf was loading both rt2500 and rt2500pci for some reason.  Disabling rt2500 made it possible for NetworkManager to see wlan0 and to see the access point.  That's progress.  However, it can't get an IP address for some reason.  I'm using WEP because another computer can't handle WPA.

I also have a related question.  Can NetworkManager be used with ifplugd?  The laptop usually doesn't use Ethernet.

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

I think I see the dhcp problem.  I don't have dhcdbd in rc.conf.  I'll try that tomorrow.

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

No luck.  I can see the access point, but I still cannot get an IP address after adding dhcdbd.  Do I need to do something special if I am using WEP and wpa_supplicant is used by NetworkManager.

I did learn a few things in the process of trying different things.
rt2500.ko provides ra0, but rt2500pci.ko provides wlan0.
rt2x00pci.ko is needed but doesn't load automatically.  If it isn't loaded, rt2500.ko cannot connect.  I assume the same is true if rt2500pci.ko is used, but I can't verify that yet.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

rt2x00pci is only needed by rt2500pci, and will load automatically when rt2500pci is in use. If you have both rt2500 and rt2500pci installed, you should blacklist the one you don't want to use, as they conflict. If you have decided to go with rt2500pci, it would be advisable to remove rt2500 altogether.

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

I still cannot get NetworkManager to work with my RT2500.  I am using rt2500pci.  Ps shows that NetworkManager started, followed by wpa_supplicant.  Since I want WEP, I don't know if wpa_supplicant should start or not.  I don't see what is preventing NetworkManager from getting an IP address from my WAP, since it sees the WAP.

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

I disabled NetworkManager and tried using iwconfig with wlan0.  It fails.  It identifies the ESSID, but Access Point says Not-Associated.  When I use the rt2500 driver, iwconfig connects and AccessPoint shows the connection.  At this point, it looks to me like rt2500pci.ko is broken.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

You should check the logs during each connection attempt - there should be some useful info there.

djperkins

Member

Registered: 2007-05-23

Posts: 16

Re: NetworkManager and RT2500

There is nothing useful in the logs.  When I ran WPA Supplicant from the command line, it didn't complain, but when I looked at iwconfig, it said the point was not associated.