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cybtrash

Member

Registered: 2025-03-30

Posts: 1

Can't connect to public WiFi ("ip-config-unavailable")

Hello,

I can't connect to a specific public WiFi network (HOTSPLOTS free WiFi with a Captive Portal).
What works: I can connect to other WiFi's, at home, public WiFi at university etc.

I also have Windows (Dual Boot) on this laptop. With Windows there's no problem connecting to this HOTSPLOTS WiFi.

Most of the time it fails with the error message "ip-config-unavailable". NetworkManager connects to HOTSPLOTS but can't get a valid ip.

Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.0688] device (wlp2s0): state change: ip-config -> failed (reason 'ip-config-unavailable', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.0695] manager: NetworkManager state is now DISCONNECTED
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <warn>  [1743306040.0702] device (wlp2s0): Activation: failed for connection 'HOTSPLOTS'
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.0705] device (wlp2s0): state change: failed -> disconnected (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.0757] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): canceled DHCP transaction
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.0758] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): activation: beginning transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.0758] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): state changed no lease
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.1765] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: completed -> disconnected
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6770] policy: auto-activating connection 'HOTSPLOTS' (58eb15b9-5e5e-4c4f-89a6-b11c17bb2254)
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6779] device (wlp2s0): Activation: starting connection 'HOTSPLOTS' (58eb15b9-5e5e-4c4f-89a6-b11c17bb2254)
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6780] device (wlp2s0): state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6786] manager: NetworkManager state is now CONNECTING
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6803] device (wlp2s0): state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6815] device (wlp2s0): Activation: (wifi) connection 'HOTSPLOTS' requires no security.  No secrets needed.
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6816] Config: added 'ssid' value 'HOTSPLOTS'
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6816] Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6816] Config: added 'bgscan' value 'simple:30:-65:300'
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6817] Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'NONE'
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6926] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: disconnected -> authenticating
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.6951] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: authenticating -> associating
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.7232] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: associating -> completed
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.7233] device (wlp2s0): Activation: (wifi) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful. Connected to wireless network "HOTSPLOTS"
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.7256] device (wlp2s0): state change: config -> ip-config (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:40:40 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306040.7263] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): activation: beginning transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.0698] device (wlp2s0): state change: ip-config -> failed (reason 'ip-config-unavailable', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.0709] manager: NetworkManager state is now DISCONNECTED
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <warn>  [1743306086.0737] device (wlp2s0): Activation: failed for connection 'HOTSPLOTS'
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.0740] device (wlp2s0): state change: failed -> disconnected (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.0817] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): canceled DHCP transaction
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.0818] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): activation: beginning transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.0818] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): state changed no lease
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.1697] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: completed -> disconnected
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5850] policy: auto-activating connection 'HOTSPLOTS' (58eb15b9-5e5e-4c4f-89a6-b11c17bb2254)
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5859] device (wlp2s0): Activation: starting connection 'HOTSPLOTS' (58eb15b9-5e5e-4c4f-89a6-b11c17bb2254)
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5861] device (wlp2s0): state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5868] manager: NetworkManager state is now CONNECTING
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5882] device (wlp2s0): state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5903] device (wlp2s0): Activation: (wifi) connection 'HOTSPLOTS' requires no security.  No secrets needed.
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5904] Config: added 'ssid' value 'HOTSPLOTS'
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5904] Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5904] Config: added 'bgscan' value 'simple:30:-65:300'
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.5905] Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'NONE'
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.6043] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: disconnected -> authenticating
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.8228] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: authenticating -> associating
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.8526] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: associating -> completed
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.8526] device (wlp2s0): Activation: (wifi) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful. Connected to wireless network "HOTSPLOTS"
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.8579] device (wlp2s0): state change: config -> ip-config (reason 'none', managed-type: 'full')
Mär 30 05:41:26 laptop NetworkManager[601]: <info>  [1743306086.8585] dhcp4 (wlp2s0): activation: beginning transaction (timeout in 45 seconds)

Some other info:

sudo nmcli device show
GENERAL.DEVICE:                         lo
GENERAL.TYPE:                           loopback
GENERAL.HWADDR:                         00:00:00:00:00:00
GENERAL.MTU:                            65536
GENERAL.STATE:                          100 (connected (externally))
GENERAL.CONNECTION:                     lo
GENERAL.CON-PATH:                       /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/1
IP4.ADDRESS[1]:                         127.0.0.1/8
IP4.GATEWAY:                            --
IP6.ADDRESS[1]:                         ::1/128
IP6.GATEWAY:                            --

GENERAL.DEVICE:                         wlp2s0
GENERAL.TYPE:                           wifi
GENERAL.HWADDR:                         C4:85:01:36:2F:2B
GENERAL.MTU:                            1500
GENERAL.STATE:                          30 (disconnected)
GENERAL.CONNECTION:                     --
GENERAL.CON-PATH:                       --
IP4.GATEWAY:                            --
IP6.GATEWAY:                            --

sudo nmcli connection show HOTSPLOTS
connection.id:                          HOTSPLOTS
connection.uuid:                        58eb15b9-5e5e-4c4f-89a6-b11c17bb2254
connection.stable-id:                   --
connection.type:                        802-11-wireless
connection.interface-name:              --
connection.autoconnect:                 yes
connection.autoconnect-priority:        0
connection.autoconnect-retries:         -1 (default)
connection.multi-connect:               0 (default)
connection.auth-retries:                -1
connection.timestamp:                   1743283761
connection.permissions:                 user:denton
connection.zone:                        --
connection.controller:                  --
connection.master:                      --
connection.slave-type:                  --
connection.port-type:                   --
connection.autoconnect-slaves:          -1 (default)
connection.autoconnect-ports:           -1 (default)
connection.down-on-poweroff:            -1 (default)
connection.secondaries:                 --
connection.gateway-ping-timeout:        0
connection.ip-ping-timeout:             0
connection.ip-ping-addresses:           --
connection.ip-ping-addresses-require-all:-1 (default)
connection.metered:                     unknown
connection.lldp:                        default
connection.mdns:                        -1 (default)
connection.llmnr:                       -1 (default)
connection.dns-over-tls:                -1 (default)
connection.mptcp-flags:                 0x0 (default)
connection.wait-device-timeout:         -1
connection.wait-activation-delay:       -1
802-11-wireless.ssid:                   HOTSPLOTS
802-11-wireless.mode:                   infrastructure
802-11-wireless.band:                   --
802-11-wireless.channel:                0
802-11-wireless.bssid:                  --
802-11-wireless.mac-address:            --
802-11-wireless.cloned-mac-address:     --
802-11-wireless.generate-mac-address-mask:--
802-11-wireless.mac-address-denylist:   --
802-11-wireless.mac-address-randomization:default
802-11-wireless.mtu:                    auto
802-11-wireless.seen-bssids:            AE:46:9D:38:22:47,AE:46:9D:38:24:6B
802-11-wireless.hidden:                 no
802-11-wireless.powersave:              0 (default)
802-11-wireless.wake-on-wlan:           0x1 (default)
802-11-wireless.ap-isolation:           -1 (default)
802-11-wireless.channel-width:          0 (auto)
ipv4.method:                            auto
ipv4.dns:                               --
ipv4.dns-search:                        --
ipv4.dns-options:                       --
ipv4.dns-priority:                      0
ipv4.addresses:                         --
ipv4.gateway:                           --
ipv4.routes:                            --
ipv4.route-metric:                      -1
ipv4.route-table:                       0 (unspec)
ipv4.routing-rules:                     --
ipv4.replace-local-rule:                -1 (default)
ipv4.dhcp-send-release:                 -1 (default)
ipv4.routed-dns:                        -1 (default)
pv4.routes:                            --
pv4.route-metric:                      -1
ipv4.route-table:                       0 (unspec)
ipv4.routing-rules:                     --
ipv4.replace-local-rule:                -1 (default)
ipv4.dhcp-send-release:                 -1 (default)
ipv4.routed-dns:                        -1 (default)
ipv4.ignore-auto-routes:                no
ipv4.ignore-auto-dns:                   no
ipv4.dhcp-client-id:                    --
ipv4.dhcp-iaid:                         --
ipv4.dhcp-dscp:                         --
ipv4.dhcp-timeout:                      0 (default)
ipv4.dhcp-send-hostname-deprecated:     yes
ipv4.dhcp-send-hostname:                -1 (default)
ipv4.dhcp-hostname:                     --
ipv4.dhcp-fqdn:                         --
ipv4.dhcp-hostname-flags:               0x0 (none)
ipv4.never-default:                     no
ipv4.may-fail:                          no
ipv4.required-timeout:                  -1 (default)
ipv4.dad-timeout:                       -1 (default)
ipv4.dhcp-vendor-class-identifier:      --
ipv4.dhcp-ipv6-only-preferred:          -1 (default)
ipv4.link-local:                        0 (default)
ipv4.dhcp-reject-servers:               --
ipv4.auto-route-ext-gw:                 -1 (default)
ipv4.shared-dhcp-range:                 --
ipv4.shared-dhcp-lease-time:            0 (default)
ipv6.method:                            disabled
ipv6.dns:                               --
ipv6.dns-search:                        --
ipv6.dns-options:                       --
ipv6.dns-priority:                      0
ipv6.addresses:                         --
ipv6.gateway:                           --
ipv6.routes:                            --
ipv6.route-metric:                      -1
ipv6.route-table:                       0 (unspec)
ipv6.routing-rules:                     --
ipv6.replace-local-rule:                -1 (default)
ipv6.dhcp-send-release:                 -1 (default)
ipv6.routed-dns:                        -1 (default)
ipv6.ignore-auto-routes:                no
ipv6.ignore-auto-dns:                   no
ipv6.never-default:                     no
ipv6.may-fail:                          yes
ipv6.required-timeout:                  -1 (default)
ipv6.ip6-privacy:                       -1 (default)
ipv6.temp-valid-lifetime:               0 (default)
ipv6.temp-preferred-lifetime:           0 (default)
ipv6.addr-gen-mode:                     stable-privacy
ipv6.ra-timeout:                        0 (default)
ipv6.mtu:                               auto
ipv6.dhcp-pd-hint:                      --
ipv6.dhcp-duid:                         --
ipv6.dhcp-iaid:                         --
ipv6.dhcp-timeout:                      0 (default)
ipv6.dhcp-send-hostname-deprecated:     yes
ipv6.dhcp-send-hostname:                -1 (default)
ipv6.dhcp-hostname:                     --
ipv6.dhcp-hostname-flags:               0x0 (none)
ipv6.auto-route-ext-gw:                 -1 (default)
ipv6.token:                             --
proxy.method:                           none
proxy.browser-only:                     no
proxy.pac-url:                          --
proxy.pac-script:                       --

I tried setting /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/dhcp-client.conf to other dhclients and installed them of course, but this didn't change anything.

Do you have any idea what I could try next?

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 14,312

Re: Can't connect to public WiFi ("ip-config-unavailable")

A ddg search for ip-config-unavailable suggests this could be caused by  a incorrect networkmanager configuration .

Please remove (or move away) everything under /etc/NetworkManager and try connecting with nmcli .
See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NetworkManager#Usage

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 69,114

Re: Can't connect to public WiFi ("ip-config-unavailable")

I also have Windows (Dual Boot) on this laptop.

… or the AP thinks you already have a lease, so you're not getting a second one…

3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

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