Arch Linux

unclebob

Member

Registered: 2009-05-28

Posts: 10

wicd => Bad password, but wpa_supplicant connects fine

Hello.

I have a working wireless connection using wpa_supplicant and the network daemon, it comes up at boot fine.  I'd like to use wicd instead but it won't connect.  The config file that wicd generates differs from my working wpa_supplicant.conf but I don't see any way to override what it uses.

I'm running Arch64 and wicd-1.6.0-2.

My working wpa_supplicant setup:

$ cat /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ctrl_interface_group=wheel
ap_scan=1

network={
  ssid="mywireless"
  scan_ssid=1
  proto=WPA
  key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
  pairwise=TKIP
  group=TKIP
  psk="this is secret"
  priority=5
}


$ cat /etc/rc.conf
...
NETWORKS=(!dhcp_wired wireless)
...
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng hal network !wicd net-profiles netfs crond alsa)

The config that wicd generates when using WPA 1/2 (Preshared Key):

$ cat /var/lib/wicd/configurations/001d7eff6a78
ap_scan=1
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
network={
       ssid="<hidden>"
       scan_ssid=0
       proto=WPA RSN
       key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
       pairwise=CCMP TKIP
       group=CCMP TKIP
       psk="this is secret"
}


$ cat /etc/rc.conf
...
NETWORKS=(!dhcp_wired !wireless)
...
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng hal !network wicd net-profiles netfs crond alsa)

Using WPA 1/2 (Passphrase) results in an unquoted hexidecimal psk, and still doesn't work.

Running wicd-client just gives a list of detected ssids in the logging, including:

ESSID : <hidden>

Any ideas how to get wicd connecting?

Thanks
UBob

ugaciaka

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2008-07-06

Posts: 140

Website

Re: wicd => Bad password, but wpa_supplicant connects fine

this problem show if you have hidden ESSID, enable show ESSID in the router...

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unclebob

Member

Registered: 2009-05-28

Posts: 10

Re: wicd => Bad password, but wpa_supplicant connects fine

this problem show if you have hidden ESSID, enable show ESSID in the router...

Ok, thanks.  That is a work-around.  Enabling SSID broadcast in the router allows wicd to connect.

However I do need to be able to connect to hidden networks.  So I'll refine my question to:

How do I configure wicd to connect to hidden (but well-known) WPA protected networks?

LeoSolaris

Member

From: South Carolina

Registered: 2008-03-30

Posts: 354

Re: wicd => Bad password, but wpa_supplicant connects fine

It's a newer issue. I have been using wicd to connect to hidden networks for quite a while now, but the latest update broke it. A roll back should do the trick. I haven't taken the time to file a bug report on this one, so if you want to, go for it. The hidden network wasn't that big of a deal to me, since it doesn't really add any major security to the wireless network.

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ise

Developer

From: Karlsruhe / Germany

Registered: 2005-10-06

Posts: 404

Website

Re: wicd => Bad password, but wpa_supplicant connects fine

Please file a bug report on the project site of wicd. It seems that this is an upstream issue. You can find a similar problem on the wicd forum here: http://wicd.net/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=591

Answer from one of the developers (the network card driver was a ath5k):

I think this is an issue with your wireless card drivers. Most do not deal well with hidden ESSIDs. Since hiding the ESSID gives you no advantage, you should just make the access point visible. That will solve the problem.

Daniel

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bostonvaulter

Member

Registered: 2008-07-17

Posts: 36

Re: wicd => Bad password, but wpa_supplicant connects fine

If anyone is still having this issue they should try installing the latest dev version by installing wicd-bzr from the AUR since it fixed it for me.