[SOLVED] Can connect to one open wireless network, but not another

madrussian · 2010-07-18 18:44:11

My wireless network at home is open, unencrypted and I can connect no problem through the console on Arch. However, I'm at the lawfirm this weekend and trying to connect to the open wireless network they keep running throughout the building. I usually bring my windows laptop here on the weekends and it connect to this network without a hitch. However, my linux laptop can't seem to connect for some reason. I can get the wireless card up and running and iwlist wlan0 scan to see all the available networks. There is some exchange of network traffic, but when I try to run dhcpcd or rent an IP address nothing seems to work (I haven't tried setting a static IP). I tried installing Network Manager and wicd to see if there was some automated function I was unaware of, but Network Manager and wicd were big misses. I'm not a TCP/IP person, but my gut tells me that if it works without a hitch on Windows 7, it should work on Arch -- there must just be some technical thing I'm not aware of.

The only thing that is different here, compared to the house, is that there are a number of wireless broadcast points; i.e., when I scan with iwlist I get 3 or 4 instances of "name of network", all with different physical addresses. Network Manager (and Windows 7) only detect one network though. I tried setting iwconfig wlan0 essid name of network like I would usually do, but this doesn't end up working. Yesterday I even tried to connect with a CAT 5 cable, but got nothing. I thought that maybe because it's some super secure lawfirm they might be doing something weird with the network, but the open network is expressly for the public (clients) -- you can't get anywhere near here without keycards and keypad codes anyways.

I'm tethering with proxoid right now, but I'll be here for a few hours and any help would be much appreciated.

John

Last edited by madrussian (2010-07-19 03:59:30)

jmad980 · 2010-07-18 22:56:00

Have you tried a program such as [wiki]wicd[/wiki]?

madrussian · 2010-07-19 02:12:05

Yes, my initial post wasn't very well organized, but I did try wicd. It and Network Manager can see the network, but are unable to receive an IP address (when I use dhcpcd at a terminal, it just times out). Windows 7 connects without issue. I figure there has to be something weird going on, but I'm not a linux guru, so I may be leaving out something important.

John

scarletxfi · 2010-07-19 02:59:08

some places have very weird security for wireless.
check from your win7 laptop if the wireless doesn't use an abnormal security certificate (for example PEAP).
if it does, you'll have to find a way to configure the wireless with those certificates..

madrussian · 2010-07-19 03:59:06

I think it must be something weird like that. I'll check out PEAP.

Will mark the thread as solved for the meantime, since I won't be back in the office for a week or so. I guess this really wasn't an "Arch" topic.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-07-18 18:44:11

[SOLVED] Can connect to one open wireless network, but not another

#2 2010-07-18 22:56:00

Re: [SOLVED] Can connect to one open wireless network, but not another

#3 2010-07-19 02:12:05

Re: [SOLVED] Can connect to one open wireless network, but not another

#4 2010-07-19 02:59:08

Re: [SOLVED] Can connect to one open wireless network, but not another

#5 2010-07-19 03:59:06

Re: [SOLVED] Can connect to one open wireless network, but not another

Board footer