Bug 551862

Please read http://userbase.kde.org/NetworkManagement and make this bug report useful

Hi There,

I've been having the same problem with different hardware. Here are my hardware details:

PC: HP Compaq NX6110
CPU: Intel Celeron M 1.4 GHz
RAM: 512 MiB
Graphics: Intel 915 GM
WiFi: Intel PRO 2200BG
Lan: Broadcom BCM4401

These are my system details:

OS: Linux 2.6.31.5-0.1-default i686
System: openSUSE 11.2 RC2 (i586) 32 bit, Build0339 
KDE: 4.3.1 "release 6"

Here are my network details:

Belkin ASDL Modem/Router F5D7633-4 UK
SSID hidden?: No
Security?: WPA-PSK TKIP
Passphrase? 18 character random combination of mixed case letters, numbers and special characters.


These are my symptoms:

KDE4 Network Manager will not connect to a wireless network.

On booting and logging into KDE4, the connected ethernet connection is picked up and activated. I can surf the web and ping a remote computer on the internet.

Upon unplugging the ethernet connection and pressing my laptop's wireless activation button, the wireless LED flashes periodically (means wireless card is active but not connected). I went over to KDE4 network manager and tried to configure the connection. It detected my home router and a few others in the area and I set up the pass phrase/encryption method and all the rest (just filled in all the boxes on screen). However, when clicking on my network straight from a right-click on NetworkManager in the system tray, nothing seems to happen. No acknowledgement of my clicking by the application, no activation of the connection I had just configured.

However, disabling NetworkManager and configuring the wireless connection through YaST got me connected to the internet, I was able to ping a remote computer on the internet.

Typing "lspci -vv" in a root shell showed my Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG card was detected and using kernel driver "ipw2200" as per previous installations of openSuSE.

On re-enabling NetworkManager in YaST, I still could not connect to a wireless network.

This all makes me think it is a NetworkManager and or KDE4NetworkManager issue, not a hardware, firmware or driver issue. So I checked the if there was an update available through YaST. No update to NetworkManager (0.7.1_git20090811-4.2) itself was available but there was an update for NetworkManager-kde4 (to 0.9.svn1043876-1.1.1) This is not the version that shipped with openSUSE 11.2 RC2 (i586) 32 bit, Build0339, I don't have that version number anymore as a result of the update.

So I tried to connect wirelessly to my home network and still no improvement, even after restarting. Then I deleted the wireless network configuration and started again. However, on completing the configuration, I was asked by KDE4 wallet to supply the password again. Upon doing so, the connection got activated and I now have wireless network handled through KDE4NetworkManager.

So this leads me to believe it is an issue with KDE wallet storing the passwords and/or KDE4NetworkManager retriving it. I was not asked by KDE wallet for the password on the first occasion. I remember that this is how wireless in openSUSE 10.3 worked. I found it to be a rather clumsy solution that didn't always work (although this was rare) but was certainly slow to connect. I really welcomed the move to 11.0 (which I'm still using) as KNetworkManager and NetworkManager were vastly improved and KNetworkManager seemed to not to need KDE wallet for password storage. Any chance this could be reinstated?

If you want me to run through this again and copy log file outputs/run diagnostics so you can find out exactly where things are going wrong, I'd be happy to do so, just tell me what you need. I'm happy to help out in any way on this issue. I'd also urge you to try the same thing on any hardware you have available (any laptop with a linux-friendly wireless card will do), just to see for yourself as I'd say it's very important to fix this before 11.2 goes to GM. Please also let me know if you need anymore info. All the best...

(In reply to comment #1)
> Please read http://userbase.kde.org/NetworkManagement and make this bug report
> useful

Thanks for the hint. I'm sending more details as per that link.

Distro: opensuse 11.2 RC2
NetworkManager in use
Packages:
NetworkManager-kde4-libs-0.9.svn1040608-2.1.x86_64
NetworkManager-0.7.1_git20090811-58.1.x86_64
NetworkManager-kde4-0.9.svn1040608-2.1.x86_64
NetworkManager-kde4-lang-0.9.svn1040608-2.1.noarch
NetworkManager-glib-0.7.1_git20090811-58.1.x86_64
ModemManager-0.2_20090810-23.3.x86_64

Hardware:
dell inspiron 1420 
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan]
Broadcom Corporation NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express

For wireless networks:
Is it using a hidden SSID? Yes
Wireless security type: WEP/WPA-PSK/WPA-EAP? WEP
Key length: 128 bit
Key type (passphrase or hex for WEP) passphrase
Ciphers (TKIP/AES): Not sure
Auth mechanisms (TLS/TTLS/PEAP/...): Not sure

Experiencing a similar issue after upgrading (in-place) from 11.1 to 11.2. I keep getting prompted to enter my WPA2 password, but it never connects. I just quit KWallet and tried to reconnect--IT WORKED! Obviously an issue with KWallet and KDE4NetworkManager.

Please try with today's online update to NetworkManager-kde4.

Ruchir, how about attaching the NetworkManager logs from when you connect, and the output of "ip r" from when you are connected?

Bruno, can you attach NetworkManager logs from when KNetworkManager is started (kill it and run it from a shell)?  More details on how to do that are in the userbase link.  

Mike, is it working generally now?  Is KWallet enabled (run kwalletmanager, Configure..., look at the enabled checkbox)?  If not, is KNetworkManager using the config file for storage (look in Manage Connections...->Other->Connection Secrets)? active

KWallet is disabled and KNetworkManager is storing in file (unencrypted). Everything appears to be working reliably using these settings. I have not yet applied the online update.

Created attachment 332105 [details]
Extract of NetworkManager log file, with added comments

This is file 1 of 2.

Created attachment 332106 [details]
Extract of NetworkManager log file, with added comments

This is file 2 of 2.

Hi Will, sorry for taking my time over this. Please find the logs attached to comments #7 and #8.

Created attachment 332107 [details]
Another extract of the NetworkManager log file

Sorry, I think I misread your request. Please find attached the log file extract after killing and restarting knetworkmanager, not NetworkManager. This is the third file in the series.

By the way it works without any authentication. I'll test with WEP and WPA2 again and update here.

I'm very happy to report that WPA2 works fine for me.

Further testing shows that if access point is hidden(not broadcasting ssid), system is not able to connect to it.

I'll handle this one upstream.

I'll handle this one upstream.