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nadir

- nadir
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## wicd, wireless and that

Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:45 pm

The problem is so perplex that i can't even describe it, nor say what exactly i am asking for.
I got strange problems to connect to wireless, and different ones.
Am using wicd, like the title says.
Got two wireless cards, both with similar problems on a laptop, + a third card i have not tested yet (in a PC).
So:
- i got the passphrase in the wicd-settings, gui. It worked for a while. It stopped working. I was told to create a passphrase with wpa_passphrase. That did not work. I was on vacation. Came back. Wireless worked (no changes whatsoever). After 2 weeks same problem again
- wicd scans and doesn't see my router, a few meters away
- wicd scans, sees my router, but with very bad connectivity.
I would like to store general troubleshooting tips here.
(how to run wpa_passphrase, etc).
Later i will test it with a refracta live CD. I already tested it with other live-CDs (which came with gnome3, which added more than just a bit of problems to the general confusion)
Thanks for any input/tips/hints/whatever you got.
meandean

- meandean
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:12 am

This happens with all the wireless cards?
Have you thought maybe it could be something to do with the router?
You might also look for electronic devices that could be causing interference.
nadir

- nadir
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:24 am

> meandean wrote:This happens with all the wireless cards?

It doesn't happen with the smartphone.
It doesn't happen with the PC which is in the kitchen (router is in the living room).
Like said: it didn't happen with the laptop (ususually living-room, sometimes balcon) too. It stopped working. It started to work for 2 weeks, without changes. It stopped working a few days ago (again: without any changes

> Have you thought maybe it could be something to do with the router?

I have thought about it (not long though ... i don't really understand wireless or routers in general).
I think (!):
If smartphone and kitchen-PC work, then the router should be ok too? Wrong assumption?
I also thought about channels, but all other routers don't seem to use the channel i use (still could change it to test it...)

> You might also look for electronic devices that could be causing interference.

I don't think there are any unusual electronic devices.
LIke said: its the living room. So there is light, a TV, audio-device, a few vibratrors, all sizes ... ergh .... Not a microwave or such.
Later i will check if the trouble might happen _if_ TV is on (though i usually don't watch TV when doing wireless problems).
Here is the card of my kitchen-PC:

Code:
  `02:00.0 Network controller: Intersil Corporation ISL3890 [Prism GT/Prism Duette]/ISL3886 [Prism Javelin/Prism Xbow] (rev 01`

)
meandean

- meandean
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:41 pm

> If smartphone and kitchen-PC work, then the router should be ok too?

Sounds like a reasonable assumption.

> So there is light, a TV, audio-device, a few vibratrors, all sizes ... ergh ....

dont get the tv remote and the vibrators mixed up...
I guess when it happens you could try to gather some info with iwconfig and check dmesg. Thats about all I can think of.
nadir

- nadir
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Fri Jul 20, 2012 5:17 pm

Cool bean.
Not sure if above i have been clear:
This is a problem which seems to come back, so i want to have troubleshooting tips for wireless at one place (instead of each time crawling thru tons of pointless links and results).
I think (!) i am not the only one to whom some tips and tricks would be helpful.
fsmithred

- fsmithred
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:12 pm

I've had similar problems occasionally (no wireless signal seen or slow connection) and it's always been fixed by rebooting the router. I don't have multiple wireless devices to see if the act differently.
nadir

- nadir
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Sat Jul 21, 2012 1:20 am

Did that and started it after a ciggarette:
BahBoom: my router was found in wicd.
Me: happy.
Connecting: Umpf: Wrong passphrase (no, it is right).
Found the link (not very elaborate ... ):
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=79723
and wanted to run

Code:
  `wpa_passphrase`

not really sure what to put into SSID ...
and the router was gone again.
I also deleted

Code:
  `/var/lib/wicd/configurations/*`

to no avail
Ah, btw: the smartphone couldn't connect anymore neither. But i could connect these days, and i sure was able to connect via kitchen PC yesterday.
Perhaps it really is a borked router (which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't).
I seem to be able to connect to other routers without problems (but don't do it often enough).
Ah, and more info bout the wireless cards:

Code:
  `04:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)`

and a

Code:
  `Netgear WG111v3 (which is running without contrib/non-free, btw).`

nadir

- nadir
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:18 pm

Removed and purged wicd and wpa_supplicant.
Reinstalled it.
Sometimes the router is found, sometimes not.
If found i run into the "passphrase not found problem"
Will have to change the SSID (?) and try wpa_passphrase.
Confusion reigns about the problem.
nadir

- nadir
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:10 am

And suddenly am connected.
I tried: same problem -> wrong password.
I tooke the cable and plugged it in, to connect via wire and open the router interface.
Suddenly i was connected. Strange.
I then opened the routers interface and made those changes:
- SSID from the name of the router to a self-choosen name
- removed a couple of "known IP's" from the list
If the wireless works only if a cable is attached it seems pointless.
I will have to check that further.
Another question:
If i change from the USB-wireless-stick to the build-in-wireless card,
might that lead to trouble?
nadir

- nadir
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## Re: wicd, wireless and that

Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:13 am

**** knows.
After a couple of ideas and endless minutes waiting in front of wicd i decided to take the easy solution:
plug another router to the router which is connected to the internet.
configure the former to not assign IP's.
done (after ca 15 minutes -mainly to figure out when to plug the cable in which port, compared to a couple of hours without any success).
oh, btw: the router which doesn't connect gives me two SSID's in wicds interface
(the original one, which is FritzBox7071 and one which says FritzBox7273). Strange, strange....
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