kern/131153: iwi doesn't see a wireless network

[Adam Kirchhoff]

>Number:         131153
>Category:       kern
>Synopsis:       iwi doesn't see a wireless network
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       critical
>Priority:       high
>Responsible:    freebsd-bugs
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Fri Jan 30 11:30:00 UTC 2009
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Adam Kirchhoff
>Release:        7.1-STABLE
>Organization:
>Environment:
FreeBSD memory.visualtech.com 7.1-STABLE FreeBSD 7.1-STABLE #1: Thu Jan 15 12:11:12 EST 2009     root at memory.visualtech.com:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386
>Description:
I'm trying to get my laptop to connect to the wireless access point at
work. It has a Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG minipci card, and can
associate with my access point at home. In addition, I can get an
Ubuntu 8.10 liveCD to connect to the access point at work via
NetworkManager. So there is definitely no incompatibility between the
wireless card and access point.

Here's my wpa_supplicant.conf file:

network={
	ssid="Mckella280Front"
	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
	pairwise=TKIP
	psk="#########"
}

The preshared key is definitely correct, as it's the one that works
with the liveCD. For the sake of testing, I've removed the reference to
my wireless AP at home.

I'm attaching the output from wpa_supplicant run with -dd.  Basically,
it keeps scanning but only ever sees the tmobile network.  That's
actually coming from another person in the building using a tmobile
wireless broadband card. If she's not here, the scan never picks up
anything. Similarly, 'ifconfig iwi0 list scan' only picks up the
tmobile ssid.

Yet, if I reboot off the liveCD, it works. Here's the output of 'iwlist
eth1 scanning' under the liveCD:

eth1      Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:22:6B:9A:CC:AF
                    ESSID:"Mckella280Front"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11bg
                    Mode:Master
                    Frequency:2.457 GHz (Channel 10)
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
                              9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
                              48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Quality=50/100  Signal level=-68 dBm  
                    IE: WPA Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
                    IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
                    Extra: Last beacon: 904ms ago


And, iwconfig while connected:

eth1      IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"Mckella280Front"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.457 GHz  Access Point: 00:22:6B:9A:CC:AF   
          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=20 dBm   Sensitivity=8/0  
          Retry limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=59/100  Signal level=-66 dBm  Noise level=-87 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:6  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:3

Give that the network isn't even visible via ifconfig, I'm guessing that this is a problem with the driver and not with wpa_supplicant. The only thing I can think of is that the AP is using some feature that the iwi driver doesn't support.

The AP is a Linksys WAP4400N Business Edition.
>How-To-Repeat:

Install -STABLE and try to connect to this wireless network.
>Fix:


>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: