On Thu, Mar 26, 2009 at 11:08:01AM -0400, Jack Chastain wrote:
> Greetings group
> Based on suggestions given here a week or so ago, I downloaded Fedora 10 and
> am using a Live CD to try it out on my IBM Laptop. I have one initial issue
> I am having trouble working out.
> 
> The networking system sees my wireless LAN just fine, but I cannot connect
> to it. I have VZ Fios with VZ's supplied wireless router - Actiontec Model
> MI424WR. The initial router WEP settings have 64/128 bit and 128/104
> settings. Fedora presents "wep 40/128-bit key" or "wep 128-bit passphrase".
> 
> Am I correct in thinking that these two items are, as they stand, not
> compatible?

Wep 40 and Wep 64 are the same thing.  Wep 104 and wep 128 are the same
thing.  (The key is 40 or 104 bits, and the per-packet initialization
vector is the other 24).

You want to use the key, which will be in hex, and should be 26
characters long for 104/128.

There is no standard for passphrases being converted to keys in WEP so
it probably won't work to use the passphrase text.

> I set the router to WPA and set a key phrase, the PDA works there (though I
> am not quite sure why!) but Fedora, though it tries, and the little network
> link ball turns green, fails to connect.

WPA is highly preferable, if someone cares, WEP provides absolutely no
security - it's crackable in under 5 minutes at this point.  I've heard,
however, that the crappy verizon APs can't keep up with doing WPA
encryption and will lag horribly.

I don't know what RH did to things, you may need to delete the WEP
network from your preferred network list then add it again once it is
advertising WPA.

Open is the easiest way to test, delete the network from your
network list, add it again as an open, then run 'iwconfig'.  You should
see something like:

wlan0     IEEE 802.11abgn  ESSID:"UESC"  
Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.427 GHz  Access Point: 00:1A:1E:80:02:A0   
Bit Rate=24 Mb/s   Tx-Power=14 dBm   
Retry min limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr=2352 B   

If it doesn't list the MAC of your AP under "Access Point" it's not even
connected.

Once connected, you can look at ifconfig to see if it's gotten a DHCP
address properly.  You should also try statically assigning one and
pinging your gateway.

Once you have it working on open, kick it over to WEP or WPA, again
deleting the network from the list and adding it again once you've
reconfigured your AP.

And don't forget - wired is still way faster, and way easier, especially
when installing a new system.

-m

-- 
Mike Kershaw/Dragorn <[email protected]>
GPG Fingerprint: 3546 89DF 3C9D ED80 3381  A661 D7B2 8822 738B BDB1

Experts in ancient Greek culture say that people back then didn't see their
thoughts as belonging to them.  When they had a thought, it occurred to them
as a god or goddess giving them an order.  Apollo was telling them to be
brave.  Athena was telling them to fall in love.

Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy.
        -- Chuck Palahniuk

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