Bringing Up Wireless Connections Automatically

Robert L. Cochran cochranb at speakeasy.net
Sun Aug 27 14:00:00 UTC 2006


> In system-config-network, you can check Activate at boot, Obtain IP 
> settings, and Obtain DNS information for the interface.  Under the DNS 
> tab, don't set the Hostname field.  Reboot after making these settings, as 
> the hostname only takes effect at boot.
>
> I *think* that will do it.  I know there is some combination of options 
> settable there that will do it.
>

When I start system-config-network in a terminal, I get this warning for my 
wireless device (which is the Broadcom 4306, not the 4311 as I suggested 
earlier):


"Warning: Driver for device eth1 has been compiled with version 20 of 
Wireless Extension, while this program supports up to version 19. Some 
things may be broken...".

system-config-network sees the wireless device, but doesn't seem to let me 
edit it so I can activate it on boot and enter wireless information such as 
the ssid and encryption key.

Another reader, Jafar, suggested I use NetworkManager but before I can do 
that or play with system-config-network (on a consistent basis I mean) I'm 
having a problem with the device name. Sometimes when I boot iwconfig shows 
the device name as 'dev1804289383'. Then after repeated reboots the device 
name shows as 'eth1'. This started after I wondered what would happen if I 
used

iwconfig eth1 key restricted xxxxx

rather than

iwconfig eth1 key open xxxxx

when I used 'key restricted' the command worked (no error message) but then 
when I then issued

dhclient eth1

the entire system locked up and I had to turn power off to the laptop (a 
Compaq nx9010.)

After that I started seeing iwconfig list eth1 as 'dev1804289383'. Anyone 
know how I can get rid of this?



>> I'm only getting an 11 Mbps bitrate and I know this wireless connection 
>> can do 54.
>
> 802.11g?  Does the WAP support it?  Is there an 802.11b device associated 
> with the same WAP?  That will force g connections to run at 11Mpbs.

I have 3 devices on my network. The access point is a brand new Linksys 
WRT54G and is 11g capable.There is also a Hewlet Packard Deskjet 5850 
printer with built-in wireless networking. It is powered off but still 
plugged in. Perhaps the radio is alive nevertheless? The final device is my 
laptop with the BCM4306. I know it runs at 11g speeds because it also boots 
Windows XP and the Broadcom driver on that reports the speed at 54 Mbps.

Thanks for any help that can be offered.

Bob Cochran
 




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